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G ary Greenhalgh has the air of a relaxed man who
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has recently returned from sunnier climes, where he dived every day in crystal blue waters among turtles and nurse sharks. And that's because he has. The owner of Treasure Transport Services (TTS), an East Midlands operation with two distinct arms, has just flown back from Tobago.
It might be that memories of his recent holiday have yet to fade, but you get the impression this man has always been comfortable and content with the way his business has developed over the years.
TTS was formed through the merger of Grantham Road Services (GRS) and J 0 Treasure in November last year. GRS, which primarily moves building material products and has also carried out work for Pilkington Glass (travelling from factories in Lancashire to the east coast ports) was bought by Greenhalgh six years ago. At that time, he was a director for the pharmaceutical wholesaler AAH, which had recently been acquired by a German company. When the firm decided it had no interest in transport, he saw an opportunity he couldn't resist.
Extending horizons
Business was good. So m Lich so that in 2000, Greenhalgh decided to expand the Tuxfordbased company further.
"We had the opportunity to buy J 0 Treasure at Grantham," he explains. "That was quite a different business; its main thing was tanking and it really majored on beer transportation. It interested us and we have been very pleased with it."
The decision was made to run both companies as separate entities, with different liveries and depots. But this all changed after Gary's son Peter decided to jump on board.
"Due to me getting older, clearly there would come a time when I would want to conic out of business; this extended our horizons," says Greenhalgh, who is evidently pleased that he has an heir-apparent to take over when he hangs up his boots. "We agreed that if we were going to take the company forward, it made sense to bring both concerns under one name and improve our image. We needed to present a common theme; trying to sell two companies is confusing."
And this they did. Peter. a solicitor by trade who felt the lure of business was greater than that of private practice, even got involved with the graphic designers when they created the smart new silver and green corporate livery.
"The thing we had to remember was it had to be accommodated on a trailer or a tank," says Peter's father. "Peter spent an awfiii lot of time trying to get it right and moving things around.'
All that remained was the choice of name, and then Greenhalgh and his son could start spreading the news.
"We did a bit of a nationwide tour, just going round visiting everyone," says Peter. "We went to the trouble of explaining what we were trying to do to everybody and I think we communicated this thoroughly. 0 "What we are keen to promote is the hygiene element and it's very important to our customers that they see their products transported in this manner;' Backing this up are the wash facilities provided on-site, flushing the insides of the tanks to provide the sterile environment expected from the firm's clients.
It all appears to have worked. Feedback is positive and both father and son feel customers have renewed confidence in Greenhalgh's forward-thinking vision.
"I don't think livery attracts more business," concedes Gary. "But we certainly have had some encouraging comments from prospective customers. We set out to have a modern image and we feel we achieved it. The only thing I wonder is why I didn't do it earlier."
The icing on the cake was the delivery of eight new Daf CF 85 Space Cabs in the company's new colours to coincide with the merger and this enabled the company to offer the option of 30,000-litre deliveries with its tanker fleet. Since then, more of the 30 tractors and 5o trailers have undergone a facelift and now proudly display the new livery. This has gone down well with the drivers.
High-calibre drivers
"They're delighted with them," says Peter. "The drivers have their own vehicle and we have one or two fanatics in terms of looking after their truck, Providing a smart-looking truck with a comfortable working environment is important in helping us to recruit and retain high-calibre drivers."
Not that that appears to be a problem. The average length of service to the company is high, and recent years have seen quite a few employees hitting the 25-year mark. "The size of our business is such that we can have a direct dialogue with our drivers," says Gary, who obviously sees the importance in the personal touch.
But surely everything can't be sweetness and light? This is the haulage industry, with its evertightening margins and spiralling costs.
"The only problems we face are the ones the whole industry faces," shrugs Peter.
"We have all got problems keeping deadlines, loading and tipping," adds Gary. "Road haulage is a hard business and I don't think there is a haulier in the country who hasn't got these problems.''
Embracing change
But where Treasure Transport differs from other haulage firms is in its willingness to embrace change. This appears to be at the heart of the firm's philosophy and is summed up perfectly when talk moves to the Working Time Directive.
"I am fairly optimistic about the future," says Gary, placing his hands behind his head as if to emphasise his laid-back attitude. "Certainly the view that the whole thing is going to collapse is not true, is it? At the end of the day, all the things we carry are still going to get moved from producer to customer."
He continues: "Most people are frightened of change. Unless they can say exactly what the outcome is, they are very uneasy. I think change represents a real opportunity."
And it seems this confidence has been passed down to his son and is not just the musings of a man tanned and relaxed from that recent scuba diving excursion: "I think a lot of hauliers are burying their heads in the sand. It [the WTD] is going to happen," agrees Peter.
And he is well-placed to know. He was an employment law specialist in his previous career and this experience will stand him in good stead when dealing with a staff of 30 drivers, hurtling towards the immense changes which will hit the industry hard over the next few years.
Which is all good news to Treasure Transport's current owner, who admits the time when he will pass on his wealth of experience and position to his son is not far off, leaving him to concentrate on his two passions in life: yachts and scuba diving.
"I'm between yachts at the moment," he smiles. "For most of my life I have had a yacht of some description; my real interest is in sailing." Not that he should feel concerned about choppy waters ahead for the business he has developed.
"I really think that being the size that we are, we are able to give personal service. We have been blessed with good drivers and we get many favourable comments about the way our drivers and managers perform. They're the ones at the sharp end; I'm sure that's our cutting edge."