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Boxing clever Suckling Transport has felt the sting of failure, but now it's floating like a butterfly. Chris
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Tindall meets its managing director.
There's a photograph hanging in Peter Larner's office of arguably the 20th century's greatest sportsman. In the foreground, a boxing referee leans over the bewildered and battered form of George Foreman and counts towards what would become a legendary victory in Zaire's 'Rumble in the Jungle' in 1974.
There's a photograph hanging in Peter Larner's office of arguably the 20th century's greatest sportsman. In the foreground, a boxing referee leans over the bewildered and battered form of George Foreman and counts towards what would become a legendary victory in Zaire's 'Rumble in the Jungle' in 1974.
There's a photograph hanging in Peter Larner's office of arguably the 20th century's greatest sportsman. In the foreground, a boxing referee leans over the bewildered and battered form of George Foreman and counts towards what would become a legendary victory in Zaire's 'Rumble in the Jungle' in 1974.
And there in the background, strutting triumphantly against all odds, is the self-styled greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali.
Some thought Ali would be killed in the ring that night; almost everyone expected world champion Foreman to beat him. A contender
Lamer comes from a boxing family and he wore the gloves many times when he was young. He tells me about getting up at four in the morning with his family in the early 1960s to watch heavyweight title bouts broadcast from America and remembers fondly England beating the USA, 10 bouts at 10 different weights. He was also a sports journalist on Fleet Street before entering the world of transport and experiencing his own fight back against the odds.
"I have always thought transport attracts resourceful people and I like to think I am," he explains. "I find a solution and that was the attraction; [transport] was full of problems that needed solving. From someone who worked for peanuts on Fleet Street, it became irresistible." At a young age, Lamer found himself virtu
ally running north London-based Alfred Dextor Transport, after its eponymous owner died and the manager next in line became ill. He was thrown in at the deep end, but he was tough enough not to crack.
"I remember walking to work and thinking. 'I am 22,1 don't want to do it. I could turn around now.' But I thought, no, I would carry on. It hardened you, you became more capable."
He would later fall back on experiences such as this when he eventually became managing director for Suckling Transport.
Lanier is an interviewer's dream. Before meeting, he e-mails more than five A4 pages of notes he thinks might be helpful for the interview. He also talks candidly about his business; contracts he has lost and won and, just before we part, there is only the gentlest of reminders about the litigious nature of certain fuel companies.
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality."
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality."
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality."
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality."
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality."
Not that he should be concerned. He describes Shell and Conoco — two companies Suckling Transport distributes fuel for — as "very hands on" and clarifies this by adding: "They don't say how to run your business, but they are continually auditing. It's very much a partnership arrangement that people talk about, but [here] it's a reality." Suckling's annus horribilis was 1999. At
this point, the West Thurrock-based firm had successfully diversified from general haulage to concentrate on fuel distribution. Shell had been one of the first firms it started trading with and the business grew steadily until the fuel giant accounted for 80% of its work. However, Shell decided to tender this business when the contract came up for renewal and Suckling was plunged into financial uncertainty. Challenges Lamer says few companies have faced the problem it did — a company with £6m turnover and more than 100 employees left clinging on to just £1m of business. His e-mail mentions the old boxing adage: "It's not getting knocked down that loses you the fight, it's not getting up." But perhaps this phrase is too glib
to explain adequately how the firm fought back.
"There were a lot of people who thought we were dead and buried," he says, although it seems not himself. "The owners said we are in it for good," comes his staunch defence. "Once the commitment was there, the job was convincing everyone else. The managers wanted to believe it."
Suckling swiftly developed a company policy that no customer would ever again represent more than 50% of its business. It was also decided the firm needed to expand geographically outside its SouthEast heartland.
Suckling swiftly developed a company policy that no customer would ever again represent more than 50% of its business. It was also decided the firm needed to expand geographically outside its SouthEast heartland. It was out of this crisis that Lamer devel
oped his TankShare policy — an innovative resource-sharing scheme that provides a third party groupage service for fuel distribution. Everyone has the problem of running empty at least half the time and he thought he had the solution. The idea was initially turned down by the firm's directors before they lost the Shell contract, on the basis that if it was going to work someone would have thought of it already. However, following the company's misfortune, Lamer tried again and found the owners to be more philosophical. He was given the go-ahead for a six-month pilot.
"It wasn't marvellously successful," Lamer admits. "But we did business and it worked in principle." Aspirations Over the next few years, Suckling's turnover doubled, then trebled and, although Lanier says the concept doesn't actually make much money on its own, it has definitely aided the company's success in securing contracts with Bayford, Gulf, Total Butler, Broughtons and Harrisons.Turnover is now £10m and he predicts it will be as high as £18m next year— a triumphant turnaround of Ali-esque proportions
The Department for Transport even used Suckling Transport's TankShare concept as an example in one of its Best Practice leaflets. The company is floating like a butterfly once more.
Lamer says he has a good relationship with his 200-plus drivers and this appears to be borne out by a low staff turnover. He describes drivers in general as a "unique breed", before adding: "They spend so much time on their own. It makes them either good philosophers or a pain in the arse!" All has signed the picture hanging on Larner's wall and I ask where he got it. It was a Christmas present from his wife, who bought it in a shop and asked the owners to hold on to it before she picked it up. He grins: "In between, Ali won Sportsman of the Century and the price doubled." •