G regroups for expansion
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• The Transport Development Group has abandoned its regional divisions and regrouped its companies according to their type of business, like its rival NEC.
From I March the four new trading divisions will be distribution, hire, storage and transport, headed by existing TDG managers.
Chief executive Alan Cole says he is "trying to eliminate some of the waste" and expects to make big savings, particularly in the transport division, by sharing resources and exerting increased buying power. The group spent .225m last year on tractive units from 30 different sources; Cole plans to narrow down this number.
The re-organisation also heralds a major thrust by TUG into the EC, both by the UKbased divisions and Continental-based companies. TDG's European companies
are to remain in regional divisions; a new European development team is to chase up further business on the Continent. But acquisitions will be carefully considered; "We're not going out on a frolic of collecting transport companies," says Cole.
TDG will be selling properties, including workshops, to help fund acquisitions.
Cole will not be drawn on the company's commitment to TDG's fish distribution business, Charles Alexander, which sits uneasily in the new storage division. TDG had not made any money out of Alexanders "for some time" said Cole. 1=1 TDG France is close to completing the purchase of a French temperature-controlled transport company based in Western France. TDG France director Florian Walewski says he hopes the deal will go through in March.