A SCOTS employee-owned firm that specialises in converting VW campervans has beaten Brexit and secured enough orders to make sure its workforce will be kept busy until next November.
Jerba Campervans received more than 40% of its typical yearly orders in September, and pre-ordered more than 40 new base vehicles from Volkswagen in Europe to avoid the possibility of added tariffs or disruption ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU at the end of this month.
The firm, based in North Berwick, specialises in creating bespoke, luxury conversions of the VW vans, and co-founder Simon Poole said they were doing all they could to ensure they transitioned into Brexit as smoothly as possible: “Having orders scheduled well into next year will provide a welcomed cushion as we steer into what looks set to be a difficult and uncertain period for a lot of businesses.
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“With the emergence of a staycation boom due to the Covid pandemic and the looming Brexit deadline we have seen a record autumn in customers pre-ordering their VW campervans.
“What this will enable us to do is pre-order our parts from our VW suppliers on the continent.
“Despite trepidations in the evolving market we are delighted to have set a new record for orders.”
The news came as Jerba was featured as a case study in a joint report created by associations representing cooperatives, social enterprises and employee-owned firms to help to rebuild business following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rebuilding Business for Society highlighted key areas in which businesses can adapt.
It cited a YouGov survey that found 85% of consumers would rather purchase a product from a respected business with a “good corporate citizen” track record.
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Poole added: “Featuring in such a prominent report is testament to the values which we hold dear.
“It is a clear indication that consumers attitudes towards employee-owned business is changing for the better.
“There is greater focus on how ethical a business is, and this plays to our strengths, and our commitment to giving back to the local community and sharing the positive message of employee ownership.”
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