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PROFILE

5th January 2012, Page 28
5th January 2012
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GE-BE TRANSPORT

Prudent approach pays off for family firm GE-BE Transport is 30 years old this month. CM visited the lady behind the King’s Lynn business to find out how it reached this milestone Words: Chris Tindall Images: ALK Photographic A chance conversation in a pub about haulage changed Paddy Green’s life. Almost 30 years ago this January she was working in her local when she and her husband heard that a friend had lost a contract, which led to a discussion about them going into business and doing the work themselves.

Shortly afterwards GE-BE Transport was launched with just one 3.5-tonne Mercedes van and a refusal to give in.

“I was in the ofice and he [husband David] was driving,” says MD Paddy. “I went through the phone directory and rang all the businesses. The phone started ringing in March and it went on from there.” One of the frst to return Paddy’s call was fabric membrane producer Porvair (now Pil) and it is testament to the professionalism and service GE-BE provides that it retains that contract today.

Six months after the launch Paddy’s 17-year-old son Jason came into the ledgling business and began driving the Mazda pick-up they’d just bought.

Realising that GE-BE could grow, Paddy and David started sending out their younger son Carl with Jason so that he could begin learning the ropes, although the excitement of building your own company was somewhat lost on him in those early days. “He fell asleep all the time,” grins Paddy. Both sons are now company directors.

In 1985 Paddy took her CPC to enable the company to take on larger vehicles. A couple of years later she sat her international exam.

More customers came on board and the irm started transporting ofice stationery, commercial refrigeration products and, more recently, paper supplies.

“Palm Paper is our biggest and newest customer,” she says. “We started working with them two years ago. They have 60 to 70 lorry loads a day going out and we sometimes do up to 15 of those for them.” Later, Carl explains that the irm began by sending out just one or two lorries a day as a trial, but now the agreement accounts for 40% of GE-BE’s work. This prudent, cautious approach to business and an unwillingness to overstretch themselves despite the temptation seems to be fundamental to the company’s success.

Paddy says: “We are turning down work all the time, because we haven’t got the lorries. We never expected it to get like that. In the beginning we had to grow with our customers; if they grew then we bought another lorry. We could have another 10 on the road tomorrow and really work them. We are quite fortunate.” GE-BE is also a founding member of Palletforce, having worked with the distribution network since 2002.

Paddy explains that despite initial reticence, mainly regarding whether or not it could afford to be involved, the decision to cover the PE postcodes has proven to be the right one. “We don’t have to say no to a customer if they only have one pallet to go somewhere. We don’t have to say no to anyone.” She admits she doesn’t switch off when she goes home and that the pressures of running a successful haulage business in the 21st century can keep her awake at night.

“The boys have taken a lot off me, though,” she adds. “It’s very hard, but every day I think about doing fewer hours, then something happens and I am here all day.”

The idea of seeing herself in this position 30 years ago makes her laugh. “We just bought the 3.5-tonner and didn’t really think about what it would turn into. I sometimes think, ‘how have we lasted?’ We are not really educated, but I suppose it’s just sheer hard work. Common sense and hard work.” ■

GE-BE’S FLEET

GE-BE Transport relies mainly on Dafs for its work, because they are reliable and good value for money, according to Paddy.

The 30-vehicle strong west Norfolk business relies on a Daf dealer just around the corner on the Saddlebow industrial estate and, where possible, buys new.

“We have bought some second-hand before, but we prefer to buy new. However, if we need to buy one quickly and they have a second-hand one sitting there then we will buy it.” The reason for choosing fleet vehicles fresh off the production line is simple: so that they know what they are getting.

“You don’t know how a second-hand truck has been handled,” says Paddy. “Sometimes, if [another company] has exchanged it we don’t know why they have. At least if you buy new and there’s a problem with it then they will look after it for you.” The company also has a few Renaults in its fleet, as well as two Scanias (“The Rolls Royce of trucks,” according to director Carl).

The majority of its vehicles are on maintenance contracts.

SELF-UNLOADING TRAILERS

With a large proportion of the firm’s work taken up with its contract work for Palm Paper, it’s little surprise that GE-BE relies heavily on self-unloading trailers.

Director Carl Green says the decision to use the swift unloading trailers was born of necessity. ”Two arms slide underneath the paper in grooves and lift them off. We have to keep up with the times and keep up with the paper mill. A lot of companies are doing it now.” The company also uses tail-lifts for the work it carries out for Williams Refrigeration and Palletforce.

In addition, there are two aerodynamic trailers in the fleet, but Carl says fuel economy is largely down to the skill of the individual driver. “They are not the best roads round here, but they’re not returning the best fuel results. They go out and come back fully freighted. You get fewer pallets on them due to the shape.” As far as semi-trailers are concerned, Carl says the firm will try anything if it looks like it will save money, but adds: “I don’t think the new length will benefit us. We are already using 44ft long trailers for Palm Paper and the weight maxes out before the volume.” Trailers are hired from DMC, come in the firm’s livery and all maintenance is carried out on its behalf.

GE-BE is constantly trying to get the best deal possible for the tyres it uses, because, as Paddy says: “After fuel and maintenance it’s our next biggest expense. They have gone up so much this year. We are spending £6,000 or £7,000 a month on tyres and that’s not including the trailers because we don’t touch them.” Tyres come from distributor Stapletons and the fleet uses a lot of Hankooks.

FuEl ANd ThE FuTuRE

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Like any other haulage business, fuel prices prey heavily on the directors’ minds and there is some anger at the lack of aid from the government.

“I am 42, I am not going to be here in 20 years’ time, but I’d like to think GE-BE will be,” says director Carl. “Money is very, very tight. Ten years ago we were getting more money for going to Birmingham than we are now. Last week diesel was £1.14 a litre and we buy 33,000 litres every week. If you go shopping in Tesco and spend over £100 you get money off fuel. How come there’s no leeway from the government for hauliers?” Paddy says there is a fuel surcharge in place, but the firm hasn’t increased it this year, even though the bills regularly come in at between £120,000 to £150,000 a month.

Referring to the last time the surcharge increased she says: “I rang my top customers personally and said we needed to do it. We sent out letters to our Palletforce customers as well and put it that if they didn’t agree with it to get back to me, and they didn’t.”

RESTORED VINTAGE VEHICLE

The biggest blow to the company over the past three decades was the sudden and premature death of Paddy’s husband David in October 1995.

As well as the tireless work he was doing for the business, David was also three years into a project to restore a dilapidated 1943 Austin K2 truck.

He and son Jason had begun work on it in 1993 after he bought it for £750. After his death it was handed over to local man Colin Howard to complete as a tribute to one of GE-BE’s founders.

The end result, named ‘Dave’s Dream’, is an immaculate vehicle, restored to a high standard in GE-BE livery. It is frequently exhibited, winning awards at Truckfest and classic vehicle festivals along the way.

It cost £12,000 to restore. “The bank manager wasn’t impressed,” says Paddy, but she describes it as “our pride and joy”. The vehicle continues to be a great promotional tool for the company.


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