Member Article

Birmingham Branch Reports Bumper Start to 2017

Europa Worldwide Group’s Birmingham Branch Reports Bumper Start to 2017

• Average weekly groupage exports up 60 per cent year-on-year

The Birmingham branch of ambitious independent logistics business Europa Worldwide Group, based in Minworth, is reporting a bumper start to 2017 with exports per week up by 60 per cent compared to this time last year.

The Birmingham team of Europa Road, a division of Europa Worldwide Group - which also includes Air & Sea, Showfreight and Warehouse - has been based at a £20m 155,000 sq ft facility at Prologis Park since 2011 and has developed a very strong client base across the Midlands.

The team’s average number of European export groupage consignments was 187 per week in January 2016, compared to an average of over 300 per week already in 2017. Branch manager Dave Hodgson believes this healthy rise is down to business growth across the board in the West Midlands, as well as Europa’s investment in its IT and customer service operations.

He said: “We’re delighted to report a 60 per cent increase in groupage export averages per week compared to 2016, setting a really strong foundation for further growth in 2017. The region is buoyant and trade is consistent – we certainly haven’t noticed a negative impact after the Brexit vote.

Our growth in export numbers is largely down to new business wins. We’ve already attracted almost 30 new accounts since January 1st this year, which comes off the back of record booking numbers in the second half of 2016.

“The Europa Road team at Birmingham is the strongest it has ever been, with a core set of 12 sales people who are incredibly passionate about Europa, our values and our service offering. Combined with a £2m investment to date in our innovative and bespoke IT system Leonardo, which was launched last year, our talented team is leading the way by strengthening existing partnerships across Europe and growing new ones.”

The team in Birmingham is responsible for the management of goods to Europe daily, averaging around 1,800 - 2,000 import and export consignments per month. The most popular destinations for West Midlands customers are the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, France and Poland and its largest customer base is in the automotive sector.

Since the business was acquired in 2013, Managing Director Andrew Baxter has continued to invest in both the team and its services. He launched dedicated new divisions – Europa Road, Air & Sea, Warehouse and Showfreight - as well as opening a new £30m site and 1hub in Dartford.

Branch Network and Sales Director at Europa Worldwide Group Dionne Redpath added: “We’ve had an extremely strong start to 2017 and we’re thrilled to be reporting such impressive growth figures from one of our key sites in Birmingham. Our West Midlands base plays a vital role in the overall growth of the business due to its key strategic position. We aim to be the market leader for the distribution of goods between the UK and Europe by 2018 – an ambitious goal which we are well on track to achieve.”

Established 50 years ago as a European express freight service between the UK and Europe, Europa Worldwide Group now employs more than 600 people across 12 sites in the UK and Hong Kong, is represented in 100 countries and pushed through the £100m turnover mark at the end of 2016.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .