The third annual Women in Industry Awards were announced in Melbourne in July. For her role in making it one of Australia’s largest caravan manufacturers, New Age Caravans’ Gabby Montagnese won the 2016 Excellence in Manufacturing award.
In a relatively short time Gabby Montagnese has managed to steer New Age Caravans to be the largest full-size caravan manufacturer and the second largest overall caravan manufacturer in Australia.
Montagnese was working in the metal framework industry in the early 2000’s when she decided to start her own RV company, waiting for just the right time to enter the industry.
“I saw a gap in the market: there were no modern, contemporary or ‘blingy’ caravans out there,” she said.
“So when the GFC hit, we started doing some modelling.”
According to Montagnese, the Australian RV industry has always had two problems: it’s highly male-dominated and stuck in its ways.
So when she started her own business as the first – and to date only – female caravan company owner, she made it her mission to challenge this by employing a large number of women at all levels within the company, and producing caravans with unique, innovative designs not available elsewhere on the market.
Caravan Industry Association of Australia CEO Stuart Lamont said, “In what is a male dominated industry, Montagnese leads an organisation which has seen rapid but sustained growth into what is now clearly the second largest manufacturer in the sector.”
New Age Caravans produced its first model in 2008 with the concept of moving away from traditional caravan designs and builds to designing and building high quality modern caravans which are today a benchmark in the industry, and by 2009 New Age had seven different designs and was producing on average five units per week.
Her determination and business acumen had seen continued success and continued company growth.
In 2013 a purpose built state of the art factory was built in Epping, Victoria which included state of the art CNC machines, three full scale recyclable water testing stations and a full scale weight bridge, a new concept indoor show room was also included near the factory.
As a testament to New Age’s success, the company received a million dollar grant in 2014 to increase production as part of a Federal and Victorian governments and Ford Australia-funded initiative.
The company is now producing approximately 1,000 caravans per year, comprising 11 models with 36 possible layouts.
The company employs over 160+ full time staff and over 40 dedicated contractors.
Montagnese is recognised for running her business on the merits of innovations, quality, and a high level of customer service, which includes consistently developing and challenging her staff to produce the best service and product to the market.
Unlike traditional management, Gabby has developed a unique management style and a high level of company culture with ongoing staff development programs.
Lamont said she encourages strategy and has a willingness to establish a training culture, and has introduced a real focus on innovation and design to generate manufacturing efficiencies.
One of her philosophies is that we never stop training, learning or developing as we all have a lifelong pursuit of perfection consisting of equilibrium between work and home.
Gabby has been in the spot light many times in the past, being awarded many awards over the years, only recently winning the NBAA Chairman’s Choice “Business Excellence Award” and being nominated for the Telstra “Woman of the Year”.
“What is more,” Lamont adds, “[is] her desire to participate in industry activities and learn from other case studies both locally and internationally has seen the business respond and develop, and now trends and innovations which have been implemented in both the product to market and the business as a whole are being looked at and attempted to be replicated – a real honour and sign of respect for the operation Montagnese heads up.”
Commenting on her win, the judges said there has been “great vision and skill demonstrated by Gabby in bringing her business to the best in class”.
“[She is] a recognised leader in Australian manufacturing.”