Banks must be forced to help hauliers, says Palletforce boss
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By Chris Druce THE GOVERNMENT needs to force the big banks to support smalland medium-sized haulage irms, according to the boss of Palletforce.
Michael Conroy, chief executive of the Burton-upon-Trent headquartered pallet network, says: “We have got to support SMEs, and the banks, which got us into this trouble in the irst place, should be forced to lend. They seem to think road haulage isn’t very sexy, but if they aren’t going to support us, who will?” Palletforce, which is owned by its 86 members, has itself been supporting those that have a recovery plan with short-term funding during the current challenging times.
“The likes of Vince Cable keep telling us ‘the public doesn’t know how bad it is’ , in terms of the economy, but we need the politi cians to be clear with us so we do know, as uncertainty is bad for business.” ● See p16 for an interview with Michael Conroy on the future of Palletforce.