Zone RV grows workforce to 231

Caravan company Zone RV has featured in the first week of Queensland’s Inside Advanced Manufacturing showcase, with the company announcing that it recently increased its headcount to 231.

Manufacturing minister Glenn Butcher visited the Coolum Beach maker of lightweight composite-bodied off-road caravans on Wednesday morning. 

During its expansion, Zone RV has purchased what it describes as the largest 3D printer in Australia, a 3D scanner, a 5-axis CNC machining and spraying system, a fibreglass cutting machine and a 50mW laser template projector. It received assistance from a Made in Queensland grant of $1.16 million, awarded in 2021.

Butcher said the MIQ grant and the expansion helped the caravan maker create 99 new jobs.

“We were able to really take the big leaps forward that we wanted to do, thanks to the funding support we received,” said Zone RV Director, David Biggar.

He added that being part of the two-week Inside Advanced Manufacturing series was helping build “connections with our peers and working collaboratively with other manufacturers to help the entire sector thrive.”

CNC Design announced in February that it had “just commissioned one of our VSF composite 3D printer[s]” for Zone RV. 

According to the statement at the time, the cell is capable of 3D printing and five-axis machining parts up to 22 metres x 5 metres x 1.6 metres. 

Made in Queensland Round 6 applications open in October, and guidelines will be published at the end of the month.

The statewide Inside Advanced Manufacturing program can be seen here.

Picture: credit Queensland government

Further reading

Zone RV expands with Australia’s largest 3D printer

Zone RV fixed the caravan, then its own data issues

Fast-growing QLD RV company moves into new factory 

Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed