Logistics firm hungry to be a global player

11/08/2010

A HULL- based logistics and transport firm is hoping to become a "global player" after seeing its workload rocket in the last year.

Bulk Logistics Solutions (BLS) was set up three years ago by Paul Lightfoot with the support of four major shareholders to specialise in transporting dry food cargo such as rice and sugar.

The firm's predicted turnover for 2010, based on the first half of the year, is £6.5m.

This would be a four-fold increase on last year's £1.5m turnover.

BLS, which is part of a larger group called Quality Freight, survived the recession as a fledgling company working out of a small office at The Deep Business Centre in Hull.

It moved to Marina Court in February last year but outgrew these premises in just 15 months.

The company, which now employs nine people, has relocated to a 1700 sq ft office on Beverley Road giving them room for further expansion.

Mr. Lightfoot, who has thirty years experience of the transport and logistics industry, said: "We needed somewhere we could house everybody and have room to double the staff over the next few years which is what we intend to do.

"If you start a business in a recession you are asking for trouble, but we have got through that and are in a growth cycle and doing very, very well this year."

Most of the firms clients are spread across mainland Europe as far apart as Greece, Italy and Spain.

BLS deliver their products to major food producers in the UK such as Haribo and Meadow Foods.

Mr. Lightfoot said: "We're hoping to become a global player as we come out of the recession.

"Food will always cross borders as everyone need to eat and it will always come from different parts of the world."

Mr. Lightfoot claims that although the firm is doing well the food transport industry is a highly competitive market and no company can afford to be complacent.

He cited the example of Greencore Cakes and Desserts who had to lay off 88 staff in Hull earlier in the summer after losing a £7m contract with Sainsburys.

Mr. Lightfoot said: "You can see the impact of how one contract can change everything with Greencore.

"We have all got to stay focused and the pressure is constant."

Mr. Lightfoot claims that Hull is a good base for the company which also has staff working in Ireland and Rotterdam.

He said: "We have good port communications here and we're not a million miles from the South Bank facilities."

The letting deal on the new Beverley Road property was overseen by Paul White, a surveyor at Garness Jones.

BLS are subletting the whole first floor from Garness Jones' tenants Click Loans.

Links:

Garness Jones

www.garnessjones.co.uk

Bulk Logistics Solutions

www.bls-bulk.com