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Subbies concerned by new firm launch
Page 8
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by Chris Tindall
Acentractors left out of packet after a freight prwarder found itsetf on the verge of insolvency .13 outraged that its directors have resurfaced, ith a new name but the same customers as before. Somerset-based UK Forwarding slipped into acline in January after running up debts in Goss of £250,000. Management consultancy abrey, Mundell & McCobb is establishing whether can be run as a going concern.
But firms owed money by UK Forwarding are iming that its bosses are now involved in a amerset-based company called Centurian fstems, and are providing haulage for UK arwarding's customers. Its directors claim that anturian is a windows firm and has nothing hatsoever to do with the haulage industry. owever Bridgewater-based Norian, one of UK arwarding's customers, confirms that Centurian providing subbies for them.
"We have two main contracts," says planning ssIstant Sue Webber. "When we get stuck we give anturlan a ring." She adds that Centurian similes them with on average one truck per week.
And another customer, Essex-based The leeper People, has received an invoice from anturian Systems for work carried out in January. A letter from operations director Simon Nutt on Centurian Systems-headed paper even agrees to credit The Sleeper People back £500.
Nutt, who used to be a director for UK Forwarding, denies the company is involved in haulage. He adds: "It's an unfortunate situation that happened which was beyond our control, [but] at the end of the day we are the ones who were out of work as well."
But angry subbies hit by the collapse have expressed their concern at the situation. "I have been cheated," blasts Steve Hardy, owner of Dolphin Distribution, who is owed around 11,600. 'Guys like that get away with it and sleep at night, but people like us worry about paying bills.'' "There should be a law against this sort of thing," says Kevin lnkley from Ridgeway Storage and Distribution, a Mliton Keynes firm that stands to lose nearly £2,000 through UK Forwarding's decline. "it's basically a month or two's effort down the drain.
We have re-invoiced Centurian and I have given them until first post tomorrow (11 February] and then I will go to the county court."
However, Centurion continues to deny its involvement in the haulage industry.
la E-mail: christophertindallgroi.co.uk