28.07.2010 // Interview with Giovanni Marcon

More than a living room on wheels.

The CIVD (the German Caravanning Industry Association) estimates that there are about 440,000 motorised homes in Germany and puts the number of caravans as high as 950,000. If you consider that the Knaus Tabbert brands are sold almost throughout Europe, the potential – in spite of the decline in sales in the sector – is still very great in terms of brand loyalty and the development of new products to win over new customers. However, we know from experience that customer behaviour has long since ceased to be guided by the industry and that manufacturers have to adjust even more specifically to the wishes of the market. Products that please and which consistently keep their promise on quality ensure success. This is why we design leisure vehicles to meet a particular need and defined aspiration; and this is why we try daily to improve – not in terms of quantity but, above all, in terms of quality. Looking at us in this way, we are tending to grow “in depth” rather than purely in breadth. In the end this is what we do best. Ultimately, this seems to us to be the only real way of protecting jobs in Germany in the long term. So, there is still a lot to do and even more to gain:

• “Made in Germany” quality will not lose its appeal if we cultivate it.
• Manufacturing leisure vehicles is one thing and being a good service partner to the dealer and customer is another, which is becoming increasingly important.
• For us, taking on responsibility for Germany as a manufacturing location also means making use of local companies as far as possible for supply services.
• Innovation for the industry is good – in principle we prefer innovations, which the customer rates as such.
• Flat hierarchies, lean co-ordination processes and employee responsibility create a healthy climate of communication, creativity and productivity – our “trump cards” for meeting more or less all the challenges of the future.