Transport@SG 019

Suttons Transport Group parent Thomas Cradley Holdings saw its UK turnover jump almost 10% in the year ended April 2012, from £75.4m to £82.9m.

The figure includes a contribution of £63.5m (an increase of 14% year-on-year) from Sutton & Sons (St Helens), the UK road tanker, warehousing and drumming operation of Suttons Transport Group.

Suttons & Sons (St Helens) profit before tax stood at £1.365m, up almost 25% on the previous 12 months' £1.09m.

Group MD Andrew Palmer said the rise came from a combination of organic growth and new business – the latter including a significant contract from Air Liquide UK during the year for the distribution of bulk gases across the UK.

“The UK business grew more last year than in previous years - we’d gone through a bit of a period of consolidation and realignment in the UK,” said Palmer. “We still have a strong business in the UK and intend to grow and develop here. The UK is still a very important market to us.”

However, the current trading year is unlikely to see such a strong performance, he conceded. “It’s a very uncertain time –you work from week to week and it’s very difficult to plan - but we have committed further investment in both the international and UK business, both in re-equipping contracts and bringing in additional equipment.

“I don’t think we’re going to see the year to April 2013 being a stand-out ‘wow’ year. I think it will be a steady year – unless some of the things we are working on at the moment fall into place in the next six months,” Palmer said.

The UK represented 56% of Thomas Cradley Holdings’ turnover to April 2012, which stood at £148.5m (2011: £135.7m), while profit before tax was £7.2m (2011: £6.7m).

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