K1DDS' STUFF
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I Tom Kidd started out in the haulage isiness with a horse and cart — and his -andson, 41-year-old Trevor Kidd, is Imaging director of T Kidd and Son and idd's Services.
The former is a warehousing and reovals business,, and the latter is a iulier. But the business has not always :.en in the family, as Trevor explains. "My grandfather used to cart coal and ricks, but when that work ran out he 'ould scrub his old cart clean and take arties of holiday makers from his home )wn here in Bridlington up to Flamborugh Head. It was my late father who eveloped the firm into a removal busiess, but just before he died he sold it to elly's of Hull. For eight years I followed separite career with Pickfords and the 'ransport Development Group in Hull, file Philip and Haydn (his brothers), had areers in chemicals and sales," says Treor Kidd.
MAIYULTIC DECLINE
In 1979 the recession started to bite and became extremely aware of the dramatic ecline of business activity in the Hull rea," he recalls. "My future was uncersin, so my brothers and I decided to start p on our own in Bridlington where at ast we could be the masters of our own estiny.
"Kidd Services was born in 1980 with a tatting capital of £700 and a Transit van. .`o begin with we did carpet cleaning, but eople soon asked us to do removals. At his point I found the experience I had ained in working for the big fish in transport invaluable."
The acquisition of a warehouse and two emoval vans followed, and so did the urchase of T Kidd and Son back from "A lot of companies were starting o concentrate on their core activities, and lelly's was no exception. It was a sizeable oncern consisting of 20 vehicles whose min business was a weekly international emovals service to Berlin. In economic erms a small satellite business such as T (idd and Son in Bridlington had become nore of a bane than a bonus."
As far as is possible in the world of ransport, Trevor reckoned the future vas secured. The two companies grew rom four trucks to a present fleet of 20, )ased on a 1.2ha site, two thirds of which s covered warehousing. Kidds' previous ,eft: L to R, Operations director Philip [idd, Trevor Kidd and Haydn Kidd: bought ack the family firm. site was jointly developed by them and David Osborne of Humberside Properties into a li&C) warehouse. Now negotiations are underway with the local authority to develop their present site, an old MoD store, into a supermarket.
A new purpose-built warehouse complete with truck wash is planned as the next Kidd HQ on the newly-developed Carnaby Industrial Estate.
"If we manage to get a high-quality supermarket on this site plus the B&C) store already in existence, we feel as though we have made a major contribution in putting Bridlington at the forefront of the retailing world," says Trevor Kidd. "A by-product of this activity is that Tesco is coming to town as well."
Being involved with the community is not all good news. Kidd must renew its Operator's Licence soon, and according to Trevor there are bound to be objections: "Local people do not want a supermarket or a haulage depot on this site, but it is inevitable that the anti-truck lobby rears its head whatever you do. Not all the people can be pleased all of the time."
At a recent trade exhibition the company provided a stand for the local college to exhibit its computer systems. This served to advertise Kidd's Services and also to show the college's practical business teaching.
Two years ago Trevor Kidd applied for funds from the Manpower Services Commission to set up training in computerised accounts. This was when Gary Rudd, head of the marketing department at the East Yorkshire College, stepped in. He came to Kidd's and identified his training needs, worked out a scheme and implemented it for the staff.
Now Rudd comes in one day a week with some of his students to teach the practicalities of a real-life business situation. One student wrote a computerised accounts system for Kidd's which is now in use by the company. Rudd says this on-job training, using the college for guidance, is a far more effective method of teaching students.
One student, 19-year-old Carl Potter, has proved that it has all been worthwhile. He gained a B Technical National (roughly equivalent to an A level) in Business Studies through Gary Rudd's college and practical work at Kids. He now works at the company full time, and Trevor Kidd wants him to join one of the national accountancy bodies to become qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
Dby Laurence Kiely