There are no immediate plans to phase out the Simon Gibson Transport name, new owner Groupe Charles André (GCA) has said.

Speaking following its acquisition of the bulk powder haulier the boss of GCA said it was the business’s strong reputation – its name essentially - that lead it to buy 75% of the haulier earlier this year.

“It’s a firm whose reliability and service quality are widely recognised in the English market. That market interests us. We’d like to develop our expertise there and we believe that Simon Gibson is the right business partner to do it with,” GCA CEO Delphine André told Motortransport.co.uk.

Instead, the GCA logo will be displayed on the doors of the Simon Gibson Transport's trucks to indicate their place in the group. André added that the plan was to speed up the expansion of the business and recruit more staff.

“Mr Gibson has managed to foster a climate of trust with contractors in a tough market. He’s a recognised professional. We share the same vision of the business and we both have the drive to continue to move forward.

“We saw the combination of our strengths and expertise as self-evident and quite natural,” she said.

GCA is active in the chemical, hydrocarbons, construction and dry bulk sectors. It has operated in Northern England since 1989, transporting liquid chemical products by road. Today it runs sites in Brentwood, Widnes and Billingham.

GCA’s UK business, before the Simon Gibson Transport acquisition, had annual turnover of £12m in 2015.

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