Brian Yeardley Continental Volvo

Brian Yeardley Continental said a willingness to reinvent itself and innovate had helped boost turnover by 17% during 2012.

Summary accounts for the year ending 31 December 2012 showed sales increased to £10.2m during the period, compared with £8.7m in 2011.

However, managing director Kevin Hopper said he expected a tough 2013 and that the Featherstone based company was investigating further cost savings within the business as a result.

Hopper said it identified a need from some of its biggest customers in the European chemical industry for temperature controlled transport and so it invested in refrigerated trailers with moveable double deck systems in order to offer them a new service.

Having also bought two mega box trailers to service another contract it used them to tap into the exhibition and events markets and Hopper said it is now booked up to the end of March.

“It will be a difficult year and our customer base in the UK and throughout Europe are confirming this,” he said.

“As a business we will always try to pitch ourselves in the quality and not quantity end of the market specialising in our own unique brand of quality reliable service, which has paid dividends for us over the last five years. By looking at moving into specialist new markets such as exhibitions and events, and guaranteeing a reliable, English self-drive service to our customers, it has really worked for us,” he added.

Pre-tax profit was not divulged.