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THIS YEAR'S WINNERS
Page 66
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These companies won the 2004 awards, which were announced at Easter. Could you be in their shoes next spring? Held at Bun ratty in Co Clare, the 2004 IRHA conference produced an impressive list of contenders for the accolade of Haulier of the Year and the other awards.
Dublin-based Alltrans came up trumps, scooping the Haulier of the Year and National Haulier of the Year trophies and proving that perseverance can pay off the company had been a finalist for National Haulier of the Year in 2002.
The company specialises in the demanding pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. To provide a nationwide service MD Paul Tuohy has developed strategic alliances with other operators including K&L Deliveries of Millstreet; Co Cork: Lynx in Galway Duffy Freight in Donegal; Waterford Transport in Waterford; and Tomino in the Midlands. Between them these operators run a pallet network called Pal trans with artics running overnight between their hubs. The system enables Alltrans to concentrate on local deliveries while still offering a next-day service throughout Ireland.
The judges were impressed by Alltrans' ability to control its costs, including insurance and fuel, by intensive training and a drivers incentive scheme. Touhy pays his drivers a premium rate which explains why the first three, hired in 1997, are still with the company.
He is also treasurer of the IRHA and active in the Irish Management Institute which seeks to stimulate new ideas and approaches across industry.
The awards moved west to select the International Haulier of the Year: Shannon Transport is based in Annacotty, Co Limerick and specialises in food transport. It has 65 trucks, 180 trailers and 140 staff. An additional 25 subcontractors receive regular paydays, enabling the company to meet its commitments to its UK and Continental client base.
The company has state-of-the art warehousing with electronically controlled skiing racking to make maximum use of its storage space. It motivates its drivers with good wages and a pension scheme. As a result they have proved themselves invaluable ambassadors for this firm, which takes pride in its customer service.
Shanon Transport is continually seeking expansion; at the time of entering the 2004 awards it had just won a contract to transport 25 loads a week to the UK. "We are looking to expand the logistics business of which haulage is just a part." says director Patrick Murrihy.
The Owner-Driver of the Year was won by a simple but effective operation distributing bottled gas. Liam Clifford of Boyle, Co Roscommon, has been an owner-driver since the reorganisation of Calor Gas in the early '905. A former employee, he became a subcontractor to his old employer and now makes daily trips to Dublin to collect the bottled gas which he distributes to retail customers throughout Mayo, east Galway, Roscommon, and parts of Leitrim. Customer demands vary between weekly, fortnightly and monthly deliveries but
they all have one -.thing in common
they demand a reliable, regular service which is responsive to their needs. As Clifford puts it "There are two things paramount to good customer relationsbe there on time and make sure promised deliveries are made."
Newly instigated this year, the award for IRHA Council Member of the Year went to Liam Brewer from the Dublin branch. IRHA president Eamonn Morissey praised Brewer's commitment to the association and his energetic campaigning work which has raised the profile of the IRHA during the past year.
Brewer's company, Cargocare, won Haulier of the Year and National Haulier of the Year in 2003.The company provides national distribution services to Irish industry and a network of transport companies in the UK, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
Finally, the judges made a posthumous award for Special Services to the Industry to Oliver McElvaney founder of Monaghan-based McElvaney Motors. McElvaney. who died in September 2002, aged just 53, was widely admired throughout the industry. The judges took the unusual decision of making a posthumous award because of "the great depth of support that this man had shown the association and the industry through three turbulent decades".