Truckers training firms couple-up
THE country’s largest logistics training firm, with a £16m turnover and 300 staff has been created by the merger of a North West company with a Yorkshire firm.
Carlisle-based System Training and Leeds company Hargreaves Training Services will provide driver training and testing services to some of the biggest haulage companies and supermarket chains in the country.
Operating as stand-alone businesses for the next six months the pair will then be rebranded under a one name, which is yet to be determined. Its head office is likely to be in the North West, a spokesman said.
The enlarged company wants to double turnover over the next three years as services are offered to a wider range of sectors such as motor vehicle repair and construction firms.
Robin Brown, founder and current chief executive of System Training will head the new company as chief executive Ian Peacock, the current managing director of Hargreaves Training Services will become chief operating officer.
Mr Brown said: “This is an exciting time for everyone at System Training as the new business will be considerably stronger than the two individual companies and allow us to offer an enhanced service to our clients and provide training to new markets.
System Training will now be able to offer its award-winning Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) training model, which has already saved clients millions of pounds, on a national basis.
“The new business will also provide opportunities to work closely with sector skills councils to support them and help them achieve their objectives.”
Ian Peacock added: “We are bringing our strong regional and national presence to the new business and the company will now be able to offer a greater number of services to a larger geographical area.
“Hargreaves has extensive experience in work-focused training and up-skilling both employed and unemployed people. But this new entity will have a real strength in delivering training and developing skills in line with nationally recognised policies and will benefit clients, stakeholders and the logistics industry as a whole.”
System Training, which is based on a three-acre site on Carlisle Airport Business Park, employs 102 staff across three locations. It provides CPC training for Eddie Stobart, Tesco, Asda, DHL and TNT.
Hargreaves Training Services has 204 staff at 17 locations around the country.
