News

Welch's Transport is predicting a jump in turnover after acquiring an ADR business and winning new work. The company bought fellow Hazchem Network member Dodds Brown Distribution three months ago, increasing its territory in the network to the SG and PE postcodes. Managing Director Jim Welch says: "We've bought a big load of turnover, with opportunities to sell (Dodds Brown) customers non-ADR work. It was an opportunistic thing - although we're a national company we're very regionally based."   Welch predicts that turnover will hit the £13m mark after the acquisition.

Pre-tax profit for the transport business in the year to December 2006 grew by 6% to £161,774 from £152,937 in 2005. Turnover for the year was £11.7m, down from £12.5m.  Welch says: "We lost a couple of contracts at the beginning of the year, so scaled down accordingly. I wasn't too disappointed with the results, but it wasn't enough given the hard work of everyone around here."

"This year [2007] has been much better and we do expect results to be maintained or improved," he states, pointing out that the company owns all its property and vehicles outright and is debt-free. Parent company Welch's Group Holdings however saw a dip in pre-tax profit, to £458,079 in 2006 from £509,639 the year, along with a fall in turnover to £15.6m from £16.9m. Staff enoyed a 5% pay rise in April 2007 after a rise of 3% in 2006.