Reputation counts for a lot in road transport, and speaking to Turners (Soham) boss Paul Day, it appears that the firm’s image as an acquirer saw the team at Lewis Tankers drop him a line a while back, culminating in last month’s acquisition.
Fresh from picking up Walker Transport Services and Browns Chilled Distribution last year, the Lewis Tankers deal makes a lot of sense.
There’s very little operational duplication, and bringing Lewis Tankers into the Turners fold grants the latter access to new markets in chemical and gas beyond its traditional fuel distribution business.
Day told the Hub that this was very much a growth story; he’s delighted with his purchase and sees it as a stepping stone to something even bigger. He added: “From Turners’ perspective this is a long-term move. Another opportunity for us.”
The reputation of Lewis Tankers’ team have been strengthened too. Let’s not forget, Stewart MacDonald, David Brown and Andrew Nicholson led a management buyout of the firm back in 2009.
Brown and Nicholson will be retiring after a handover period, no doubt assured their business is in safe hands. MacDonald will remain with the business working alongside Turners general manger Colin Rutherford, playing his part in the businesses’ next chapter.