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Armstrong takes over from Oliver
Page 7
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CUMBRIAN HAULIER William Armstrong has taken over troubled operator William Oliver, which has been struggling to stay afloat since two of its bosses were jailed.
The deal gives Armstrong an enlarged fleet of 150 vehicles and 300 trailers with Oliver's Bardon Mill operations being transferred to its base at Longtown, near Carlisle.
It will also help Armstrong to regain lost business:, earlier this year it lost a major contract collecting milk from dairy farmers in Cumbria and south-west Scotland to Bibby Distribution. This work had accounted for around 10% of its turnover, the company had handled milk collection for nearly 80 years Armstrong MD Jennifer Whyherd says: "I am pleased that we have been able to acquire the Oliver business and secure the jobs of its employees. William Armstrong has a reputation for providing customers with a high level of service and lam pleased to provide this to Oliver's customers."
Arrnstong is a founder-member of the Palletforce network and also has the Foden and Isuzu dealerships at Carlisle and Livingston. The news will provide a lifeline to Oliver's 150 staff whose future has been in doubt ever since three members of the Oliver family were convicted in February of conspiring to falsify tacho charts.
Stuart and William Oliver are serving jail sentences of 18 and 9 months respectively while Marion Oliver had a six-month sentence suspended (CM 24 March).
Previous attempts to take over the company by Revilo Logistics and Fleming Logistics had been hampered by 0-licence refusals (CM 14 April).