“The day that Doug McDonald walked into our workshop was the start of a long-term partnership with Lavender Composites, our now preferred Australian panel and skin supplier.” Allan Knight, Perry Panels
Nestled alongside the banks of the Tweed River, Perry Panels has been manufacturing custom-cut panels to the truck building and caravan industry for seven years. As part of a larger group — Perry Catamarans, builders of world-class fibreglass composite catamarans — they have been working with skins and panels for a long time. This means they have seen the changes in the market with panel product, and so choosing the right supplier is of paramount importance to the quality of their end product.
Perry Panels business owner Allan Knight said, “In the early days, Doug would call in to talk to us and showcase the Lavender Composites range to our team. After a number of months getting to know him and the extensive Lavender product range, we eventually gave the product a try. We haven’t looked back since.”
The materials that Perry Panels buys from Lavender Composites are used in luxury caravans and motor homes custom-designed by the likes of Apollo and Fold-a-Home. These caravans and motor homes are not your average build; they often require specific holes and openings cut, such as windows and doorways. Perry’s clients provide them with DXF files and they create the panels to suit using the skins and core products from Lavender Composites.
In relation to the special requirements for custom-design to the high-end caravan/RV market, Allan said, “Often we are building non-standard caravan wall panels with special inserts — not the standard off-the-shelf caravan shell. We generally use a hollow tubular conduit to transfer electrical cables from the top to the bottom of sidewalls and so we need a quality and strong skin product to suit this application. The German-made Lamilux skins suit our needs exactly.”
“The reason we continue to buy our materials from Lavender is that their panels and skins have a much higher gloss on the outside and you don’t see the fibre as much. Because we work with caravan manufacturers and truck builders who are dealing with an end-user, we understand that they have a strict set of criteria to meet, with aesthetics being one of their core values. We find that the Lamilux skins give us that differentiation and superior finish. The corona finish on the inside helps with the adhesion to the core, which is something we do not see with other skins in the market. Plus, the Lavender Composites skins are really consistent in thickness and their strength surpasses any others in the Australian market, so we know what we are working with.”
When asked about the level of service Lavender Composites provides, Allan said, “Over the years, Doug has delivered fabulous service to us; we get along really well. I value his knowledge and he always goes the extra mile to help us out and assist with any curly manufacturer problems our clients might have. His product knowledge is superb, and his ability to apply product and engineering to solve a quandary has helped us on a number of occasions.”
“Lavender Composite’s service is really reliable. They continually come out to meet with us to ensure we are happy. Lavender has a quality product with a good range. We can get any size we want with a little bit of notice, and it’s all delivered on time and by a great team, I can’t ask for more.”
