Setbacks no worry to NCL
Page 7
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DESPITE losing a major contract worth £7m National Carriers' management is confident that 1978 will see an improvement in its trading position. The contract — for F. W, Woolworth — has been won by an east London haulage operator.
The contract was for Woolworth's trunk haul work and occupied 42 artics and 115 trailers. National Carriers retains the local c and d work.
In addition to the Woolworth loss, National Carriers reports that its Rail Express traffic has dropped by about eight per cent this year.
Brian Hayward, the company's managing director, said in London last week that he was confident that 1978 would be a good year for National Carriers and that they were out to win more business — but not on price alone. Contract hire agreements worth £2.9m per year have been signed.
He reported that National Carriers specialist traffics were doing well but that only Fashionflow for Marks & Spencers was making a trading profit. The other ventures — Chinaflow and Homeward — should be on stream soon and the Medallion Service would be re-launched nationally this year. The 1977 trading profit was £200,000 but because of its financial burdens, inherited mainly from British Rail, the "below the line figure showed a loss of £5.9m.
When National Carriers' vehicle leasing agreements run out in the next two years they would not be renewed.