Redfern Travel’s incredible journey

WHEN opportunity knocks Ian Wotton is someone who’s suitcase is already packed and in the hall.

It’s a talent that has seen him befriend the KGB during the Soviet Union’s last days, charter flights to little known Central Asian states, and in true Remmington style buy a company because he liked it so much.

Although some of his experiences seem more thriller fodder than business acumen, they reflect an attitude to risk that has ended transforming a very solid if a little “fusty and old fashioned” corporate travel specialist into one that is state-of-the-art.

Today, Bradford-based Redfern Travel is one of the Government’s top three suppliers of business travel and has numerous blue chip giants as clients. Turnover is expected to nearly double this year from £13m to £24m helped in no small part by the successful win of several government contracts including the Highway Agency and National Audit Office.

Its impressive success is influenced by a significant investment in IT, which has helped revolutionise and streamline its service. Customers can book rail tickets on their own intranets as part of a 24/7 “look and book” option and the firm’s online booking system is the envy of the industry.

The system also enables provides firms with a full analysis of individual airlines’ carbon emissions to enable them to measure and reduce their carbon footprint. It also shows what emissions would be produced if the same journey was being made by train or by car.

“Companies are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their everyday business but often find it challenging to make accurate records of their carbon emissions,” explains Wotton.

“There is also a growing need for companies to provide evidence of their green approach in order to win new business particularly from government departments – a trend which is rapidly spreading across the private sector.

“Our systems show carbon emissions for each journey and provides a comparison between different types of travel. They can also provide full management reports to make analysis easy.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Redfern also acts as a broker for the Carbon Consultancy, which provides advice on offsetting options and systems.

“We only manage a data base so aren’t qualified to give advice,” says Wotton.

“However, an increasing number of firms are looking to quantify their carbon savings and set benchmarks. Through the Carbon Consultancy we can help them do that.”

And it’s not the only system in place to help companies develop good practice. Firm’s can also take advantage of an employee location service through its travel and security arm. The system gives real time information on where every employee out of the office actually is.

“It used to take five minutes to get the information. Now it’s almost instant,” says Wotton proudly.

“We introduced it after 9/11, but it’s become more relevant since the corporate manslaughter act was introduced in April. It all contributes towards best practice as does knowing that the transport used or hotel an employee is staying in is fit for purpose.”

As a fully qualified geophysicist, becoming the head of a corporate travel firm may seem like an odd career choice. But Redfern’s and Wotton’s destinies became intertwined several years ago.

The mid 80s oil price slump meant that Wotton’s days in oil exploration in the US were coming to an end. Returning to the UK, he worked for a while in London, before quickly escaping to Yorkshire. After getting a job as a wealth investment manager life looked pretty settled. But Wotton was quietly bored, something a client of his noticed. His observation resulted in an offer to join him in a business opportunity to refurbish a clothing factory in Soviet Russia. It was here that his instinct for travel services was born.

“We were moving a lot of people backwards and forwards,” he recalls.

“We had to get them to Moscow, where they stayed overnight before heading on a 12 hour trip to the factory.

“All I can say is that the service we got from travel firms was terrible. There were problems with the flights, the hotels, and the visas were always failing. So we decided to create a ground handling network and manage it ourselves.”

Independence meant that travel back and forth from the UK became a lot smoother. Having cleverly befriended the marketing branch of the KGB (essentially the central procurement department of the secret service, responsible for purchasing all government and business materials), Wotton enjoyed the luxury of walking straight through customs and not having to stand in line for what could be as long as four hours.

Other travellers, envious of Wotton’s fast track entry into Russia, began asking if they too could enjoy the privilege. The benefits were obvious.

“It was the beginning of the end for communist Russia. Perestroika meant that thousands were coming into Russia. So we started arranging visas and got a couple of cars from Germany to chauffeur people around. But it was air travel we struggled with as we weren’t experts. So we employed the services of Redfern.”

Established in 1937, Redfern Sea and Air Freight had gone from a company arranging carriage of munitions around the country and bus trips during the war to a highly respected travel services firm.

The freight and travel arms of the business were split in the 50s, and Redfern Freight is still in operation today.
However, it was when Ross Jones, the son of Redfern’s co-founder, decided to retire that Wotton was given the chance to expand on his travel industry expertise, which by now had spread to being one of the first to charter flights from Gatwick Alma Ata (now Almaty) in Kazakhstan for the country’s international oil and gas exhibition.

“He approached us, and as we liked it so much decided to buy him out,” laughs Wotton.

“It had a good reputation and there can’t be many firms along the M62 corridor that haven’t used us at some time.”

Although he admits that the company could be based anywhere, its head office remains in Bradford with another in York. The firm takes pride in being a good employer and thanks to its technology offers flexible working hours – a fact that has helped them earn loyalty and good staff retention rates.

But Wotton admits that the travel industry will have to brace itself for a bumpy ride ahead.

“There is no doubt there will be a slow down in the economy,” he predicts.

“And high street travel firms will almost certainly be affected. I’m grateful for our mix of private and public sector business.”

Name: Redfern Travel
Location: Bradford, with offices in York
Company turnover: £13m
Number of employees: 24
Managing director: Ian Wotton