James Kemball and Ralph Morton join forces in merger
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By Christopher Walton CONTAINER hauliers James Kemball and Ralph Morton Transport are to run as a joint business again after parent company K Line Holdings (Europe) merged the management and operation teams, as well as combining the vehicle leet.
Felixstowe-based James Kemball has been a part of K Line since 2004, while its sister company Ralph Morton was acquired by the Japanese shipping giant in 2008. Both companies had maintained their independence, but K Line is now centralising the business in the James Kemball depot next to the Port of Felixstowe.
The new combined leet will now comprise 120 trucks and 160 trailers, as well as retaining its subcontractor base. Geoff King, MD of James Kemball, says: “This joining of forces is the next step along our planned route to expand our services and customer base, and take advantage of the expected future increase in container trafic in the UK.” Both hauliers run day and night trunking services to and from Felixstowe, plus night trunking to inland hubs, drop-and-swap trailer operations, and night and weekend deliveries.
• Meanwhile, container haulier Elite Trans port Services has revealed details of a £340,000 funding package that helped it relocate its head ofice to Trafford Park, Manchester in May.
NatWest and Lombard Finance provided the funds to help the haulier meet costs associated with the move, as it relocated from another site in Manchester to a seven-acre site on Barton Dock Road in Trafford Park, which has facilities for 48 staff and 100 vehicles. MD Andy Frost says: “The move to a new head ofice is part of the company’s plan to become one of the top three container hauliers in the UK.” In May Elite bought Matthews International, which runs 50 trucks out of Great Yarmouth.
FOR THE LATEST NEWS VISIT:
www.roadtransport.com