Mick Rowe: At the time Seneca came in,
it gave RS Motorhomes a whole new lease
of life. I personally got stuck in, sorted out my
customers, promised what I said I’d do.
and he was concerned he could lose
everything he’d dedicated his life to.
“We had vehicles to produce with no
money coming in, the bank were taking
what they were owed,” he says.
Having been turned down for bank
lending Mick was introduced to Seneca
by Sheffield corporate finance adviser
Chris Sellars, leading to an initial
£350,000 investment.
Such an injection has enabled the
business to meet growing demand,
reduce customer waiting times and
enable the business to manufacture up
to seven bespoke motorhomes a month
from its new premises in Howarth,
South Yorkshire to a customer base
spanning the UK and Europe, including
an expansion into the Leisure sector
and Equestrian transportation sector.
For Patrick Bywater, investment
director of Seneca, it represents the kind
of deal Seneca can back – hard working
businesses who are prepared to fight
for their future: “We were impressed
by the grit and determination of Mick
and the loyalty and commitment of his
staff who even offered to invest their
own savings in the business.
“RS Motorhomes makes a high end,
top quality product and has a strong
ethos of providing outstanding
customer service. Our investment
means that they can fulfil their order
book, continue to innovate and further
develop their export offering.”
But for Mick, it’s been more than
just an injection of capital, but a chance
to address some deeper issues in his
business, but with the support of other
directors in the company.
“At the time when Seneca came in it
gave us a new lease of life. I got stuck
in, sorted out my customers, promised
what I said I’d do. I thought it would
be harder to re-energise,” he says.
Now he has moved to new premises,
production and capacity can now step
up to the next level. The order book is
climbing, he says. He partly puts this
down to a general raising of the levels
of optimism in the wider economy –
but also down to a restoration of his
own self-confidence.
“I still feel the business is mine and
I don’t feel bitter about the fact I’ve
got other people in the business with
me. It used to be all me. Melanie,
Patrick, Andrew and Lisa from Seneca
have been fantastic, they believed in me
and I hope I am paying them back,”
he says.
Moving to the new site has given
everyone in the business a lift.
Marketing has also stepped up a gear.
Reputation counts for a great deal in
a market place full of enthusiasts and
with an energetic community. Quality
counts. Put simply, there’s no room to
make mistakes, or the coffee bars of
the big trade shows and the message
boards on the internet will soon hum
with negativity.
Here’s a customer commenting on
a specialist website for the motorhome
fanatics: “An RS isn’t cheap, but where
other top brands have been cutting their
specifications to remain competitive in
the UK as the Euro exchange rate made
their products too expensive, RS
pricing has remained very stable, and
therefore offers exceptional value for
quality. I don’t advocate that British
manufacturing should be supported
for the sake of it, but a good
product should.”
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