Imagine being 30 years old, leaving a secure career in investment banking, and with no job trying to raise $40 million to build a business from the ground up.
Fast forward a few years, now with a young family and in the middle of the GFC, feeling like you’re on a treadmill you can’t get off, with your house and everything else on the line.
That was the reality for Grant Wilckens in the early days of building what would become the G’day Group. Starting in 2004 with a blank sheet of paper and a handful of caravan parks in WA and Victoria, Grant set out to commercialise a traditional cottage industry, transforming Australian caravan parks into holiday parks and resorts.
Today, the group employs 2,600 people and includes 90 holiday parks and resorts under Discovery Parks, 330 licensed parks in the G’day Parks network, and tech platforms like WikiCamps and Bookeasy. In this episode of Owner Insights, Grant shares how he rebuilt from those challenging early years, shifted the focus from simply owning assets to delivering exceptional customer experiences, and why digital innovation is shaping the next chapter.
It’s a story of energy, purpose and drive – and how a clear vision can change the face of an entire industry.
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