FEW firms born out of adversity can claim to have become such a stunning success as South Lakeland Caravans.

For when founder John Morphet broke his back in an accident while working on the family farm near Milnthorpe, the future must have looked bleak.

After falling 30 feet from a trailer-load of hay, he spent many months recovering and had to give up farm work.

However, proving the old adage that every cloud has a silver lining, Mr Morphet found his feet by taking charge of a small caravan park on the farm.

Seeking a fresh challenge, in 1988 he bought his first caravan park in Carnforth for £135,000 and then took a derelict park at Arkholme on lease, redeveloped the site and saw sales rise. It was a formula for success that has been repeated at a series of sites a total of 20 caravan parks have been acquired over the past 14 years.

By offering high quality lodges and caravans at leisure parks in lakeside, seaside and country locations, South Lakeland Caravans has tapped into a growing demand for families wanting a second home for weekends and longer breaks.

The most recent acquisition was the company's first foray into Wales last month with the £3.6 million purchase of the 30-acre Gorse Hill Caravan Park in Conwy, Snowdonia. Mr Morphet said the company was "dipping a toe in the water" and, if successful, other Welsh acquisitions could follow.

That deal was the latest in a number of multi-million pound acquisitions in the past 12 months, the largest being the £16 million purchase of Lake District Leisure Pursuits, which ran the 300-plot Fallbarrow park at Bowness; the 360-plot site at Limefitt, Windermere; and the 196-plot Gatebeck Caravan Park at Endmoor.

In addition, the company is transforming a disused quarry near Carnforth into a £15 million leisure park with 300 pine lodges on a 64-acre lakeside site. The first 15 log cabins have already been snapped up and the site is due to be officially opened at Easter.

South Lakeland Caravans currently has 16 sites on its books, ranging from a seven-acre park at Gosforth to larger complexes at Morecambe featuring nightclubs, bars, restaurants and shops.

Now the largest supplier of accommodation in both Morecambe Bay and the Lake District, the company is one of the country's leading leisure park operators, employs some 270 staff in season and is

said to be worth £70 million.

Mr Morphet said "never in a million years" did he anticipate such growth when he started. Today, the company sells hundreds of caravans and lodges a year and will turn over £20 million this year.

While caravan holidays were once considered to be a cheap and cheerful option, customers now have the option of luxury lodges. South Lakeland Caravans can count actors and Premiership footballers among its clients at White Cross Bay, Windermere, where the company has invested heavily in new leisure facilities after buying the site for £10 million three years ago.

But with Lake District planners restricting the season at White Cross Bay from March 1 to November 15, the firm is forced to turn away business during the winter months, especially at school half-term break in February.

It is a situation that Mr Morphet wants to change. He says experts have challenged the planners' assertion that such a restricted season is required to protect the breeding habits of birds around the lake.

Extending the season would bring extra business to the area, and create permanent jobs much the same as larger Lakeland hotels, he argues. A planning application appears to be imminent, with Mr Morphet saying: "I would like to apply for permission to use the facilities open to the public in the winter period. We could then keep high quality staff on in the winter."

Meanwhile, a separate business venture backed by Mr Morphet is proving another success story.

Mr Morphet stepped in to save Ulverston abattoir RP Winder after the firm, which employs 35 staff, ran into difficulties during the foot-and-mouth crisis in 1991.

Winders has since launched the South Lakeland Select label, supplying locally produced, fully traceable meat. The aim is to turn the brand into a household name, and it is already available from local butchers and at South Lakeland Caravans' park restaurants.

"The business has done very well over the last 18 months with a turnover of £10 million a year," said Mr Morphet, whose farming background comes to the fore when he attends sales at Lancaster Market to pick out the best livestock.

So what is next for the millionaire with the Midas touch in business? Mr Morphet says he will take opportunities as they present themselves, adding: "I'm always looking for new and exciting challenges."

February 7, 2003 10:31