Member Article

Kenny to oil the wheels at haulage specialist

North Shields man Kenny Haddock has been appointed to spearhead the new North East base of Scotland’s leading haulage company, Grampian Continental.

The Aberdeen-based oil and gas specialist, voted Scotland’s European Haulier of the Year 2012, has invested £70,000 in a new base in Bedlington to complement its offices in Holland and Italy, expand its trade lanes and hook up with ferry links to mainland Europe.

The move is part of Grampian’s aim to grow turnover from £15m to £20m over the next five years, and create a number of jobs at its new North East base.

Before moving into management Kenny spent four years as a derrickman on the rigs, and 15 years as a long distance lorry driver travelling Europe.

Kenny said: “Haulage is in my blood. My father and grandfather were long haul drivers and I often went out with them as a boy, so I understand the issues around moving large and complex loads over long distances.

“Although Aberdeen is still seen as the oil and gas capital, we have a lot of expertise and activity going on here in the North East all helping to grow the sector, and we expect to capture a bigger share of the haulage market on the back of that growth.

“Our new base puts us closer to transport hubs such as Leeds, Manchester and London, and together with the expansion of our three regional ports it will open up new routes and generate business for our 205 sq m storage and warehouse facilities.

“We have already signed up several new contracts, and I’m enjoying the challenge of using my background and experience to make our new depot a real success.”

Sales director Gavin Murray said: “A background in haulage, hands on experience of the oil and gas sectors plus a network of industry contacts in the region made Kenny the obvious choice to head up our new operation.

“He has already made some great progress in establishing a customer base here, and we are very pleased to welcome him to the team.”

Grampian Continental operates a varied and modern fleet able to transport a diverse range of loads, from 1kg up to more complex loads, such as 80 tonne offshore structures.

Set up in 2009 by Gavin Murray, Neil Bremner and Michael Lacey, the firm manages exports and imports across the UK, Europe and North Africa for more than 500 customers in the oil and gas sector, and employs 26 operational staff, not including drivers, across its depots.

www.grampianco.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jodie Balmer .