1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182 
Network's Xmas collapse leaves members in the cold
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The Christmas collapse of parcel network NCN has left its members owed thousands, but its rivals are reaping the benefits. David Harris reports.
THE NCN parcels network collapsed over Christmas leaving 100 courier firms out in the cold. This time last year subcontractors were hit by the collapse of Hellmann Overnight Logistics —just one in a long line of parcel sector casualties which include Apex, Blue Band Express and Panic Link.
However Business Post has profited from its rival's demise; it has signed up more than 50 new clients since NCN's collapse after agreeing a deal with its administrators. NCN, which had an annual turnover of more than £25m, was based near Birmingham. It is understood that many members of the network were owed thousands of pounds at the time of NCN's collapse.
David Ruffles from AA Speed Couriers, who was also affected by the Hellmann collapse, says: "The network was shut down shabbily. We had no time to retrieve parcels already in the network or stop any more going in." Paul Carvell, chief executive cd Business Post, says: "It was gooC for the administrators, because id enabled them to collect money foi what was delivered and it ww good for us because it allowed tu to build market share."
He reports that as well w taking over deliveries for some 01 the 100 courier firms which wen originally using the NCN network Business Post has also snapped ur several accounts that NCN hac operated centrally.