October 04th, 2010
A leading Bradford-based international freight carrier which has grown its turnover by around ten per cent this year has launched a push to expand business among companies in the south and central England.
Redhead International, based at Low Moor, is looking to break out of its traditional M62 corridor heartland and serve manufacturing companies in a part of the country which has a high concentration of industry.
Marketing manager Austin Duffy said: “Although the economy has financial troubles, we’ve continued to grow as manufacturing activity has remained strong.
“We can only be busy if others are too and we’ve managed to grow the business by about ten per cent during the tail end of a recession, which is a great achievement.”
Redhead operates scheduled services to more than 40 countries every week in Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world.
The £27 million turnover business, which employs 180 staff and has seven depots in the UK, Ireland and France, has seen year-on-year increases in consignment deliveries and plans to build on this success. It will target businesses across the south from its Burton-on-Trent and Basildon depots.
Mr Duffy said: “We already have a reputation as being one of the most respected freight management companies in the country, particularly across northern England.
“We want to further build on this reputation in the central and southern regions of the country, at the same time re-enforcing our commitment to meeting the ever-increasing diverse needs of our customers.”
Redhead has appointed a new sales manager, Keith Parsons, to oversee the planned growth. He has more than 20 years of experience in the freight industry and will be based at the Burton-on-Trent office.
Redhead’s move comes as freight industry leaders have warned that today’s 1p a litre rise in fuel duty could put many struggling transport companies on the ropes.
The Freight Transport Assoc-iation accused the Government of a ‘smash-and-grab approach’ which would add £125 million to the industry’s costs. Malcolm Bingham, the FTA’s Horsforth-based head of policy for the Northern region, said: “Diesel is an unavoidable expense and accounts for a third of the costs of running a truck.
“With another rise due in January and above-inflation rises set for the next three years, many businesses hit hard by the recent recession will feel like they are on borrowed time.
“Every 1p that goes on fuel costs leaves less money for firms to maintain and develop their fleet, train their employees and could even make it harder for some firms to keep up with vehicle maintenance.”
The FTA complained that for every £1 of tax raised from road users, only 22p was spent on the road network.
Mr Bingham said: “If the Government persists with the strategy of above-inflation rises in fuel duty, it should ‘ring fence’ the element that exceeds inflation and invest it in those road and rail networks in most urgent need of improvement.”
Source: Telegraph and Argus
