Big deal in China to create new jobs at group

AROUND 40 jobs are set to be created this year at a Yorkshire logistics firm which has signed a major deal in China.

Bradford-based transport, logistics and distribution company Advanced Supply Chain has announced a partnership with Sinotrans, China’s largest logistics company.

Advanced Supply Chain, which provides pre-retail, distribution and freight forwarding services for major brands including Matalan, Asda, Makro and DFS, predicts that the partnership will increase its turnover by £3m this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Advanced Supply Chain, which already employs around 400 staff, said it aimed to grow turnover by 20 per cent this year to £25m.

Sinotrans, which is government owned, will work with Advanced Supply Chain to offer UK customers end-to-end logistics for the movement of goods to and from Asia.

A company spokesman said the deal was forged in response to the rapid expansion of China’s economy.

Mike Danby, the chief executive of Advanced Supply Chain, said the deal would give the company a big commercial advantage over its rivals. Sinotrans made contact with Advanced Supply Chain through a mutual business contact, and Mr Danby said their range of activities was a perfect match.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The growth in scale gives us the ability to do things we couldn’t do before,’’ Mr Danby added. “If one of our customers wanted to open a range of stores in China, for example, we could help them. An awful lot of companies want to do business in China.”

Mr Danby said the contract was expected to create “high quality jobs” in Bradford.

He added: “We are continually looking to expand our operation internationally. The partnership with Sinotrans will enable us to offer cost and time effective end-to-end supply chain services to customers, regardless of their product type or source.”

Sinotrans has more than 100 distribution centres across China, with road, rail and river connections covering most of the country.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

According to Mr Danby, this coverage means products can be sourced cost effectively from all over the country and not just coastal areas, which has been a big problem for buyers.

Mr Danby has spent most of his working life in the British clothing industry. His career started 27 years ago, when he was taken on as an apprentice.

Mr Danby spent 10 years with the Burton Group and Damart, where he specialised in laboratory and quality management.

When he realised that clothes production was declining in the UK, Mr Danby became a production manager with one of the UK’s first garment processors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was headhunted to run Brentray Services in 1992, which was based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

Mr Danby and his business partner Glyn Rogan, who joined the business in 1995, organised a management buyout. The pair became joint managing directors and major shareholders of the renamed Advanced Processing company and moved the company to larger premises at Water Lane in Halifax. The company has also established a base on the Euroway Trading Estate in Bradford.

Mr Rogan began his career working in management with the Tetley Group but made a career switch in 1989 into transport as a contracts manager for TNT. He moved to Comet’s retail spares division in 1992 to run their warehouse operation, before joining Brentray Services three years later.

Advanced Supply Chain’s UK and EU distribution arm has more than 60 vehicles and a 150-strong trailer fleet, operating from centres in Bradford, Halifax, Rugby, Manchester and Newhaven.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunny Chan, the general manager Sinotrans Europe, said: “We are delighted to have sourced a company with the drive, initiative and enthusiasm displayed by Advanced Supply Chain in all our pre-contract discussions.

“They have the full range of logistics services available and are operating very successfully

“We are confident we have chosen the perfect partner.”

The ‘one-stop’ shop

According to its website, Bradford-based Advanced Supply Chain is “a one-stop supply chain shop”.

The company has secured investment to link its IT systems with HM Customs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In contract logistics, the company specialises in the inbound supply chain.

It also specialises in consolidation centres and retail distribution services. Services provided by the company’s warehousing division include long and short-term storage services.

Advanced Supply Chain’s commercial recruitment arm supplies temporary and interim staff and permanent employees to companies around the UK.