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Keeping it in the family

3rd january 2013, Page 19
3rd january 2013
Page 19
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Page 19, 3rd january 2013 — Keeping it in the family
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Haulier Stan Robinson's children have a lot to live up to. Although they have run the transport part of the family firm for some years, they have now taken over running the rest of the Stafford business Words: Tim Deakin/images: Tom Cunningham Stan Robinson, founder and MID of the Seighford, Stafford haulier and logistics specialist, passed away in April last year. In the months since his death, this family-run company has risen to the challenge of no longer having its high-profile and respected leader around, with two of Stan's children heading the concern.

"We have more responsibility now," says Pauline Wilson, Stan's daughter and finance director. "We haven't got the top man to go to for advice. Dad was always there to sort out the problems if we couldn't."

Nevertheless, Pauline and brother Mark, now MD, received a good grounding in running a transport operation from their father, who founded the company in 1970 and steadily built it up to today's fleet of 180 trucks running from four sites.

"We'd run the transport side of the business for some years," she continues. "Dad was looking after his other projects, mainly building work. He oversaw the construction of the authorised testing facility (ATF); every day he'd be there doing what needed to be done," Pauline says, explaining how he believed in the hands-on method of management.

On-going projects Recently-completed projects are worthy of closer examination. Development was undertaken, with Stan's direction, on a plot of land a few hundred yards from the main yard and head office. Warehousing there was completed just weeks before his death. The new building holds adhesive manufacturer Bostik's stock; the company had contracted Stan Robinson to handle its distribution operation in the UK.

"When Dad died, the Bostik project was half completed," explains Pauline. "We are now working hard to achieve his ambition of handling its full logistics and warehousing contracts We know what we're doing with transport; we've been running that for years. But the Bostik warehousing contract was new to us. We took on 50 Bostik staff and we employ 20 people of our own to operate this warehouse. It's a big logistics package. Bostik closed three warehouses and brought the work to us to do on one site," she says.

Next to the warehouse is another interesting development, again a brainchild of the company's founder — the ATF, managed by Paul Glover. It has quickly built up an impressive list of regular clients since opening in July 2010.

Glover is also a key player in the ATF Owners' Forum, a group of privately-owned testing station managers and owners from across the country and a movement that received strong backing from Stan before and after the Seighford ATF's opening.

Stakeholders' interests Functioning simply as a group that speaks up for its stakeholders' interests, the ATF Owners' Forum has approximately 60 members, which Glover hopes will increase as more privately-owned testing facilities come online. "Once we've got more than 100, we'll have a good spread of opinion," he explains ATF owners, he says, have plenty to shout about at the moment. "If a customer can go to a Vosa test centre, they're not paying a lane fee," he notes; in contrast, privately-run facilities charge to cover their overheads, although this is capped by the government agency and depends on the category and size of the vehicle being tested.

But this is not the ATF Owners' Forum's biggest gripe. That centres on payment terms for testing personnel, who remain public sector employees. "We pay Vosa seven days in advance for its testers. We have a minimum reservation fee per man, per day, paid seven days in advance. If we don't reach that sum in test fees, we lose the difference," Glover outlines "That can add up.

"We've invested in a new building and it will take years to cover the cost. Stan believed we need to communicate with Vosa at a higher level. It needs everyone to work together. Others are keen; we've all got the same issues" Difficulties relating to ADR testing, he adds, are another issue that the association hopes to address. "I went to the first Vosa conference last year and everyone was singing from the same hymn sheet. It's too expensive; ATF operators aren't making any money. Payment seven days in advance is too much. Also the cancellation period of seven days for a tester is too long. You could cancel a guy, then the telephone might ring and you could theoretically fill that day."

The ATF was a development of the company's earlier position as a designated premises for MoT testing and continues to absorb significant investment. "It's us taking the risk," Glover continues. "Brake rollers need to be calibrated every six months, light bars, general maintenance, electricity, wear and tear. If something breaks, we have to get it fixed at our cost."

Lasting tribute Stan's legacy is set to live on in a very public way thanks to the most recent addition to the company's fleet. A high-specification tractor unit about to hit the road at the time of CM's visit, this flagship Daf XF, with a 510hp engine and well-equipped Super Space Cab, carries an ornate and distinctive livery telling a story that began with Stan's first lorry in 1970.

The impressive scheme is the work of Rotherham-based airbrush maestro Andy Scott. "We sat with him," says Mark Robinson. "Andy said he wanted to do a timeline, starting from when Dad was younger, through to the current fleet. It's gone well; the theme is nice."

Although Stan Robinson has bought the Dutch marque for some time, there was no automatic choice when selecting its flagship vehicle. "I went to Greenhous Daf at Willenhall and said I wanted a tribute truck. I said what we were going to do and asked it to come back with a vehicle spec," Mark explains.

"We chose the XF as it has flatter panels so we can put the pictures on."

The new truck — which fittingly carries Stan's cherished registration number SR 2— has been allocated to the company's longest-serving driver, Nigel Brown, who has recorded 36 years' service. "He's 66 now and wants to continue to work with us," Mark says The XF isn't the only new addition to the fleet, but the rest were bought because of a more mundane reason: London's LEZ. "We had to buy eight new lorries — rigids, mainly — as we were limited to what we could go in to London with," Mark says. "So we had to change eight, which, in our eyes, didn't really need replacing.

"Normally, we send some of the new vehicles to our regional depots, but they don't work in London. So we're keeping them all here," he continues. "And Euro-6 is coming too; we're buying new now to get Euro-5 in."

Faces for the future Even after its founder's death, this family business has no shortage of descendants working hard to ensure its future success. Two each of Mark and Pauline's children work in various office roles and brother Ian is on the road.

"Pauline's son is on the traffic desk and her daughter is working at the ATF," explains Mark. "Two of my daughters work part-time in the offices. There are still some younger children who may want to join the company after their education is complete."

As is the case with all successful businesses, decisions are measured and made well in advance at Seighford. "Stan Robinson will stay exactly as it has always been," says Pauline. "We are working hard to take this business to the next generation, which Dad envisaged for the future of the company. We sponsor a lot of organisations, such as smaller football teams around the country. That will continue," she adds Mark notes that local club Stafford Rangers, whose players' shirts have displayed the company name for many years and on the board of which Stan served as a director for some time, has opened a function room named in his memory.

"That was a major honour," says Pauline. "Before he died we didn't realise how respected he was. To us, he was our dad, but out there he was so well respected. He was never happier than when he was outside doing something."

A true legend from an industry that has produced more than its fair share of them, indeed. • LIFE AFTER STAN Undoubtedly the biggest and best-known of Stan Robinson's promotional and preserved fleet of trucks is its Kenworth, brought to England by Stan after a holiday in Florida. But the remainder of the collection — housed in a museum attached to one of the company's workshop buildings — contains several other vehicles of historical significance.

All contribute to a story of the company's development. They all meant something to Dad," says son and MD Mark Robinson. The little Bedford in there is a replica of his father's first lorry. The Morris is a replica of the first lorry he drove, and the Ford D1000 is a replica of the first new truck he owned."

Also in the museum is a 1971 ERF A-series tractor unit, which worked as part of Stan's fleet before its retirement and restoration.

A Commer four-wheeler also helps tell part of the story. Keeping them all company is a Scania 142, which Mark drove from new for three years before he came off the road to take up an office-bound role.


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