A ready supply of Polish drivers helped family firm F Swain & Sons swing into profit in 2006 after it posted a £153,000 loss the previous year. In 2006, the Cheshire-based business delivered a pre-tax profit of £105,000 on a virtually static turnover of £16.1m.
Operations director Peter Millington says: "We're delighted. It has been a lot of hard work over the last year, and I would say the results are mainly down to a new labour source of Polish drivers. They are proud of being drivers, and the calibre is often higher."
Millington also attributes the company's turnaround to a move away from owner-drivers, leading to a more efficient utilisation of the fleet: "We turned the focus away from owner-drivers and brought much of the work in-house. We didn't feel we had the same degree of control [with owner-drivers].
"This new way of working enables us to run our own vehicles more efficiently and utilise the fleet better by using vehicles during rest days," he adds.
The firm has also picked up new business: through its tie-up with transport consortium Jigsaw Solutions - in which Swain has a 20% stake - it won a new contract with Indoset and renewed an existing agreement with Lafarge.
Swain also has two joint ventures: Portbury Logistics, which has the contract for Lafarge Plasterboard and Pentagon Transport Solutions, a tie-up with Norfolk-based Jack Richards, JM McKennars and Smiths of Whiteinch to service a Unilever contract.
Plans for 2007 include fitting most of the fleet with telematics technology, enabling the company and its customers to track the progress of consignments. "It will bring greater visibility for customers," says Millington.
The company was founded in 1922 by Fred Swain, the grandfather of current owner Michael Swain it forged its reputation collecting milk churns from local farms.
