Lynx prowls in Scotland
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• Troubled parcels carrier Lynx Express has formally taken over its Scottish sister within the NFC, Scottish Parcels Services (CM 6-12 August 1987). On 21 March Lynx took control of the Scottish parcels operations, to provide the company with full national coverage as a single entity for the first time.
First evidence of the change can be seen in the Scottish fleet. Lynx has spent 22 million on 75 new vehicles for Scotland, and the whole SPS fleet has been reliveried in Lynx slate grey.
Marketing manager Theo de Pensier says Lynx will also be able to bring new marketing approaches to Scotland, with developments in computing for fast invoicing and direct links with customers computers.
Scottish regional manager George Brown says the relaunch of NFC's parcels operations as Lynx last June resulted in a 25 million boost to business and he will be looking for a similar boost following the SPS merger.
An aspect of SPS's operations which may be introduced into Lynx's English operations is the guaranteed same-day Cityspeed delivery service.
This currently operates profitably in the area bordered by Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee. Lynx managing director Graham Roberts says Lynx will be looking into similar operations in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol and London.
The 22 million allocated for vehicles for Lynx's Scottish operations will be spent on seven Volvo 32-tonne tractive units, 17 Volvo 38-tonne tractive units, 48 Leyland Daf Roadrunners, three Sherpa vans and three Volvo 17-tonne rigids. This forms part of a £6 million investment in vehicles planned by Lynx this year.
Roberts predicts that Lynx will make a very small operating profit this year. Last year SPS made a profit of £208,000 while Lynx lost £2.3 The link-up with SPS gives Lynx a total of 20 depots around the country, including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee. The company is currently spending £60,000 at the Edinburgh depot to enable it to take the drawbar units which will be used on tnmking work. Roberts says no redundancies will be involved and expects turnover for the enlarged group to rise by over 10% this year. He says there are no plans for Lynx to absorb NFC's other regional parcels operation, Northern Ireland Carriers, though he admits that Lynx will probably consider such a move within the next six months.