Investment vehicle Westland Assets buys Nottingham delivery firm Direct Sameday Services

The company, which is based at Vision Park Bullwell on the outskirts of Nottingham, specialises in same-day parcel, pallet and tender document deliveries, as well as direct European services and pre-planned logistics.

Launched in 2007 with just two vehicles, DSS now operates a fleet of 60 vehicles, ranging from vans and sprinters to 44-tonne trucks and employs 65 staff. The company also has a depot in Manchester.

Announcing the deal, Westland Assets said its purchase of the Nottinghamshire-based business is “a strategic invetment which shows a commitment and confidence in the UK transport industry. With an understanding of all the future challenges ahead investors have full confidence in the DSS group of companies and a bright future ahead in 2025.”

Westland Assets director David Whitefoot, who will head up the business, told MT that he had spent some time looking for a business to buy in the sector. He said: “Out of all the ones I have seen in the past two years, this is the best documented and most well run business I have seen in a long time.”

Whitefoot said the company was now at the stage where it is ready to scale up. He added: “We want to grow the business in 2025 and in 2026 and make more investments in it and possibly expand it geographically - we have a vision of where we want to take this business.”

DSS has an annual turnover of around £4.8m. Co-founder Ian Gleave will remain on board for the next year as the business transitions to the new ownership.

Whitefoot praised Gleave and his co-founder Paul Tomkinson for building the business in a sector known for its tight margins and red tape.

He added: “This business was set up 25 years ago and considering the regulation that has followed since then, it is a credit to the previous owners.”

Whitefoot also insisted the acquisition would not result in any redundancies. “We have bought this business with the intention to scale up, not scale down,” he added.