BIGGEST NOT ALWAYS BEST, SAYS DAVIES TURNER, AS M&A FRENZY CONTINUES IN THE UK LOGISTICS INDUSTRY

Significant structural changes in the UK logistics industry are seeing mergers and acquisitions of key players hit the headlines.

This creates an opportunity too good to miss for smaller and medium-sized operators who are ready to serve the markets the larger firms are leaving behind, considers Philip Stephenson, joint managing director of the UK’s leading independent freight forwarder, Davies Turner Plc.

Mr Stephenson believes that the more mergers and acquisitions there are, the more room it leaves for flexible medium-sized players to offer bespoke services that customers cannot find elsewhere.

“We feel that the bigger the multinationals become the better, because they leave business openings they cannot take on but which we can move into. We believe that there are going to be many such opportunities for us over the next few years,” he adds.

In order to secure its growing market share, Davies Turner has made major investments in ICT to provide a web-accessed track and trace service. Larger clients currently use this but now the company has joined Systems Alliance Europe, which brings together leading independent operators across Europe, it will be become standard throughout the continent and available to all customers.

“We have spent a lot of money and time in getting IT right. However, we also want our staff to be accessible as human beings. While some things are best done and confirmed by email, others are best-discussed one to one.

“Customers who buy services on price alone can be disappointed with the service levels they achieve, and risk their supply chain becoming disrupted if the companies do not have the financial muscle or international network to survive in the long term,” Stephenson says.

The family-owned firm provides a multimodal range of services through three main trading divisions: Davies Turner Air Cargo, which specialises in air freight and is amongst the top 10 largest UK agents according to IATA listings; Davies Turner & Co, which covers sea freight, overland trailer services to Europe and beyond, as well as logistics, warehousing and supply chain management services; and Davies Turner Worldwide Movers, which specialises in international relocations and fine art packing.

The company’s philosophy is to achieve organic growth when it sees an opportunity it can exploit. For example, it early recognised increased demand for imported clothing products and geared up its services accordingly with the creation of a fashion and retail division in 2000. This now serves many major high street chains and their suppliers and uses road movements throughout Europe and North Africa, as well as air and sea freight from further afield. Other specialist services cover shippers involved in hi-tech components, as well as international books and publishing distribution.

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Davies Turner is one of the UK’s leading independent freight forwarding and logistics organisations. In business since 1870, it is their mission to satisfy the shipping needs of clients taking pride in providing a professional and award-winning portfolio of services that are reliable, time-sensitive, cost-conscious and tailored to the unique requirements of each individual customer.

This release was published on openPR.