Willenhall, West Midlands transport firm Mainline Haulage has started the new year with a major restructuring exercise that has seen the 35-year-old firm split into two parts and a new managing director appointed to run the haulage operation.
As part of the changes, Ian Squire has been appointed as MD of Mainline Haulage. Founder Ron Aiken becomes chairman of the haulage operation and MD of Mainline Property.
Squire previously worked at family firm Squire's Transport before its acquisition by Hargreaves Services, and joined Mainline two-and-a-half years ago. Squire says: "It's a difficult time in the industry, but fortunately Ron has built up a strong business with a safe and loyal customer base.
"It has remained profitable throughout the recession."
The firm has been planning the move for the past 12 months, reveals chairman and founder Ron Aiken, which has included extensive talks with the Inland Revenue and accountants.
This was to ensure that the move, which included the voluntary liquidation of the original Mainline Haulage, now called Dee 369 Ltd, was completely legal and above board.
Two new companies have been formed, Mainline Haulage and Mainline Property, with the firm's property assets hived off into the latter.
Aiken says that the restructuring, particularly the necessity to liquidate the old company, appeared alarming at first, but stresses that it is necessary to drive the company forward.
The property arm includes a six-acre site in Willenhall, which it runs the transport business from and sub-lets 75,000ft² of warehousing to another company. It also owns an adjacent five-acre site, which Aiken says he hopes to develop along similar lines.