PICKING PARTNERS
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R Swain, Jack Richards & Son, Prestons of Potto, Currie European and John Raymond Transport are all 12% shareholders in Harlequin Logistics (a sixth member was approached but decided not to sign up).
It’s a model that founder Paul Smith believes gives him the fullest coverage in the heart of logistics movements in the UK (down the M1 and down the M6).
“I started off by approaching the two firms I know best. I went to Currie and Jack and they said a consortium was definitely more relevant post-recession, particularly if I was going to do it with five or six. Currie recommended John Raymond, and I had come across R Swain on a couple of consultancy projects. When we had four, it was just a case of sitting down with the Motor Transport Top 100 [CM’s sister title’s list of the largest operators in the country] and picking two from there. One said no and we knew we wanted one in the north, so Prestons it was.”