Success soars for shipping group
YORKSHIRE’S John Good Shipping Group is looking forward to a booming period of growth, following the relocation of its head office.
The group, which was launched more than 180 years ago, has moved its Hull-based head office to the newly developed Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle.
The move to the new 8,500 sq ft office complex is set to bring greater opportunity to the business with “wriggle” room to expand, too, according to managing director Alan Platt.
John Good’s new office is double the size of the old head office in Maritime House, Kingston Street, and provides room for further expansion of 3,500 sq ft, should the company need it.
“We are very conscious of making sure we are offering long-term careers to our people and the only way we can do this is if we keep growing the business and getting bigger,” Mr Platt, who has been with the business for the past 15 years, said.
“We don’t want to get stuck on the perception that just because we are an old company, we do things in an old way. This move is a statement and because we have more room to expand into, this gives us a lot of flexibility to react, invest and be opportunistic.
“This move has been a game changer for us. Now, it’s about getting to grips with our new environment and growing and developing the business and achieving our targets.”
The group which is split into three divisions – shipping and logistics, warehousing and distribution and corporate travel – has set off on an ambitious growth path to boost gross profit to £20m by 2022.
It currently has a turnover of £41m and employs 270 people.
“We will achieve gross profit exceeding £10m in this financial year,” Mr Platt said.
“This sits nicely with our 2020 target of £20m gross profit by 2022.”
Across the sectors, the group has completed eight acquisitions over the past eight years and the group looks at an average of one acquisition every 12 months.
“We’re always looking to have one or two things on our radar,” Mr Platt said.
“We’ve got one or two more irons in the fire.”
Mr Platt added that the firm will be looking at other geographical locations later this year and into next. It currently operates from 16 sites across the UK and also has international bases in Izmir, Istanbul and Shanghai.
“It is an exciting time for us,” Mr Platt added, who also said the team in Manchester will also be moving into bigger offices in the spring as it has outgrown its current site.
The business is family owned with John Good and wife Julie (fifth generation) and Tim Good (sixth generation) all involved in the firm as non-executive directors.
