Freight First targeting turnover leap after marketing drive

Runcorn-based logistics company Freight First has predicted a 40% rise in its turnover in the current financial year thanks to a major marketing drive during the last 12-14 months.

The firm, which runs a 19-strong fleet of rigids and artics engaged in general haulage as well as ADR work and time-critical deliveries, is largely benefiting from the establishment of a four-strong sales and marketing team at the start of 2013, MD Simon Meredith (pictured) told Motortransport.co.uk

The upshot has been significant growth in the firm’s warehousing and freight forwarding activities, he said. This includes a major contract to store and deliver time-critical shop-fitting equipment to a large high street ladies’ fashion store, a move which contributed to the firm expanding to a second site in July last year to bring total warehousing capacity up to 50,000ft².

Meredith, who predicts the firm’s turnover will rise from £2.5m in the year to the end of April 2013 to £3.5m this year, said the firm had also had reasonable success in achieving better rates this year.

"We’ve been quite successful in the last few months in steadily increasing our rates – especially with direct manufacturers," he said. "It has been easier there than with other transport firms and freight forwarders we work for. We tend to work for the premium end who want to pay for a premium, time-sensitive service."

Although pure transport work has been more static, Freight First is currently considering a boost to its truck fleet, he added.

"We've been running at capacity on our O-licence for some time, but that's something we'll be reviewing this year," Meredith said.