New job for Abel in NFC shake-up
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• The shake-up at the National Freight Consortium (CM 6-12 June) has led to BRS Group boss Steve Abel switching jobs.
Abel, who is an MBE and Road Haulage Association vicechairman, is being moved sideways to become a director of NFC in the Community — the NFC arm responsible for "community initiatives" and the company's social responsibility.
Abel was on holiday when news of his departure was announced. He released a statement saying that "while I am sad to be leaving the company at such an exciting time in its history, I have achieved what I set out to do and I feel that with Graham
Roberts at the helm, BRS will develop an even stronger leadership position in the transport service market".
BRS is phasing out its five regions to form a single national company headed by Graham Roberts, currently managing director of NFC's transport division.
Car transporter firm BRS Automotive and tanker giant Tankfreight will merge with the new operation, which will be run from the BRS HQ in Bedford.
Abel says his new position, which he takes up in October, marks a "challenging and rewarding culmination" of his career with the NFC Group. He joined as a BRS management trainee in 1960.
He became BRS managing director in September 1989, taking on one of the top jobs in the transport industry heading a 000m-turnover operation with 160 depots throughout the UK.
Abel is the grandson of an Aberdeen haulier who founded George S Abel in 1908; it was nationalised in 1949 and became part of British Road Services.
BRS is predicting more job losses, having reported a 16% slump in half-year pre-tax profits from £40.5m to £33.9m compared with figures for the same period last year. Euro sales • Truck sales in Europe this year will be 3% below 1990 levels, according to a report from the DRI/McGrawHill consultancy. UK sales are expected to pick up in the second half of 1991, but progress will be slow, it says. Another disadvantage facing UK truck producers is their dependence on the home market; Leyland Daf is the only UK manufacturer who is likely to reap "significant" export deals, says the report.