All Interviews articles – Page 13
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ArticleCity Link boss confident in turnaround plan
In November, City Link’s parent Rentokil revealed the express parcels firm had recorded a loss for the first nine months of the year of £24m, albeit £1m less than that posted in the same period of 2011 on revenue up £7m to £225m.Nevertheless Rentokil chief executive Alan Brown reaffirmed his ...
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ArticleAPC Overnight relaxed about new hub delay
With annual volume growing at 15% to 18% in recent years, overnight parcels specialist APC Overnight has outgrown its national hub in Essington, West Midlands. The company is in the process of relocating to a purpose-built 120,000sq ft centre at Kingswood Lakeside just off the M6 Toll road, but due ...
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ArticleFedEx Express sets itself tougher green goals
Global express carrier FedEx Express is well on its way to achieving its goal of increasing the fuel efficiency of its vehicle fleet by 20% on 2005 levels by 2020. Steve Hobson asks Will Martin, MD of the UK operation, how it is being achieved here.Back in 2008, FedEx Express ...
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ArticleKnights of Old - service is not just a slogan
Knights of Old (KOO) was founded in 1865 by William Knight with a single horse and cart, and has grown steadily and today runs 169 trucks and 185 trailers. The modern history of the company really starts in 2000, when it moved to its present base on a ten acre ...
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ArticleThe DSA's Mark Magee answers questions on Driver CPC
Mark Magee, the Driving Standards Agency’s acting director for regulation, standards and development, answers MT's questions on Driver CPC.Many operators and drivers are cynical about the Driver CPC, regarding it as an expensive waste of time. I believe that one reason for this is the perception - right or wrong ...
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Article2012 Haulier of the Year CM Downton profiled
L to R: Richard, Andy, Johnny Downton.The 2012 Haulier of the Year, CM Downton, is a family-run firm based in Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire. Despite MD Andy Downton’s self-deprecatory comments about the family just being simple West Country folk, the company is highly respected for its professionalism and consistent strong performance.In ...
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ArticleWm Armstrong - keeping it in the family
Haulier Wm Armstrong, based just on the English side of the Scottish border in Longtown near Carlisle, celebrates its 85th anniversary this year, and the third generation of the family running the business today are working hard to ensure the business is handed on to future generations.The famous green livery ...
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ArticleWiddowson builds on Waitrose success
In April, Leicester-based Widdowson achieved a significant milestone: it became the first third party selected by Waitrose to be the supermarket chain’s official logistics partner in the Midlands. Waitrose has previously nominated carriers only to assist with distribution in the North and South.The move demonstrates how far the operator has ...
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ArticleVosa chief prefers carrot to big stick
In his introduction to Vosa’s recently published 2012/13 business plan, chief executive Alastair Peoples promises the agency’s focus will be “on balancing ‘regulatory’ enforcement interventions with education initiatives to empower the industry to increasingly manage [its] own compliance”.To the glass half empty contingent, this could sound like an alarming budget-driven ...
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ArticleRyder on track with Hill Hire integration
Ryder Europe vice-president and MD David Hunt’s claim that “Ryder is full of the joys of spring”, is not what MT expects to hear as we meet to discuss the integration of Hill Hire. But like the company he works for, Hunt can pull the occasional surprise.Ryder’s big surprise ...
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ArticleThe great car adventure - John Harvey part 2
John Harvey recalls Tibbett & Britten’s (T&B) time in the car industry as a “great adventure”; he does not regret moving into the sector, but wishes T&B had exited sooner as he tells Justin Stanton.Ultimately, the Ford contract forced Harvey to announce T&B’s first profit warning just two days after ...
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ArticleInterview with a legend - John Harvey part 1
A legend, a pioneer, an inspirational leader – just some of the names John Harvey has been called. Justin Stanton caught up with him for an indepth interview.Just about any aspect of transport, logistics and supply chain management you can think of, Harvey has been there, seen it and done ...
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ArticleKuehne + Nagel stays on growth track
Kuehne + Nagel’s acquisition of international groupage specialist RH Freight in March last year caught many in the industry – including Motor Transport it has to be said - by surprise. But it was all part of the Swiss-owned global logistics business’ long term strategy, as Glenn Lindfield, KN’s senior ...
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French Connection
Norbert Dentressangle’s acquisitions of Christian Salvesen in 2007 and TDG in 2011 made the French group’s UK logistics operation a £1bn a year business, representing almost a third of group turnover, and silencing critics who had questioned the company’s commitment to the UK.On the face of it, ND’s ...
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Taking a cool approach to ambient distribution
While Fowler Welch-Coolchain (FWC) has built a successful business in chilled distribution, the company is now looking to expand into bigger – and arguably more profitable – ambient markets. A glance at the business card handed over by Nick Hay – installed as MD in November 2010 – reveals the ...
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Keeping the shelves stocked
Sainsbury’s is Britain’s third largest grocery retailer (behind Tesco and Asda), turning over nearly £23bn in the year to 19 March 2011 and making a pre-tax profit of £827mn.Despite buying 24 stores from the Co-op in 2009 in the north and Midlands, Sainsbury’s stronghold remains the south east of England, ...
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Article
Big game hunter
When Peter Backhouse was appointed CEO of contract hire specialist Fraikin in May 2010, he set out a clear vision of where he wanted the company to be. 18 months on he gives Steve Hobson a progress report.Since his arrival at Fraikin after two years in charge of Bunzl Healthcare ...