Prestons_Harlequin

Harlequin Logistics has won a contract with Tate & Lyle Sugars to distribute stock from the manufacturer’s Silvertown, East London production site to warehouses across the UK.

The five-haulier consortium said its flexibility to provide haulage capacity to match the peaks and troughs of the sugar business was a key factor in securing the deal. Although the vaule of the rolling-deal was not disclosed it is understood be in the region of seven figures.

MD Paul Smith added: “Our five shareholders operate around 1,200 general haulage vehicles between them, and this enables us to offer levels of reliability and flexibility which set us apart from our competitors. It makes it very easy to ramp up at peak, or turn the tap off during quieter times, without impacting on either cost or performance levels.”

Tate & Lyle Sugars UK contract and development manager Nic Miller said Harlequin’s ability to avoid the use of subcontractors made the consortium a “good fit” for the business. “Because they almost never subcontract a load, Harlequin provides us with consistent, reliable service across the whole UK, without regional weakness.”

The five haulier shareholders in the business are: R Swain & Sons, Prestons of Potto, John Raymond Transport, Jack Richards & Son and Currie European.