Birds Transport name, some assets and business, believed to have been sold to Widdowson Logistics

The Birds Transport & Logistics name, some assets and business, are believed to have been sold to HLD Group-owned Widdowson Logistics.

The deal would represent an exit for Birds owner Ballyvesey Holdings, which purchased the loss-making business for an undisclosed sum in February 2013 from family owners Andrew and Delvene Levett.

However, efforts to turn around the haulier proved elusive. In its recent abbreviated accounts to 30 September 2015, auditor RSM raised concerns over Birds’ future.

The accounts showed that despite parent firm Ballyvesey Holdings’ waiver of a £4m intercompany loan, the haulier made a loss of £22,109. But this was an improvement compared with pre-tax losses of £211,000 and £397,000 in 2014 and 2013 respectively.

According to Companies House, Birds Groupage Services (trading as Birds Transport & Logistics) became Midlands Warehousing on 13 December 2016 in preparation for separation of the business.

Last week MT addressed rumours that Birds had closed on 9 December, which MD Patrice Schneider said was untrue. “We are reorganising the business and moving our operational centre to Leicester with a depot in Oldbury,” he said.

MT has since learnt that Birds Transport Leicester was incorporated at Companies House on 14 October, with the same registered address as Widdowson at Mill Lane Industrial Estate, Glenfield.

Birds Transport Leicester’s director is listed as Demis Armen Ohandjanian, a representative of Malta-registered HLD Group, which owns Widdowson Logistics.

A call to Widdowson was answered by a staff member who confirmed a Birds connection, describing it as a merger in progress.

Last week, a source told MT: “HLD is going to purchase the Birds’ brand not the company. It may merge it with Widdowson or use its contracts in the new Birds.”

A separate source visited Widdowson’s yard in Leicester last week (left) and saw 10 new Birds trailers parked with vehicle off road stickers on them.

The source also visited Birds’ yard in Oldbury (bottom, right), where he saw trucks parked up and some de-livered.

A third source told MT: “The Widdowson name will no longer be used. There are two separate companies, one for traffic (trucks) and one for warehousing (storage). Maintenance will be carried out by the contract that covered Birds’ vehicles.”

Ballyvesey, Birds and Widdowson declined to comment as MT went to press.