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Flowers blooms despite the recession

19th December 1981
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Page 33, 19th December 1981 — Flowers blooms despite the recession
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Mike Rutherford visits Flowers Transport and finds out how this successful haulage, warehousing and distribution specialist is beating the recession and winning new orders

IORE AND more companies are ieling the bite as the economic epression worsens.

But for haulage, warehousing nd distribution specialist owers Transport business is Doming.

The company has successfully .aved off redundancies and lort time working by sticking to s philosophy of good service ither than cheap rates.

Flowers provides a service to le food, chemical and agricultuil industries and owns a parcels stribution company — Gills of ark.

The company, which is based Shipton-by-Beningbrough, orkshire, was formed in 1946 Septimus Flower. It was later aught out by W. Bridge until • ansport Development Group lok it over about ten years ago. The fact that the managing rector of Flowers Transport, lyn Samuel, agreed to be inrviewed by CM on his first day sck from holiday, rather than orry about what had gone on his absence, says a lot about e smooth-running company. Glyn Samuel has been md ith Flowers for the last six ,ars, having been with TDG nce 1967. He appears to be lore than content with that seta. "TDG is the finest group to work for — I'm a fortunate individual," he says.

Glyn Samuel has a realistic approach to the haulage industry and was one of the few people at the recent Road Haulage Association conference in Bournemouth who spoke positively about the problems facing the industry.

Flowers essentially provides a service to the food, chemical and agricultural industries. In addition it has a parcels distribution company — Gills of York.

North Yorkshire is feeling the effects of the depressed economic climate. Flowers, while admitting that it did not see the recession coming, at least feels that its forward thinking has helped it to combat the economic decline.

The company has "tightened its belt", according to Glyn, and as a result there has been no redundancies or short time working at Flowers. There has, though, been some natural wastage which has resulted in some staff and financial savings.

York is famous for its confectionery industry which like so many others, is shrinking. The city's confectionery manufacturers are now using their own vehicle fleets more frequently, without the need for outside operators.

While margins have been narrowed in some instances and the average working week for its drivers has dropped, Flowers has the courage of its convictions, remains optimistic, and refuses to cut its rates.

"We'd sooner stand the vehicles than work for an uneconomical rate," said Glyn.

Flowers has its mainstay of clients but is continually seeking new business. It does not pretend to be the cheapest, and even though return loads are harder to find than in the past, the company refuses to work through clearing houses. There is no room for them as margi are so small, claims Glyn.

"If we cannot find return loa for ourselves, then we're falli down," he said, "we don't ne a third party involved."

Flowers does not employ sales force and says that the be salesmen are its traffic mana.c, ment and company manac, ment personnel — not forgettii the drivers themselves. Word mouth is the best advertisemE for the company, it says.

"Six years ago we moved or to the north of York. We've nc widened our boundaries and a going further south," says Glyr Flowers` customers have ke faith and "haven't transfern their business to the unscrup lous sector of the industry wl work for nothing".

But the company is unhapj that certain rates were neg tiated in 1980 and that it still h, more capacity to be taken u However, it modestly admi that it is "ticking over".

"It's just that we like thn loads for each wagon," san director and general manage John Kilmartin.

Despite being under the au pices of TDG, Glyn Samuel sal he has a free hand to rt. Flowers Transport and does ni

ve anyone from the group 3athing down his neck.

Fhe right image for a company .a Flowers is essential, but one so many others, the cornny does something about imDying the often grubby image the industry.

Said Glyn: "All we sell is a -vice and to give a good ser:e our staff and drivers need ) best equipment and tools ailable."

4ppearances are important to mers, All the drivers wear uni • ms and vehicle cabs are ;pected frequently for cleanliss as are company cars.

Vlany potential clients initially g the company after seeing iwers clean vehicles on the )d. Let that be a lesson to ler operators.

'lowers had 120 vehicles six ars ago, and though it now s far fewer — 65 — the carry; capacity of its fleet is much same due to the use of larger nicles. The company uses :rcedes, Volvo, Foden, Bedd and Dodge vehicles while smaller Gills fleet is almost 3 per cent Leyland.

Vlaximum capacity vehicles kept for a total of six years d the smaller ones (16 tons oss downwards) for four years. Maintenance and body repairs are carried out on the premises in well-equipped workshops, and a staff of around 115, a total of 11 are fitters, body builders or spray painters.

It is a sad reflection of the domestic vehicle manufacturing industry that, along with many other operators, Flowers prefer continental vehicles.

"We find that continental vehicles are far more reliable and time is kept down to a minimum," said Glyn.

"We can buy continental trucks cheaper than we can buy British. There's a better after sales service and the dealers are more caring and keen to please."

The company uses a variety of vehicles in its fleet as it is trying to support British industry — but it is finding that increasingly difficult.

"We'd like to give greater support to British manufacturers but unfortunately, the products we've used have failed to measure up."

Glyn Samuel and John Kilmartin are not convinced that tachographs will provide the Utopia that some predict. Several of Flowers' drivers are also reticent about using tachographs.

"We believe that there should be some flexibility in EEC regulations. Flexibility is the key word," says Glyn.

While he is happy with the service he receives from Lucas, the question of costs worries Glyn.

"Tachographs are bound to increase operational costs which will be almost impossible to recover from the customer," he said.

Flowers sees its haulage and warehousing interests as complimentary to one another.

"The warehousing exists to serve the needs of haulage," said Glyn. "We're not interested in warehousing for warehousing's sake."

Most of the company's 250,000 sq ft of mainly heated warehousing space is at Shipton-by-Beningbrough although it has a limited amount of space at Elvington, York and Mansfield. The company now stores purely on a palletised basis.

Flowers' base at Beningbrough has room for expansion and outline planning permission has been granted for future development. Flowers' original premises in the centre of York are now used by National Car Parks. From an operational viewpoint, the current headquarters out of the city centre are far more practical for the company.

Glyn Samuel feels that it is necessary for his company to belong to the Road Haulage Association, it is the only voice that the industry has to Governme Glyn is an executive member the RHA board, and while he cognises the problems of the sociation, he says that any tra association is only as good as membership.

"You can't expect first c1( response from second cli involvement. I believe in 1 RHA. It's the only voice • have," he said.

Perhaps the biggest and rni crucial factor in the success Flowers Transport is due to 1 seemingly healthy relationsi between management and st All the staff are seen as equ and part of a team. As far Glyn Samuel is concerned th are all individuals with son thing to say.

"The door is always open they want to see us — persona or work wise.

"We don't have an us a them situation. In Flowers Trar port it's we."

On Monday mornings the tr fic management team meet t drivers to talk about the p( week's problems and the fut.. weeks' possible hiccups. In ad tion, the works council me( once a month, and two or thr times a year a meeting betwe management and the workfor is held in a local pub.

"They are free and op discussions and anyone c eak their mind," said Glyn muel. "We recognise that emwees have something to say." :lowers is a 100 per cent union mpany although it is not a ised shop. It believes that ions are here to stay and that is better to work with, rather 3n against, them. The manement meet shop stewards relarly, but that does not mean 3t the management does not 3nage, according to Glyn.

'I'm sold on the basis of lmwork but they know who's 3 boss. I get my pound of flesh but no one can say I've been ifair. I've never made a Dmise unless I can deliver the ods. A lot of the integrity has ne out of the business today." The company employs 65 vers, 12 warehousemen, 11 .ers, body builders and spray inters, plus 20 staff including t. directors.

3lyn recognises the value of ; drivers and has a healthy ationship with them.

'If a driver's off we've got 0,000 worth of equipment not working. We can afford to have the management off more than drivers.

"Running a company like this is purely and simply pe,ople. You've got to let them know that what they do is important."

On a tour of the premises, Glyn backed up his philosophy by finding time to talk to a shop steward about his (Glyn's) new BMW car of all things. Incredibly, he remembers almost everyone's christian name and greets each of his workers with the respect that he thinks they deserve.

"I don't look upon this as a stunt. I enjoy being involved."

And he has some advice too — "if you are not happy in your work then pack in your job."

While some might agree with him that there is not so much fun in the industry as there once was, anyone who knows Glyn Samuel would disagree with his claim that there are no characters left. Because anyone who knows him knows that he is one of the few remaining.


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