THOMSON T-LINE CARAVANS LTD, the parent company, was formed in 1967.
THOMSON CARAVANS LTD. formed in 1932 as a limited company to market the caravans produced by Daniel Thomson. Today it is the retail agent operating the sales centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and trading not only in T-Line products but caravans of a number of other manufacturers. The company is also responsible for the Kincraig Caravan Park in Fife .
THOMSONS (CARRON) LTD., founded in 1948 as the caravan manufacturing company, has the same function today in the enlarged factories covering 140,000 square feet at Carron. It also produces custom-built caravans to individual order and has a department for caravan repairs.
J. BAIRD AND COMPANY (FALKIRK) LTD. is a. subsidiary company which imports from Scandinavia and the Far East almost all the timber that goes into T-Line caravans, as well as supplying the hardboard and chipboard. It is also a general timber company supplying local authorities and housing contractors.
Thomson was for long the major shareholder in Baird, taking over the balance of the equity when the public company was formed. Baird is responsible for almost a quarter of the group s trading turnover and profit.
GEORGE SMITH (LIATEEZ) LTD., based at Paisley , was originally a small family business supplying bedding, upholstery and curtains to Carron. It traded happily with Thomson until 1966, when with the retirement of the principal, the company was sold to the group. About 85 per cent, of its business is with T-Line.
THOMSON T-LINE HOMES LTD., formed in 1969, was partly inspired by the Kincraig development in Fife .
Involving a £600,000 investment, the new company will manufacture residential caravans and later chalets, both for Kincraig and general sale. It will also specialise in industrialised section building for offices, shops, etc. With the factory in production later in 1970, the aim is to produce 1,000 units annually after a three-year build-up.
THOMSON-YORK LTD., based in Toronto , Canada was formed in 1969, with Thomson holding 40 per cent, of the initial capital of $100,000. In the first six months 104 T-Line caravans were shipped-Glen, Glendale , Glenelg and Glenalmond. Robin Trail !, sales director, said: "On a visit to a Toronto exhibition the previous year, I saw there was a market for our caravans. But it was obvious this market could not be handled by agents, as in Europe .
"We wanted a permanent base with people directly involved with the product, so we formed this company with the York Trailers group.
Starting in Eastern Toronto, we will extend to other provinces, and use this as a springboard to the United States ." |
