RV manufacturers shift across the ditch ‘welcome boost’ for Hamilton

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Hamilton job seekers will benefit from the world’s largest commercial RV rental operator pulling the plug on its Australian manufacturing plant.

Tourism Holding Limited (THL) will close their Brisbane factory and transition all RV production to their existing factory at Action Manufacturing in Hamilton.

The organisation are the largest commercial RV rental operator globally and collectively own 30 brands across RV design and build, rentals, sales, manufacturing, and tourism. They are also listed on the NZX and ASX stock exchange.

Speaking to the Waikato Times, THL CEO Grant Webster said while numbers had not been confirmed, he estimated “tens of jobs” would be created locally as production ramped up throughout 2026.

“We actually have enough people to kick off the year, with the way the production works, but we will be recruiting throughout the year.”

Production would match or surpass historical manufacturing numbers at the Hamilton plant but not be so high as to require new facilities at the site, he said.

THL reported a net loss for the 2025 financial year, with Webster confirming the manufacturing shift was a response to the global RV sales market.

While the company had originally investigated scaling down production in Australia, Webster said after looking at where the most efficient operation for the business would be, increasing production in Hamilton had been the “obvious” move.

“New Zealand has a lower cost base, we've got the physical facilities that can withstand that additional volume, and we've got the right equipment we need.”

Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good said the shift was a “welcome boost” for manufacturing in the Waikato.

He described Action Manufacturing, the production facility used by THL, as a “quality company and quality people”.

“They were recent winners at the Waikato Business Awards [where] they won two categories - sustainability and community contribution, so they are really an integral part of the manufacturing fabric of Hamilton.”

“Like many outstanding companies in the Waikato, they just get on with being world class in their field and run under the radar, so it's nice to see they've been recognised and got some success.”

Good said while it was difficult to know what the full impact would be, he believed THL moving production to Hamilton would have a “multiplier effect”.

“I would be picking that there will be some increase in employment, and it certainly gives manufacturing a real boost in terms of all of the other bits and pieces that people supply to them.”

“I think that the business community should be rapt that we are seeing an increase in manufacturing in the Waikato.”