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Circle Express Announces Executive Changes
CIRCLE EXPRESS, the preferred provider of road transport services to many airfreight companies, has announced senior executive changes and appointments, which took effect from 1st October last.
Chris Coffey, the company's founder and hitherto Managing Director, becomes Chairman and CEO, while Tom Ryan, hitherto Business Development Manager, has been appointed as the new Managing Director.
Mr. Ryan has been with the company just over a year, having held senior posts with many well-known businesses in the industry, including Exel. One of his first tasks has been to undertake a complete restructuring of the company and its seven depots around the country.
Says Mr. Ryan: "I want to work towards a point where Circle Express can provide its customers with the most comprehensive package of services available, over and above its core transport and warehousing facilities. Already, during the course of this year, a number of leading businesses in the industry have outsourced their complete transport operations to Circle, most notably Panalpina World Transport, and we will shortly be announcing further significant business gains"
For further details, contact Tom Ryan on 01753-214-6000 or email: Tom Ryan
May 22nd 2008 - Circle Express wins major Panalpina contract
CIRCLE EXPRESS has won an exclusive three-year contract to provide road transport services to PANALPINA WORLD TRANSPORT LIMITED.
Already established as the preferred provider of such services to many leading airfreight agents Circle secured the Panalpina contract worth, circa £4million per annum, in the face of stiff competition. Circle won the business, based on its service levels, company strategy and constant development and investment into its IT systems.
Following the Invite to Tender issued by Panalpina , Circle has been awarded the UK mainland collection and delivery service, LHR, Manchester and Birmingham Airline Transfer Operations, Customer Specific Services, Dedicated Specials and the Warehouse Handling Service in Birmingham - all for Panalpina's Air and Ocean Divisions.
As part of this strategic partnership, Circle and Panalpina plan to develop a state-of-the-art, fully computerised system for booking jobs, track and trace, PODs and invoicing.
Says David Kenton, Panalpina's Head of Operations: "This is a major decision for Panalpina World Transport, and Circle Express will provide the best partner for our future development. We are looking forward to working closely with them."
Circle Express is the only Airfreight Distribution carrier with a national network of wholly-owned depots ? located at Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds/Bradford, Glasgow, Bristol and Exeter. Apart from its core airfreight collection and delivery services, it operates a same-day service throughout the UK for more urgent consignments. It also offers an expertise in handling hazardous cargo movements, while being one of the industry leaders in the control of carbon emissions, and providing training courses to implement good environmental practices. Again, as part of Pallet-Track, Circle also offers guaranteed next-day delivery for palletised consignments not covered by airfreight regulations.
Says Circle's Chairman, Chris Coffey: "We recently celebrated our 25th Anniversary in the industry, and have established a strong reputation for good service and reliability over this period. We are both delighted and proud to have won this exclusive contract from such a major industry company as Panalpina, and we look forward to forging a long and successful strategic partnership with them." < top
April 17th 2008 - Circle finds it pays to go Green
Airfreight specialists Circle Express Ltd claim companies that pay attention to their carbon footprint can also help boost their profit, as the firm posted its latest results.
Chris Coffey, Circle's managing director, says the firm pays attention to pallet and paper recycling, and monitors it's heating and air-conditioning to see where it can cut energy waster. It operates a paperless policy where possible, runs mainly Euro 4 trucks and also recycles its oil.
Coffey says: "We believe companies should do their best to introduce measures to protect the environment where they can. We also think this can help the firms profit level."
For the first 12 months to August 2007, operating profit at the Berkshire-based firm rose to £362,660 from £329,463 the previous year.
Pre-tax profits increased 16% to £176,158 in 2007 from £151,354 in 2006, while turnover went up 3% to £23.1m from £22.4m.
Coffey says: "We are happy with the results, but not happy with the margins for the industry in general." He adds that the firm's business with Pallet Track is "very steady and going well".
Circle has also developed training for staff involved in the handling and transporting of hazardous goods. The preliminary ADR training involves a visual presentation for it's own staff, as well as agency drivers, followed by a test. The firm plans to market its courses externally. < top
April 2008 - MANCHESTER is Circle Express's Jewel in the North, attracting new business from both airfreight and non-airfreight sectorsTHE MANCHESTER DEPOT of CIRCLE EXPRESS, the preferred provider of road transport services to many international airfreight operators, is the second largest to Heathrow in the company's eight depot network.
Its daily operations cover a wide geographical area, ranging from the Scottish border in the north to south of Birmingham in the midlands, and from Aberystwyth in Wales to Skegness on the east coast.
It is also a designated depot within the Pallet Track nationwide network, which means it can offer customers guaranteed next-day delivery of palletised consignments not covered by airfreight regulations anywhere in the UK.
There is also a Same Day branded service which uses a fleet of ten diverse vehicles daily. It was piloted by Manchester, and is the company's biggest same-day operation. Ninety per cent-plus of the depot's operations relate to the collection and delivery of airfreight - involving both Manchester and Heathrow airports, but this ratio is gradually changing with the targeting of non-airfreight business at Manchester and Leeds/Bradford depots. Manchester numbers among its longstanding customers such well known companies as CEVA, DSV and UTI.
A new Customer-Liaison Unit, headed up by Andy Sadler, was recently introduced at Manchester, manned by specially qualified staff, to track and monitor customers' movements so that any problems which prevent their safe and prompt delivery can be ironed out swiftly and effectively..
Says Mike Banks, Circle's long-serving northern regional director, who has overseen the rapid growth and successful development of the Manchester depot: "The company celebrated its 25th Anniversary last year with a visit by The Princess Royal to our Heathrow head office. Over these past twenty five years, we have established a well-earned reputation for good, reliable service, and much of the new business we attract comes from referrals or recommendations by existing satisfied customers."
Among several recent new customers who testify to this is Fred Olsen Agencies, the well-known ship-owner and liner agents. In recent years, they have developed additional services which include transport, logistics and forwarding solutions.
Says Maurice Van Hecke: "We knew of Circle Express by repute and invited them to come in and present some proposals, and were very impressed by what they had to tell us. As a result, we started using Circle for our road transport deliveries and collections, and have been very satisfied with the standard of service received" < top
18th February 2008 - Circle Express continues to attract the big airfreight operators in ScotlandFOLLOWING a successful 2007, Glasgow-based CIRCLE EXPRESS, the preferred road transport provider to airfreight operators throughout Scotland, is continuing to attract new big-name customers, the latest being Kuehne + Nagel
Circle's Scottish operations cover central Scotland, including the Borders, Dumfries + Galloway, and as far north as Dyce Airport in Aberdeen. A collection and delivery service operates Monday to Friday. Through one main sub-contractor, Circle also covers Highlands and Offshore Islands with a two to five day service.
In addition to its Scotland-based operations, Circle also provides an overnight delivery and collection service throughout mainland UK, as well as its newly-branded 'Same-Day Courier' service.
Depot facilities at Glasgow include 6000 sq. feet of modern warehousing with storage capacity and a self-contained yard. Its vehicle fleet ranges from panel vans through rigid 7.5 tonners and 18 tonners to Artic units drawing either regular curtain sided trailers or uniquely constructed high volume double deck trailers.
Says Kuehne + Nagel's Airfreight Operations Manager, Joan Calder: "We knew of Circle Express by reputation, and recently switched to them. We have found their service to be both reliable and very competitively priced. In particular, their IT systems are especially useful to us in providing valuable feedback information. Above all though, we find Bob Ramsay and his staff extremely helpful at all times"
Circle's depot manager , Bob Ramsay says: "Our company celebrated its 25th Anniversary last year with a visit by HRH The Princess Royal. Over the past 25 years, we have established a very high reputation for efficient and reliable service, as exemplified by the amount of repeat business we enjoy. We number among our customers, well-known businesses like UTI, Hellmann Logistics, Walker Freight, Redfern International and Ceva Logistics, to mention a few.
"We are constantly introducing more value-added facilities to our core services, including our new IT system, which offers customers online booking, track and trace and POD confirmation. We also provide qualified staff and specialist vehicles to those customers moving RADAC or other Dangerous Goods. Again, our newly branded 'Same-Day Courier' service offers fast point-to-point deliveries and collections, as required. Our shareholding in the nationwide Pallet-Track Network means we can guarantee next-day deliveries to anywhere in the UK for all palletised consignments not covered by airfreight regulations."
This array of diverse facilities means that Circle customers can avail themselves of any combination of services to suit their particular needs without having to look elsewhere. Circle has also formed 'strategic partnerships' with a number of its customers, and now, in effect, acts as an adjunct to their businesses. In doing this, Circle has become a vital cog in the efficient running of their supply chain operations.
For further details, contact Bob Ramsay on 0141-882-7822 < top
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