All Interviews articles – Page 10
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ArticleBreeding success: How Panther clawed its way to the top of the two-man delivery food chain
Panther is launching two new services to customers this month after a year of contract wins and the acquisition of a rival took its annual turnover close to the top of the two-man delivery food chain. The group plans to introduce a Sunday delivery option, as well as a high-end ...
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ArticleYearsley comes in from the cold
Frozen food specialist Yearsley Logistics is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The firm, which is now based in Heywood, Lancashire, started in 1955 on a farm in Rochdale. It is still owned by the Yearsley family and led by MD Harry Yearsley.The Yearsley Group turned over £174m in 2014, ...
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ArticleElddis MD Nigel Cook has high hopes for new transport consortium
“I’m sat looking at an old Commercial Motor cover from 2010”, says Elddis Transport MD Nigel Cook. “There’s a big picture of an Elddis truck on it with the words ‘collaboration is key to success’. Nothing has changed.”Collaboration, Cook firmly believes, is “imperative” to surviving in the haulage industry; a ...
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ArticleEvolution not revolution for new FTA boss
In contrast to the RHA – which looked outside the organisation to the transport industry for its new CEO – the FTA appointed its former finance and operations director David Wells to replace CEO Theo de Pencier when he announced his departure earlier this year.An engineer by profession, Wells does ...
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Article
XPO Logistics' takeover of Norbet Dentressangle 'a golden opportunity'
In April US 3PL XPO Logistics surprised the European logistics market with an unsolicited €3.24bn (£2.3bn) offer for French giant Norbert Dentressangle (ND). With the deal, in essence, completed last week ND chief executive Hervé Montjotin, now chief executive of XPO’s European business, told MT that the offer was a ...
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ArticleA wealth of experience: Tristan Balayn, MD, Gefco UK
Gefco is a company with a long and dynamic history as one of the global leaders in the automotive logistics industry. After its creation by Peugeot in 1949, “Les Groupages Express de Franches-Comté” had accumulated 25 members of staff in four locations by the end of 1950. Now, the group ...
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ArticleRoads are key priority says transport minister Andrew Jones MP
Andrew Jones MP, the new transport minister with responsibility for freight and logistics, says his key priority for the future is delivery of the strategic road infrastructure programme.The new parliamentary under secretary of state for transport, to give him his official title, was visiting the Tip-ex and Tank-ex exhibitions in ...
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ArticleBuilt to last: John Williams, MD, Maritime Transport
The interview with Maritime Transport Group MD John Williams takes place in the company’s impressive new head office overlooking the port of Felixstowe in Suffolk. The four-storey building is lavishly appointed with marble and granite everywhere – even in the drivers’ luxurious shower room – but Williams is quick to ...
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ArticleDawsonrentals optimistic that green shoots will flourish
Dawsonrentals is one of the UK’s largest CV rental firms, and one of the few to offer the full range of vehicles from vans to trucks and trailers and the full range of services from daily rental to contract hire and leasing. An early adopter of Euro-6 to allow its ...
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ArticleMan of destiny takes over at UKWA
Peter Ward took over as chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) in January 2015, replacing Roger Williams who, after 15 years in the job, has semi-retired though retains his role as secretary general of the International Federation of Warehousing Logistics Associations.Ward has been in logistics for 30 years, ...
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ArticleBest in the business: Paul Day, MD, Turners (Soham)
Paul Day, MD of Turners (Soham), is one of the most respected operators in the transport industry, earning plaudits for his professionalism, strategic thinking and rigorous cost control. A Cambridge maths graduate and former GB table tennis player, Day is the grandson of Turners co-founder Wallace Turner.One supplier close to ...
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Creating a legend: Europa MD Andrew Baxter
At the first sight of Europa, according to the Greek myth, Zeus was instantly overcome by her beauty and grace. She’s been a popular woman ever since, inspiring the name of a continent, a moon of Jupiter and now the face of one of the fastest changing operators in the ...
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ArticleKeep going well, keep going Shell
Despite being one of the top two expenses of running a transport business, the diesel that goes into the tank is taken for granted by most operators. As long as it meets EN 590, diesel is diesel, right?Not quite, as Emma Wyatt, Shell fuels scientist, explains. “There are something like ...
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ArticleBringing a wealth of experience: Yusen UK MD Kevin Appleton
Kevin Appleton will remain with the business as chairman in a reduced-time capacity.Kevin Appleton became UK managing director at Yusen Logistics back in April 2014 replacing Ian Veitch, who moved to become the first non-Japanese national to head up Yusen’s entire operations across Europe. Appleton’s credentials are rock solid too. ...
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Chief executive Hervé Montjotin talks Norbert Dentressangle's growth curve
The acquisition of Christian Salvesen in 2007 was a watershed moment for Norbert Dentressangle. Not only did it nearly double its turnover over night (from €1.8bn in 2007 to €3.1bn in 2008) it was the catalyst for a major international acquisition spree that has seen it expand its interests into ...
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ArticleRyder takes tyre management partnership with Bridgestone to next level
At the CV Show 2014, contract hire and rental giant Ryder announced it was renewing a five year tyre supply contract with Bridgestone, covering most of its fleet of 25,000 vans, trucks and trailers. Ryder has exclusively used Bridgestone rubber for over 20 years, but 2014 was a watershed in ...
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ArticleBuchanan to ring the changes at Pall-Ex
When Kevin Buchanan announced he was leaving Palletline after seven years as MD, it was a surprise. When he was subsequently appointed group MD of fierce rival Pall-Ex, it was a shock.Palletline is owned by its members, Pall-Ex is still owned by its founder, chairman and CEO (and former Dragon) ...
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ArticleVW car and van man takes on MAN
Nine weeks into his job as MD of MAN Truck and Bus UK, Simon Elliott spoke to Steve Hobson about his plans for 2015.After 40 years in the truck industry, the last 20 with MAN, CEO Des Evans announced his retirement due to ill health in summer 2014, just before ...
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ArticleBurnt Tree set for growth under new ownership
Just three months into his new job as vice president and MD of Enterprise Flex-E-Rent and Burnt Tree, MT meets Danny Glynn (pictured) at Enterprise Car Rentals’ swanky nearly-new European headquarters in Egham, Surrey. “Don’t touch the walls, the paint might still be wet,” he jokes.Glynn is responsible for fulfilling ...
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ArticleMargin remains king for Gregory
Like many family-owned hauliers, Gregory Distribution is now run by the third generation – in this case CEO John Gregory – after being set up between the two world wars.“My grandfather started in 1919 with a horse and cart,” says Gregory. “His first truck was an ex-First World War Model ...