Southampton-based Meachers Group has seen pre-tax profit and turnover rise for the 17 months to 31 May 2008. MD Bob Terris says the group has chosen to switch its reporting period away from the year's end because the December peak made it an inconvenient time to look at accounts.
Even allowing for the longer accounting period, monthly average turnover rose to £1.34m from £1.24m in the 12 months to 31 December 2006 (2008 total:
£22.9m). Monthly pre-tax profit also rose to £32,411 from £20,750 the year before (2008 total: £551,000).
"The volume of our sales went up in the period, but our staff number remained static, making us more cost-efficient," says Terris. During the period, it replaced its MANs and ERFs with an 80-strong Mercedes and Iveco fleet.
Terris says the switch means dealers are located closer, and they offer flexible hours, thereby reducing HGV downtime. Although the firm could not give a divisional analysis of its operations, Terris says haulage is traditionally its lowest income earner. He says business as a whole, which includes freight forwarding business Oast Agencies, is
doing well. "The improved perform-ance is continuing into this financial year," he adds.
Meachers has recently increased its warehousing by 10% to accommodate two new contract wins (MT 19 February).
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