Despite seeing pre-tax profit fall by more than half in 2024/25, John G Russell’s directors said they were “pleased” with the group’s performance, in what they described as a “challenging market”.
John G Russell has its headquarters in Glasgow and specialises in logistics, distribution, warehousing and rail freight.
It operates a fleet of over 250 vehicles, around 500 trailers, more than 1,000 intermodal containers, and a range of curtain-sided trailers. It has over one million sq ft of warehouse space and boasts 14 depots and railway terminals across the UK.
In its latest financial results, for the year to 31 March 2025, the group revealed turnover jumping to £96m (2025: £87.5m). However pre-tax profit tumbled, down 60% from £8.1m in the previous year, to £3.2m.
During the period staff wages rose to £34.8m (2024: £29.5m) and interest payments, largely on bank overdrafts and finance leases and hire purchase contracts, rocketed to £1m (2024: £158,704).
The group also acquired the trade and assets of the intermodal rail terminal located at Coatbridge from Freightliner in April 2024, in a move which John G Russell said would strengthen its logistics and rail freight capabilities in Scotland, the UK intermodal market and the container storage and transport sectors.
It added that the purchase also aligned with the group’s ambitions to lower carbon logistics and shift more freight from road to rail.
The business review to the annual results said the rise in turnover came from the rail terminal acquisition “alongside stability in our existing key market, despite a more challenging position in Q4 FY25”.
Turning to the fall in profit, the review said: “This reflects the loss-making operation of the rail terminal, in addition to the impact of significant capital expenditure in the year and a large investment in back-office staff to support the size and scale of the business.”
Despite the reduced profit, the review remained upbeat. It stated: “The group uses non-financial key performance indicators to measure operational performance, including asset utilisation, driver and vehicle efficiencies, vehicle reliability, space and capacity utilisation, labour efficiency and accident rates.
“With this background the directors have reviewed the group’s financial position and having regard to the group’s funding arrangements are satisfied that the group is well positioned to manage its financial position and its business risks successfully.”
![Coatbridge Intermodal Rail Terminal & JGR Base[73224]](https://d2cohhpa0jt4tw.cloudfront.net/Pictures/100x67/4/8/2/20482_coatbridgeintermodalrailterminaljgrbase73224_325534.jpg)