Removals & Storage The Magazine of the British Association of Removers
Features
September 2012 // Issue 458 // £4 On the cover New BAR Member, Brycelands, talks about its trade business and how it has earned its reputation for efficiency and professionalism. Pages 46 & 47
www.bar.co.uk
Inside this Issue Industry News >> R ogue mover jailed >> Catalytic converter thieves target removal companies
BAR News >> Y oung Mover: Boxing clever, Jamie Durrans
Features
Breaking News
>> Energy management: the way forward
>> Timon Thorncroft, BAR’s new >> Affiliate Profile: Directly Elected Director O’Neil Software
>> BAR & FSA Money Advice Service collaborate on domestic moves >> Former Financial Controller pleads guilty to fraud
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Removals & Storage September 2012
Contents Industry News
Contents 06 news from Watford BAR has been in active consultation with other possible sponsor organisations to find a suitable alternative to the OFT which will cease to exist from 2014, and their sponsoring of the BAR Code of Practice, and the codes of other members of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme will cease from Spring 2013.
07 Industry news Just a snippet... • Brits hit by unexpected home moving costs • MPs examine road freight sector • Rising demand for early dispute resolution • Quality award for GB Liners • Spanish mover races to success
22 Bar news The Money Advice Service recommends BAR Members for domestic moves leading to a significant increase in sales leads for Members, and Jonathan Hood of Cadogan Tate on his role as new RBA Trustee.
26 young mover Jamie Durrans, G&R Removals
Bishop’s move takes history to the roads Covering more than 750 miles to attend several major Steam shows, the Bishops Move Foden HH Steam Wagon turned heads everywhere it went.
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Timon Thorncroft, Bar’s new directly elected director “Those who know me will understand that my perspective on business is not just about profitability but about building relationships, trust and working ethically, which I hope will add value to the role that I am now undertaking for the BAR.”
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energy management: Wellers’ way forward Wellers Accountants have been looking at successful approaches to energy management and solutions with their partners and clients.
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28 Bar services commercial moving
30 Qss update
34 Group news
44 european news
46 Features
36 overseas Group news
52 diary dates
Brycelands: trade partner of choice for the moving industry Catalytic converter thieves target removal companies Energy management: Wellers’ way forward Italian style: new BAR Member Giovaruscio C. Transport Affiliate profile: O’Neil Software
On the cover: Brycelands: professional from start to finish.
self storage special
38 Interest Group news
54 letters & competition
40 Training news
56 membership
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Industry BAR News
Contact Details: Editorial Contributions on all aspects of the removals and storage industry are welcome, together with photographs if appropriate.
News from Watford
Please contact the Managing Editor, Louise Gale on: Tel: 020 3235 1806 Email: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
Advertising For all enquiries and bookings, please contact Steve Pearce on: Tel: 0117 957 5400 Email: steve@rubiconmarketing.net or sandra@rubiconmarketing.net Deadlines: The booking deadline for all display advertisements for the October 2012 issue of R&S is 10 September.
Subscriptions Removals & Storage is subscribed to by members of the British Association of Removers in the UK and Overseas. Current annual subscription is £48.00 in the UK and £72.00 overseas. Additional subscriptions are available from BAR (see contact details to the left). Registered as a magazine © The British Association of Removers 2012. ISSN 0034-4265 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be scanned, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in part or whole in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the British Association of Removers. Opinions expressed in Removals & Storage are not necessarily those of the publisher, British Association of Removers. The description of a product or service in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for any claims by advertisers. The articles in this publication are for general information only and are not intended to be advice to any specific person. Readers are recommended to seek professional advice before taking or refraining from taking any action on the basis of the contents of any article in this publication.
The British Association of Removers Tel: 01923 699 480 Fax: 01923 699 481 Email: info@bar.co.uk Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 OTG President: Ian Studd Director General: Stephen Vickers Company Secretary: James Falkner Removals & Storage is designed on behalf of The British Association of Removers by: Rubicon Marketing Ltd. Tel: 0117 957 5400 Email: steve@rubiconmarketing.net Removals & Storage is written and edited for the British Association of Removers by Analytica Media Tel: 0203 235 1800 Email: andy@analyticamedia.com
Copy and advertising deadlines 2012 for future issues of R&S magazine Article submission: 2nd of the month preceding publication Booking of display Adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication Booking of classified adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication Booking of trade adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication Artwork for adverts: 15th of the month preceding publication
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It is probably widely known now that the OFT will cease to exist from 2014, and that their sponsoring of the BAR Code of Practice, and the codes of other members of the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS), will cease from Spring 2013. This is regrettable, of course, but BAR has been in active consultation, both with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the other CCAS participants, and other possible sponsor organisations to find a suitable alternative to the OFT. Public recognition of any alternative will be a key factor, and there are some promising avenues under discussion. Time is quite short, it is understood, and it is anticipated that an announcement on the future course for the Code will be made in the near future. The news on the economy remains downbeat – everyone being advised to steer clear of central London during the Olympic Games may not have helped – but feedback received here at BAR Headquarters indicates that the new enhanced Membership Criteria, featured in last month’s R&S, have been well received by Members. To have annual inspections is a major innovation, of course, but what better way to demonstrate to the buying public that being in BAR really means something? There is a period of grace for existing Members (new applicants for membership must meet the tougher requirements straight away), and everyone will have to comply from January 2103 onwards. Further details can be found on the BAR website, or by contacting the Company Secretary. On page 25 there is an interview with BAR Past President, Jonathan Hood (pictured
below), on his new role as a Trustee of the Removers Benevolent Association. The RBA is very active, and sympathetic consideration is always given to eligible cases, and the Trustees, while always sorry to hear of people who are in difficulty, do welcome enquiries for assistance. So, please keep the RBA in mind, as it would be a shame if someone who was working, or had worked, for a Member was in distress and need and the Trustees did not know of it.
The vintage vehicle exhibition and drive past at the Annual Conference in May was a real highlight, and not likely to be soon forgotten by those who were there. Interestingly, well-known BAR Member Nigel Shaw reports that exhibiting his vintage vehicle recently caught the eye of a potential customer, and has brought him new business. Nice one! Planning is well under way for the Annual Conference in 2013, which will take place at the prestigious Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park between 16-19 May. The Conference Committee has been active, and a full business and social programme is being put in place, so why not mark the dates in your diaries now?
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Industry News
Millions of Brits hit by unexpected home moving costs New research published by the Money Advice Service has revealed that almost three million people who recently moved home were surprised by the cost of moving; and over one million of the homemovers admitted they encountered ‘unexpected’ costs for which they hadn’t budgeted. To help home-movers prepare for the overall cost of moving day, the Money Advice Service in collaboration with BAR has created a free online tool called Smart Mover. This is based on the BAR online removal estimate system, delivering real-time data provided by BAR. Designed specifically to help home-movers budget for moving day, Smart Mover indicates how much their move from A to B could cost, and allows them to adapt their budget and shop around accordingly, ahead of moving day. It provides estimates from up to four BAR Members. The tool also highlights additional costs which might typically be forgotten – sliding scales allow users to scale their budget accordingly. Caroline Suard, BAR Director of Marketing, said that BAR is “delighted to be working with the Money Advice Service by incorporating our award-winning online removal estimate system into their impressive Smart Mover calculation tool. By combining both our expertise, customers will be able to create a more accurate domestic moving budget therefore helping to eliminate any surprises which may occur on the moving day.” Planning ahead The Money Advice Service survey interviewed more than 4,000 UK adults (aged 18+), of which 1,050 had moved house in the last three years (therefore classified as “recent home movers”). They were asked about their recent experiences and the costs involved. The figures have been weighted and are considered representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Key findings showed: • The majority (68% or the equivalent of 8m people) said it was surprising how home moving costs added up. • 37% (or 2.9m people) who incurred costs said the cost of moving was more than they expected.
• A fifth (20% / 1.6m people) admitted they incurred costs which were ‘unexpected’ or ‘overlooked’. For Jane Symonds, Head of Service Delivery for the Money Advice Service, “this research highlights just how many householders – renters and buyers – underestimate the expense of moving day. It’s important to be realistic about the costs, which can rack up and catch you by surprise if you don’t plan ahead.” The survey confirmed a strong majority (72%) of recent movers would find a quick and easy source of typical moving costs to be useful. Unsurprisingly, the majority of home-movers (84%) noted that moving house is a stressful experience. The Money Advice Service is urging householders planning a move to use its new Smart Mover calculator to work out what the move could cost and help budget for other essential elements on the day. The Smart Mover tool can be viewed at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/moving.
Rogue mover jailed BAR, in conjunction with Trading Standards, is clamping down on rogue removal companies. A rogue removal man, who claimed to be a BAR Member, took cash from more than 20 customers and then failed to turn up on moving day, has been jailed for 18 months by Northampton Crown Court. Jeffrey Hayward, 35, of Rugby in Warwickshire admitted fraud, which had netted him more than £15,000. He operated under a succession of names, including Removals R Us, All Shires Removals, Master Movers, Ace Movers and Rugby Movers & Storage, by providing low-cost quotes to customers from leads generated by web-based removal sites. The prosecution was brought by Northamptonshire Trading Standards whose investigation found that Hayward would require payment in advance for carrying out house moves and then fail to provide the service, usually giving very little notice to the customer and in some cases, only on moving day itself. He would give an excuse, often telling them that his vehicle had broken down, and suggest that the customer find an alternative mover and he would refund their payment. Invariably, he did not make a refund even if pursued to judgement in the county court. As well as failing to carry out the house moves, Hayward also falsely claimed that he was a member of the British Association of Removers and the Road Haulage Association. He also falsely claimed that customers would have the benefit of up to £25,000 worth of transit insurance cover. He implied he was part of a larger company, as well as advertising three telephone numbers but having all calls directed to the same mobile number. David Hedger, Trading Standards Manager said “this rogue trader ignored previous warnings and a police conviction and carried on ripping off consumers by taking their money up front and not delivering the service he promised.”
FPB warning on keeping taxman fully informed The Forum of Private Business is warning entrepreneurs to fully update HM Revenue & Customs about any changes to their businesses, no matter how small, following a report that one firm is facing a £10k fine for not informing inspectors it had changed its name. The firm, which did not want to be identified but
which has an exemplary record of VAT payments and submitting tax returns on time, was originally hit with a fine of over £30k under VAT notification liabilities contained in the Finance Act 1985 and later the VAT Act 1994. The fine was imposed after the business changed from a partnership to a limited company – adding a
‘ltd’ to its name – without informing HMRC, despite it retaining the same VAT number and regardless of the fact the revenue did not lose out on tax payments. The fine has been reduced to just over £10k after discussions with HMRC and the firm is still trying to reduce further the penalty.
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Stronger action needed on road safety Government needs to step up and provide stronger leadership on road safety, including an independent review of driver training, MPs on the Transport Committee have said in a major report on road safety. Louise Ellman, Chair of the Transport Committee said, “We are very concerned that 2011 saw the first increase in road fatalities since 2003, with 1,901 people killed on the roads. It is shocking that road accidents are the main cause of death amongst young adults aged 16-24 and that so many cyclists continue to be killed or injured. In 2010 there were 283 fatalities amongst car occupants aged 16-25. Twenty-seven per cent of young men aged 17-19 are involved in a road collision within the first year of passing their test. If the Government is not willing to set targets, it should show more leadership. Action is required to improve road safety for young drivers, including an independent review of driver training. We welcome the attention cycling has received but there is much more to do.” The Committee is urging the Government to utilise the opportunity presented by a planned update for the Strategic Framework for Road Safety this month to reassess its road safety strategy. More attention should be given to engineering improvements in road design and technology and the Government should account for recent increases in the number of road fatalities.
Professor Stephen Glaister, Director of the RAC Foundation, said “we see a need for targets. Having a definite goal rather than a mere aspiration focuses the mind and means that in the increasingly bitter battle for resources road safety is treated as a priority.” At the same time, the organisation considers improving infrastructure as central to achieving any target. “We know where the most dangerous stretches of road are and work done for us by the Road Safety Foundation shows that a ten-year rolling improvement programme could result in 6,000 fewer deaths over that period.”
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MPs examine road freight sector The Transport Select Committee of MPs has held a one-off special session on major issues affecting the road freight sector.
Mike Penning, Under Secretary of State for Transport.
The Committee, which consists of 11 Members of Parliament, has called on experts including Roads Minister Mike Penning, FTA Chief Executive Theo de Pencier and Director of Policy Karen Dee, to give evidence on a wide range of subjects including emissions reduction, cabotage, tolling and a vignette system for road user charging. “A lot of our input costs, particularly fuel of course, have been rising significantly faster than general inflation,” Mr de Pencier said. “That has been the case for many years. In difficult economic times it is very difficult to recoup those increased costs through passing on the cost to your customers.” “We are seeing consolidation at every level in the industry. There is an expectation that that consolidation will continue,” Jack Semple, Director of Policy at the Road Haulage Association, told MPs. “Driver wage increases, where there are any at all, are running well below the level of inflation. Costs, other than fuel, are also going up. There has been a very
sharp increase since the start of the recession in vehicle prices.” Mr Penning took the opportunity to stress the Government’s commitment to introducing a vignette system. “It is a promise we made and that we will fulfil in this Parliament. The Prime Minister is absolutely committed,” he said. “I expect legislation in next year’s programme.” Penning promises on lorry parks At the meeting, Mike Penning said that the Government is also determined to make sure that lorry parks are doing their jobs. “Not only do lorries need to park up and have their rest time, but they need to park up in suitable places,” the Minister said. “We need to make sure that lorry parks are doing their job, as well as the service stations on the motorways. We have looked at whether or not we need more service stations and whether they have the capabilities of looking after lorries as well as other motorists.”
London Roads Task Force starts work The London Roads Task Force has begun its work to analyse the challenges faced by London’s road network. The Task Force will look at how TfL and the boroughs could redesign gyratories and congestion black spots, make journeys more reliable and continue to make roads safer for all users. It will also look at how the road network could better serve local communities, helping to transform the urban realm, cut pollution and ease congestion across the Capital. An initial report will be prepared by November 2012. The final report will be published in spring 2013. London’s population is expected to grow by around 1.25 million people by 2031, and this will place
increasing challenges and demands on the road network. Michele Dix, Director of Planning at TfL said “London’s roads are vital to movement around the city, with four out of every five trips in London made by road including almost ten million car trips, over half a million cycle trips and around six million bus passenger journeys every day. The Roads Task Force will look to make a real difference to the way we currently design, build and manage the capital’s road network, ensuring it truly reflects the needs of all road users for decades to come.”
Industry News
DVLA local offices to close The Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mike Penning, has announced that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will close its 39 local offices by the end of 2013, saving £26m each year. “The DVLA will build on its successes in electronic delivery by providing more transactions online,” Mr Penning said. “Local businesses will act as intermediaries to offer motorists more convenient access to certain DVLA services through at least 4,000 outlets nationwide compared to the current 39 DVLA local offices.” The centralisation plan has been met with concern both by BAR and by freight organisations that the online service will not be developed to a standard that meets their members’ needs, resulting in unnecessary administration time and cost. Local DVLA offices play a significant part in the running of freight organisations’ day-to-day business, from tax discs to digital tachograph services, and if the proposed intermediaries are not geared up to handle bulk business sector enquiries, everything will now have to be dealt with by post; the FTA believes this will cause delays, particularly over Christmas, New Year and bank holidays, which could lead to vehicles being taken off the road. On announcement of the proposed closures, concerns were raised by FTA members, who pointed out that several DVLA services, including the taxation of vehicles with Reduced Pollution Certificates, were not available online, leaving the local office as the
The DVLA Head Office, Swansea.
only option. As a result, the Association called on the DVLA to increase its online services, and asked for a system where business users would be able to log on and manage their own accounts, allowing them to make multiple entries, to introduce a licence checking service free to the user and importantly, only pay once for the transactions being carried out.
Private sector to test trucks? The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called on the Department for Transport to allow the private sector to carry out statutory annual tests of trucks – ending the monopoly of its executive agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) VOSA continues to hold a monopoly of truck testing. However, with the increasing number of VOSA-approved Authorised Testing Stations continuing to increase, the RHA argues that the agency’s monopoly on carrying out tests is no longer appropriate. “In the past, most tests were carried out by VOSA at its own, dedicated test centres. But the move away from VOSA sites means that around half of all tests are now being done at Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs) and that proportion continues to grow,” said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. The RHA is urging Transport Minister Mike Penning to move forward on opening testing to the private sector, within a robust system of high-quality regulation. “VOSA’s monopoly makes little sense in the ATF era,” according to VOSA. “It adds Red Tape and obstacles to business. It prevents much of the potential gains of ATFs being realised, in terms of cost and flexibility that would flow from allowing the private sector – including approved ATF employees to do the testing. And ending the monopoly would be
likely to encourage more firms to invest in bringing their workshop up to test standards, which would be likely to have a positive knock-on effect on maintenance as a whole and would contribute to UK economic growth. At the Transport Committee meeting on road haulage (see story on page 8), Mike Penning said “I am trying to make VOSA concentrate on its enforcement and not testing. The private sector is doing more of the testing now for us with MOTs on lorries. There is a demand for that and that is happening.”
Port traffic edges higher In 2011, total freight traffic through UK ports was 520 million tonnes (Mt), an increase of 1.5% on 2010, but still 11% below the 2005 level, according to statistics from the Department for Transport. Tonnage in the first quarter of 2012 was down 3% compared with the first quarter of 2011. Compared with 2010, inwards traffic increased by 5% to 328 Mt, whilst outwards traffic decreased by 4% to 192 Mt. Grimsby and Immingham remained the UK’s leading port in 2011, handling 57 Mt (11% of UK traffic). It was followed by London and Milford Haven, both with 49 Mt (9%), and Southampton with 38 Mt (7%). In 2011, total unitised traffic (containers and roll-on/roll-off traffic) through UK major ports was 21.4 million units, a decrease of 1.4% on 2010. Dover, the top UK port for roll-on/roll-off freight, handled 2.05 million roll-on/roll-off main freight units (road goods vehicles, unaccompanied trailers and shipborne portto-port trailers). Felixstowe was the UK’s largest container port, handling 1.98 million containers.
Highways Agency chief reappointed Alan Cook has been reappointed by Transport Secretary Justine Greening as Non-Executive Chairman of the Highways Agency Board for a further 12 months. Mr Cook, who was first appointed in January 2011, will focus on supporting the Transport Secretary’s programme for reforming the strategic road network. In May, the Transport Secretary published her response to Alan Cook’s independent review of the strategic road network. She also set out ambitious plans to increase the quality and efficiency of the network, offering a better service to motorists and business users. Mr Cook’s role will see him providing advice to senior staff and making sure the Agency delivers on changes identified in his independent review. He will also offer advice on organisational change and provide views on alternative operating models, which are currently being developed as part of a feasibility study announced by the Prime Minister in March.
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Industry Features News
New guidance for maternity rights The Equality Human Rights Commission and Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) have published a new guide to help employers understand the rights of women who are pregnant or on maternity leave when facing redundancy. Employers and employees seeking advice on pregnancy or maternity and redundancy issues make more than 15,000 calls a year to Acas’s helpline. Unfair dismissal or detriment related to being pregnant or on maternity leave accounted for 1,900 cases lodged at the Employment Tribunal in 2011-12. The new guide outlines what the law says and provides advice on how to handle the situation correctly. It sets out four important questions the employer should ask when considering which posts to make redundant: • Is the redundancy genuine? • How do I consult employees on maternity leave? • How do I decide the right selection criteria? • Is there a suitable alternative vacancy? Steve Williams of Acas said “there is still a lot of confusion amongst employers about managing an employee who is pregnant when their role is genuinely being made redundant. No redundancy situation is nice, but it can be made a lot worse if an employer is not aware of the law or how to treat a person fairly. Supervisors and managers need to know the specific rights of pregnant women and women on maternity leave. We know that employers want easy-to-understand help to handle these situations correctly.”
Lower rural speed limits on the way The Government is to launch a public consultation on lower speed limits for rural and urban roads. New Department for Transport plans will consider reducing speed limits on some country roads to 40mph and the introduction of more 20mph zones on urban roads. Mike Penning who has ministerial responsibility for road safety confirmed that the guidance issued for consultation does not propose a blanket change to rural road speed limits. “40mph limits should be considered for sections of rural roads where there are many bends, junctions or accesses and speeds are already at 40mph or below,” he said. In welcoming the announcement, the RAC acknowledged that while most drivers are happy with current limits “there is also broad support for lower limits where there is a proven benefit for road safety, such as near schools and accident black spots.” The RAC Report on Motoring 2012, which surveys
more than 1,000 drivers and is in its 24th year, found that two-thirds of motorists (70% rural and 63% urban drivers) support different speed limits on similar classes of road dependent on suitability. “It is an issue of balance between mobility and safety,” according to David Bizely, RAC Technical Director. “There is definitely a case for lower limits on some dangerous roads and rural roads with hazardous bends and junctions, but we would challenge a blanket reduction on all country roads. It is wholly appropriate that local authorities should be encouraged to deal with such roads on an individual basis looking at local road conditions.
Major investment planned for A14 The Government has announced proposals for major investment along the A14 corridor in Cambridgeshire. A major new road scheme involving tolling will be added to the Department for Transport’s programme of major projects. Subject to agreement with interested local authorities on a funding package and decisions at the next Spending Review, construction work could begin by 2018. The plans are designed to address congestion and long term capacity issues on and around the strategically crucial A14. They include a new bypass to replace the existing road around Huntingdon, and upgrades along the A14 as far east as Milton. Two new roads would be built parallel to, with one either side of, the current A14 immediately north of Cambridge for local use. Meanwhile, the existing A14 carriageway will be upgraded through the removal of accesses and junctions, and improvements to junctions at the northern and southern ends. Studies have confirmed that funding for these improvements can be generated in part through tolling a length of the enhanced A14, featuring around 20 miles of new or widened road. However,
more research will be undertaken to determine the best tolling solution, including what length the tolled section should be, how users would pay and what the tariff should be. The schemes will now enter the DfT Programme and begin detailed design and statutory processes. They are dependent on local government and commercial decision- making and will now be considered in more detail by the relevant local authorities and local enterprise partnerships. Transport Secretary Justine Greening said “the A14 is a crucial strategic route for the east of England, vital not only for international road traffic using the port of Felixstowe but everyone who relies on it daily.” John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said “as the major route for goods coming into the UK by road, linking one of our busiest ports at Felixstowe with the Midlands and the North, the A14 has been crying out for the sorts of improvements the Government is proposing. These plans show the Government is looking at innovative ways of attracting private investment into areas of our infrastructure most in need of an upgrade.”
Private wheel clamping to be banned Wheel clamping without lawful authority will be banned in England and Wales from 1 October 2012, with anyone breaking the law facing criminal charges and a fine. It will be illegal to clamp, tow away or immobilise a vehicle without lawful authority to do so. In effect, this will ban most clamping and towing by anyone other than the police, local authorities,
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government agencies such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) plus other bodies acting in accordance with statutory or other powers, such as railway stations and airports. Bodies with lawful authority to clamp and tow may continue to contract out this work to private companies. DVLA and VOSA will continue to clamp
or tow vehicles that are un-roadworthy or have not had their vehicle tax paid. Currently, the law says that individuals or businesses can clamp vehicles if they have a valid vehicle immobiliser licence from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). This will apply until the ban comes into force in October 2012.
Industry News Features
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Industry News
M25 hard shoulder closure welcomed
The announcement that the hard shoulder on a section of the M25 between Kent and Surrey is to be converted to an extra traffic lane is seen as potentially good news by the Freight Transport Association (FTA). Members of the public have been invited to find out more about plans to add extra capacity to the notoriously busy 15-mile section between junction 5 near Sevenoaks and junction 7 where the M25 meets the M23 intersection, which it is proposed will be through the delivery of the motorway’s first managed motorway scheme. Managed motorways use a range of innovative technologies to actively control traffic, with features that include variable mandatory speed limits and opening the hard shoulder to traffic at busy periods. The M25 introduction follows a successful pilot on the M42 in 2006, which saw accidents decrease by more than 50% over a three-year period. According to the Highways Agency, work on the managed motorway upgrade is due to start in 2013/14, subject to completion of statutory processes, and is hot on the heels of the successful completion of the widening of the motorway between junctions 16-23 and 27-30. James Hookham of the FTA said “Some may see it as the Highways Agency widening on the cheap, but we feel that this will give motorists, and most importantly our members, extra capacity and will help to keep the motorway moving.”
Great Eggspectations at Yeates Wendie Dunford, Office Manager at Yeates Removals and Storage, will soon be appearing on television screens as a contestant on BBC 2’s Eggheads. Wendie joined the Yeates team in October 2011, working closely with James Griffin, Managing Director, and Adam Hack, Sales Manager, taking care of the day to day running of the office and providing a greater consistency of service to customers. “I can’t unfortunately divulge how we did, but be sure that when our episode is on the TV it will be worth a watch! I can tell you that my subject was Arts and Books and that is all I can say,” Wendie says.
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Small businesses slam Health and Safety charges A bid to force small businesses to pay for their own health and safety inspections is being criticised by the Forum of Private Business. Under the ‘Fee for Intervention’ proposals, which are set to come into force in October 2012, firms deemed to be in ‘material breach’ of health and safety regulations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would be forced to pay inspectors’ hourly rates from the moment the inspection begins − regardless of when a breach is detected. Forum members are concerned that this would be unfair, and that the HSE’s drive to recover costs could lead to a heavy-handed approach and inconsistency from individual inspectors over what constitutes a breach in the first place. “Businesses which deliberately flout health and safety rules should be brought to task but this is not how the vast majority operate − clearly it is not in their best interests to allow lax health and safety procedures to exist. Our members want help, guidance and support, which is what our Health and Safety Guide provides, not ever more threats of financial penalties,” said the Forum’s Chief Executive, Phil Orford. The Forum is putting forward evidence showing that business owners have serious doubts about the proposed system of charges. They are also calling for significant measures to ease Health and Safety red tape. In May 2012, 62% of the Forum’s Health and Safety Panel members stated that recovery costs should be
scaled according to the size of a business, and more than 90% that either the size of the business or the seriousness of the breach should have an impact on the level of costs. Cost of Health and Safety Despite the Government’s well-publicised deregulatory agenda, Health and Safety red tape is considered an ever-increasing barrier to small business success and economic growth. Last year the Forum’s ‘cost of compliance’ survey found that administering Health and Safety leaves the UK’s smaller employers with a combined annual bill of £3.8bn. Unlike large companies, these firms do not have internal resources dedicated to complying with regulations. Business owners or key senior managers are forced to devote a large amount of time to form filling – according to the Forum’s research an average of almost 40 hours each month – or they have to pay for an outside consultant, which can be extremely expensive. Overall, based on data provided by members who took part in the survey, the total annual cost of legislative compliance for smaller employers is £16.8bn – comprising £11bn in internal costs and £5.8bn for external contractors – which is £14,200 per firm on average. External health and safety support costs almost £986 million per year.
Migration boosts population growth In recent years, migration into the UK has provided the removals and storage industry with an increasingly high level of demand. The population of England and Wales has increased by 3.7 million on the 2001 estimated figure of 52.4 million, an increase of 7.1%, the Office for National Statistics said in July. This was the largest growth in population in a tenyear period since the first census in 1801. Population changes in England and Wales are due to births, deaths and migration (including migration within the UK). From March 2001 to March 2011, there were 6.6 million births and 5.0 million deaths in England and Wales, leading to an increase in the population of 1.6 million, or around 44% of the total increase. The population of England grew by 3.6 million on the estimate of 49.5 million people in 2001, an increase of 7.2%, and by 153,000 or 5.3% in Wales, rising from 2.9 million in 2001.These increases were much greater than in the ten-year period between 1991 and 2001, when the population increased by only 1.6 million. The highest increase was in London, which gained over 850,000 residents, an increase of 11%. The South East of England also experienced
high growth, 611,000 residents, an increase of 7.6% on 2001. The lowest increase was in the North East, which nonetheless gained 56,000 residents in the ten years since the last census, an increase of 2.2%. The percentage population growth in England since 2001 was the fifth highest of the 27 countries in the EU and Wales was the eleventh highest.
Industry News
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Industry News
Rising demand for early dispute resolution More employers and employees are accessing help earlier to avoid employment tribunals, according to figures released by Acas, the organisation which works to prevent and resolve workplace disputes. The latest annual report figures highlight that demand for Acas’s early dispute resolution service, Pre-Claim Conciliation (PCC), rose by a third in 2011/12, meaning that Acas dealt with 23,777 cases, 6,000 more than the previous year. This has resulted in thousands of people avoiding the need to go to an employment tribunal. Pre-Claim Conciliation was launched in April 2009 and aims to resolve workplace problems before they result in a costly and stressful employment tribunal claim. Acas is settling more claims year on year through PCC. This year’s figures show an increase in the number of cases that do not go on to become an employment tribunal claim from 74% last year to 78%. Unfair Dismissal is the most common problem handled through PCC, followed by claims about wages, breach of contract and holiday and disability discrimination. The success of PCC has led to the Government proposing that anyone intending to make an employment tribunal claim should come to Acas first. The new service, called Early Conciliation, will start from 2014. Additionally, the number of claims Acas received for conciliation after an employment tribunal claim had been lodged dropped by 3% to 72,075. Unfair Dismissal continues to be the most common reason for individual conciliation cases.
O’Neil Software releases new upgrade Having only recently released their RS-SQL Version 4.03, BAR Affiliate O’Neil Software, have added more features in its updated RS-SQL Version 4.04.
“Technology is an extremely important element of business. Not only does it provide multiple ways of communicating with customers and enhancing service, it automates many of the processes involved in running a business,” notes Ian Thomas, Executive Vice President of O’Neil Software. “With the application of technology, critical and time-consuming processes can be executed with ease
and in less time. It reduces the work burden and delivers speed, audit and accuracy improvements.” The new upgrade provides greater visibility, continuous processing and clearer information for staff and customers alike. For full details about O’Neil Software’s services, see their profile on page 51.
Small businesses concerned by access to finance
Do you have any news to share with R&S readers? Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
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It has been revealed that 94% of firms on the Forum of Private Business Cash Flow and Finance Panel see improved access to finance as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to restoring business confidence – with 40% reporting that their cash position has not improved over recent months. “While some firms are seeing improvements to cash flow, working capital and growth capital, many more are seeing these deteriorate and are looking to the banks to provide the finance for growth in order to boost business confidence and drive economic recovery,” said a Forum spokesperson. “Small business owners are likely to feel vindicated that the banks are being taken to task given the experiences they have had in recent years – but clearly mainstream lenders remain centrally important in their eyes. Entrepreneurs believe banks can do a lot better and are calling for improved levels of service, including more branches, faster and more transparent decision making and greater choice.”
Specifically, while cash flow has improved for 26% of respondents, it has deteriorated for 43%. Further, working capital has declined for 41% and improved for 23% of panellists and growth capital has deteriorated for 55% and improved for 18%. More than half (54%) of firms surveyed cite rising costs as among their biggest financial headaches, which is almost identical to the number in September 2011’s cash flow and finance panel survey. This is followed by a third identifying late payment as a main financial problem, an increase of 8% from September. One in five business owners report a lack of choice when seeking finance, up by 16% from September 2011, and 17% are experiencing difficulties in accessing funding at all − an increase of 11% Cutting product and service costs (9%) and the steep cost of finance (6%) were identified as other main finance issues.
Industry News
New furniture lifter comes to Malta DOM Transport, a long-time International Associate Member of the BAR in Malta, has just acquired its second Böcker furniture lifter. The company bought its first lifter, reaching 18 metres (six floors), eight years ago. This year, it has added the largest furniture lifter in the island to its fleet, a 37-metre (12 floors) Isuzu truck-mounted Böcker furniture lifter. “With apartment buildings always getting higher here in Malta we were occasionally having to hire third party cranes for delivering consignments above the sixth floor,” Joseph Pace de Gray told R&S. “Hence we invested in this machine, which makes it more practical. We have just completed the spraying of it in our company colours and we also included the BAR logo, as we do on all our trucks.”
Moving Julio Iglesias BAR International Associate Member, Globalink Logistics Group, regularly provides logistics support for a wide range of events throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States. The company’s reputation for meticulous planning and reliable services landed it with the job recently for a shipment consisting of musical and other various concert-related equipment for the performance of Julio Iglesias in Batumi, Georgia. This concert was organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia and was headlined as the main event of the year. Given the importance of the event, Globalink’s Tbilisi
team arranged transportation of the cargo from arrival at Tbilisi airport to Batumi. The requirement to deliver all the equipment to Batumi well before the performance date was welcomed by Globalink’s staff who also completed the delivery without any damages or delays. “The concert was an amazing success and we were proud to be a part of it,” according to Dinara Davlembaeva, Marketing Coordinator for Globalink Logistics Group. The transportation of the cargo back to Miami also went well. “With our airfreight and trucking divisions working in coordination, the cargo was packed and delivered to Tbilisi Airport, from where it was swiftly reloaded onto a dedicated charter flight for departure to the next destination,” says Dinara.
Quality award for GB Liners GB Liners was recently presented with the Roche Pharmaceuticals Quality Award at the Annual Partners’ Meeting in Boston, USA. The award is based on feedback from transferees, who are asked to rate the performance of the moving company. Christine Grathwol, Head of Relocation Services at Roche Pharmaceuticals said “Roche Pharmaceuticals is proud to again recognise GB
Liners with the Roche Quality Award for its outstanding performance in dealing with the international moves of Roche employees in and out of the UK. GB Liners have been awarded this honour three times over the last four years and that is a direct reflection of their outstanding group of employees and management team, all of whom should be very
proud of this accomplishment.” Robert Bartup, Managing Director of GB Liners said “It is very satisfying to win this award again, particularly when I look at the quality of the other partners in the Roche programme. There are some world-class companies involved in these moves so to win is a real feather in our cap.”
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Industry News
London 2012: lessons to be learned As we enter the last couple of weeks of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, now is the time to send in your feedback! Please let us know about your experiences, the extent to which the Games affected your businesses and whether the information provided by the relevant Olympic bodies prepared you for any obstacles you faced. Apart from being a potentially good read, your feedback may be read by official transport and logistics bodies preparing for future national events. Please send your feedback to randseditorial@analyticamedia.com by 2 October 2012.
Britannia Squab moved by 500th reference Warwickshire removals company, Britannia Squab Group, has received its 500th comment on the independent customer feedback service, Referenceline. The glowing comment came from clients whom Britannia Squab moved from Warwickshire to Devon. The family-run business has been using Referenceline since 2007. Referenceline works with trade associations such as BAR, allowing the public to read comments posted online from clients who have used a particular service such as removals and storage. This helps potential consumers make an informed decision about which supplier to use. Previous customers are encouraged to post a comment and rate various elements of their removal service via an easyto-follow scoring system. Speaking on behalf of Britannia Squab Group, Managing Partner, Emlyn Evans, said “We are delighted that 99% of those giving their feedback score our service between 9.6 and 10 (10 being the maximum).” Having reached this level, the target is set high again with the team at Britannia Squab now aiming for 1000!
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Driveshield celebrates 10 years of tracking The latest vehicle tracking technology can be used to reduce fuel bills and increase productivity, as well of course as giving companies the ability to monitor and record remotely where and how their vehicles are being used.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the vehicle electronics industry and 10 years of tracking technology, Stuart Cox has witnessed the evolution of tracking technology from hesitant early days into a powerful and versatile management and security tool. His Stockton-on-Tees based business, Driveshield Installations Limited, has grown with the technology. “Driveshield meets the needs of a national portfolio of customers ranging from major companies with large fleets of lorries, vans, cars, trailers and heavy plant, to small firms with one or two vehicles on the road,” Stuart says.
The Driveshield unit uses a combination of GPS (to provide the tracking) and GPRS (to report data through the Internet to the user’s PC) technologies. No other hardware or software need be bought and the unit can be easily and unobtrusively installed – usually behind the dashboard. Battery back-up enables it to report movement even if the vehicle or plant on which it has been installed has been loaded onto a trailer by thieves. For more information, see Driveshield’s advert on page 31.
Harrow Green moves ITV archive Harrow Green has begun moving the historic film and tape archive of ITV Wales into a new home in the National Library of Wales. The new location of this vast and important collection of the output of the former TWW and HTV companies dating back to the late 1950s, along with more recent footage, will ensure the archive is preserved for the future. Content from the collection of broadcast programmes as well as original unedited footage, on film and in various tape formats, will be available for public viewing. About 250,000 individual items are being moved, amounting to some 3,500 linear metres of storage. One of the challenges for Harrow Green has been to identify and differentiate all the components of the archive and ensure everything is assigned to its correct place in the final shelved sequence. “We’ve used an exceptionally wide range and volume of labels for colour coding and sequencing,” says Stephen Noake, Project Manager for Harrow Green, “both at origin and again in the process of integrating scattered collections to end up with an
accurate final sequence.” The value and unique nature of the material being transferred has meant limiting the volume being moved at any one time to smaller vehicles: “We had to minimise the risk in the event of an accident,” says Stephen.
Industry News
Spanish mover races to success BAR International Associate Purias Impact S.L. (Advance Moves) are best known for their trade removal services between the UK and Spain. However, when Managing Director, Mat FordDunn is not in the office, he is usually to be found racing around the Supermoto tracks of Spain. Mat and his younger brother Anthony (who is the warehouse manager at the Murcia depot in Spain) are both mad about bikes and have been competing in the Spanish Supermoto championship for several years with some fantastic results.
Mat explains that Supermoto racing is “a combination of an asphalt race circuit with a dirt section and a few jumps thrown in for good measure. The racing is frantic as the riders have to control their highly tuned race bikes at speeds of up to 120 mph, on a variety of surfaces and conditions to be able to win races.� In spite of technical problems leading to Mat injuring himself in practice and in a race, the brothers have had a strong first half season, racking up 9 race wins, as well as 13 second positions and a further 8, third positions. Anthony is currently second in the Catalan championship and fourth in the Spanish championship, with older brother Mat currently second in the SM30 Catalan championship and also second in the SM30 Spanish championship. With the championship leads still in sight, both brothers are training hard to make the second half of the season even better than the first. The Team are next in action at the Mora d’ebre circuit in Catalunya on 16 September for the fifth round of the Catalan championship. Further race reports and updates can be found on the teams website at www.supermotoland.com
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Industry News
Largest removal for Oldhams Oldhams Removals, a longstanding Member of BAR, have recently completed their largest domestic removal in ten years. The removal was from a very large manor house near Warwick. The Victorian property had been refurbished to a very high standard and contained a recording studio, swimming pool, its own pub, cinema room, industrial kitchen, library and extensive outbuildings and grounds, as well as many works of art including paintings and sculptures. The move was estimated at 13,600 cubic feet with full packing/wrapping. The client was also moving all the way to Eastbourne but did not have a new property to move into so he leased his own warehouses to store his items. “We undertook the removal with a completion deadline of 15 June 2012 and gave ourselves three working weeks to complete,” Paul Thurston, who planned and managed the move, told R&S. “The move went extremely well and all items were packed and moved on time and in room order so that the client could easily access them”.
The warehouse with our 2 18T full unloading.
Challenges included a phone box, which had to be fork-lifted on and off; the pub bar (called Bernie’s after Bernie Ecclestone, who was bidding on it at auction), which had to be export-wrapped; a very large recording studio mixing deck; motorised external umbrellas, the hot tub and glass plants. “The client was very amenable and let my lads drive his Bentley,” said Paul. “He was extremely happy with the move and hopes to have us back in Eastbourne once he has found a property large enough to take all of his possessions. This removal follows a very successful year for us so far, with every day fully booked!”
Bishop’s Move takes history to the roads It was full steam ahead this summer for Bishop’s Move, which took to the road with an historic steam wagon.
Covering more than 750 miles in order to attend several major Steam shows, the Bishop’s Move Foden HH Steam Wagon turned heads everywhere it went. Built in 1929, it is one of only three steam wagons in existence and runs on coal and water, boasting an average speed of approximately 18 miles per hour. Restored in 1994, the Wagon is liveried in the Bishop’s Move colours of its time and has an early lift-van dating back to 1901 fitted as a body. This removable body was used in the early days of Bishop’s Move to ship clients’ effects long distances within the UK through the use of the national railway system. As it made its steady way around southern England, the Steam Wagon, which is owned by Gareth Jones and driven by Gareth and his son Ian, attracted attention from passers by. Anyone spotting this most historic removal vehicle was encouraged to capture the moment in a photo and upload it to the Bishop’s Move Facebook page. Five lucky winners of the ‘Spot the Steamer’ competition each received a limited edition model Corgi Vintage Glory of Steam Foden with Liftvan to commemorate the moment. Neil Bishop, Business Development Director at Bishop’s Move, said “as a family- run company that
Movecorp staff run for sick girl More than 25 Movecorp staff and their friends recently completed a local fun run, raising over £2,000 for local toddler Kelli Smith, who is battling Neuroblastoma, a very aggressive type of childhood cancer. “Apart from raising money, Movecorp sponsors this local fun run every year,” Director James Tennant says. “Getting involved with the local community is a great way to build your name locally. The perceived
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was founded in 1854 and is now in its sixth generation of Bishop’s, our foundation is built upon history and heritage. The Foden HH Steam Wagon is an important part of this and serves as a reminder of our roots and what we have achieved throughout our history.”
value is far greater than the actual costs involved. We were all very moved by this cause, and Movecorp have decided to keep raising funds for Kelli Smith for a further 12 months.” The money being raised will help Kelli’s family get her life-saving treatment abroad. Any donations would be very much welcomed: www.bmycharity.com/ movecorpteam.
Industry News
Basil Fry’s swing or ride day Basil Fry & Co. and the Royal & Sun Alliance (RSA) co-hosted a charity Golf & Mountain Biking day recently in aid of Basil Fry & Co’s nominated charity, LEAF (Leukaemia Educating and Fundraising).
The cyclists
Jamie Briggs chipping
The winning Team (L to R: Peter Doman, Ian Nicholson, Jamie Briggs and Louis Spies)
John Luxford (L) and Paul Jones (R)
Peter Doman, Account Executive at Basil Fry & Co reports that 24 golfers played the prestigious Downs Course with six cyclists being led across the top of the hills by keen mountain biker, Philip Wildman, Managing Director of Basil Fry & Co. “For once, the weather was perfect for golf with a gentle breeze and a cloudless sky although it was perhaps even a bit too warm for the cyclists!” Peter told R&S. The day started at the beautiful Kennels club house with the cyclists taking off up the hill towards Goodwood Racecourse and the golfers following in the same direction along the bottom of the valley and at a more leisurely pace. Along the way, the golfers were treated to a Beat the Pro Competition from Paul Jones, resident pro at Canford Magna Golf Club, Dorset with only three players succeeding in taking his money! The cyclists, including Ian Palmer of White & Co., enjoyed a day of strenuous climbs, swooping descents and excellent views across the South Downs. Paul Jones helped give out the prizes at the end of the day and also took the opportunity to talk about Basil Fry’s chosen charity which is very close to his heart as it was founded by his wife, Natasha Jones, when she was diagnosed with Leukaemia two weeks after giving birth to their second son, 7 years ago. The total raised on the day was £725, a fantastic amount given the numbers attending. First Place was awarded to Jamie Briggs of Jamie Briggs Removals. The Team Prize was awarded to Ian Nicholson and Louis Spies (White & Co), Peter Doman and Jamie Briggs. Longest Drive went to Nick Price (Royal & Sun Alliance) Nearest the Pin went to John Luxford (Luxfords of Weybridge). Further details on LEAF can be found on www.leafcharity.com
Hot tub headache for Britannia Smeeton Panton
When Britannia Smeeton Panton were asked to quote for a removal from Horncastle to Scotland, they were not initially aware of the extra planning that would be needed. After the estimator had been around the house, he was then directed to the rear of the property, where sitting snugly in the corner was a very large hot tub that required moving. It was eventually decided that the only way to move it was by a crane over the house. Come the day of the removal, with the tub as the centre of attention, it was a huge relief to see it safely tucked inside the vehicle.
AMC stars on Irish television The principal national television station in the Republic of Ireland recently aired in a prime time slot a documentary called ‘Truckers’, featuring BAR International Associate, AMC Removals and Storage. The show focused on the packing and shipping of a full house of contents of Kaari and Liz Keohn from Blessington. “The couple were moving to Canada where Mr Keohn is from,” Aubrey McCarthy MD of AMC Removals said on the show. “It really is heartbreaking when you witness an international move – it’s everything a family can take, children’s toys, furniture, etc. Such enquiries usually begin with ‘how much is it to ship a pony or dog overseas?’” Despite the downturn in the domestic residential
Ireland’s President Michael D Higgins with Aubrey McCarthy of AMC Removals Ltd.
market, Aubrey said the company saw the need to upgrade and increase its services. “We had a growing number of enquiries for office moves and storage so we built a temperature- controlled storage facility in the Elms,” he says. “We store goods for fashion houses such as Monsoon, carry out moves for various embassies, the Royal College of Surgeons, Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Four Seasons Hotel and provide storage for household/commercial contents – we’ve even moved a few big names in the music industry and of course, a national radio station.” And although domestic housing enquiries have slowed down, international moves are currently in high demand, so AMC has increased its fleet to incorporate more large transporters. September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Industry News
House prices fall back House prices have dropped in recent weeks, reflecting the UK’s slide back into recession and deepening economic uncertainty.
Nationwide reported that house prices fell by 0.7% in July and were 2.6% lower than in July 2011. Chief Economist Robert Gardner said “the weaker price trend observed in recent quarters is unsurprising, given the disappointing performance of the wider economy... the UK economy has contracted by 1.4% over the past nine months, and is now 4.5 percentage points smaller than it was in the first quarter of 2008. “Against this difficult economic backdrop, it could be argued that UK house prices have shown resilience. While prices are currently 13% below their 2007 peak, this is less than the declines seen in a number of other economies that have experienced similar or more robust economic recoveries.” House price growth on an underlying basis remained broadly stable, according to the Halifax. The average UK house price in July 2012 was 0.8% higher than in December 2011, at £161,094. Nationally, house prices were at a very similar level to the summer of 2009. House prices recorded by the Halifax in the three months to July were unchanged from the preceding three months. House prices fell by 0.6% in July following two consecutive increases in May and June as prices continued to fluctuate on a monthly basis. So far this year, there have been four monthly rises and three falls. Commenting, Martin Ellis, housing economist, said: “At a national level, house prices have been very stable over the past year or so. This can largely be explained by the static nature of supply and demand conditions during this period. Looking forward, we expect little change in prices over the remainder of 2012 so long as the economic climate in the UK does not worsen substantially.” Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in the 12 months to May 2012, UK house prices increased by 2.3%. This continues the pattern seen
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since May 2010, with house prices relatively stable across most of the UK although falling in Northern Ireland. The year-on-year increase refl ected growth of 2.6% in England and 3.5% in Wales, which was offset by declines in Scotland and Northern Ireland of 1.0 and 10.3 % respectively. Annual house price increases in England were driven by a 7.2% rise in London as well as increases in the South East and East Midlands of 3.4 and 2.3% respectively. The largest decreases in England were 1.6% in the North West and 1.2% in the West Midlands On a seasonally adjusted basis, UK house prices remained unchanged between April and May 2012.
Price Change by Region
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We expect little change in prices over the remainder of 2012 so long as the economic climate in the UK does not worsen substantially. Martin Ellis, Halifax.
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Figures from the Land Registry for June showed an annual price increase of 0.9%, which took the average property value in England and Wales to £161,777. The monthly change from May to June was an increase of 0.1%. As has been the case for some time now, the region in England and Wales that experienced the highest increase in its average property value over the last 12 months was London with a movement of 6.3%. Wales experienced the greatest monthly rise, with an increase of 2.5%. Yorkshire and The Humber experienced the greatest annual price fall, with a decrease of 1.9%. Yorkshire and The Humber also saw the most significant monthly price fall, with a decrease of 0.3%. The most up-to-date fi gures available show that during April 2012, the number of completed house sales in England and Wales decreased by 19% to 41,244 compared with 50,721 in April 2011.
source: Land Registry
BAR NewsNews Industry
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BAR News
BAR and the Money Advice Service collaborate on domestic moves BAR has signed an exclusive, ground-breaking agreement with the Money Advice Service (MAS) which will result in an attractive new source of leads for Members. The popular MAS website attracts over 1.2 million users per year, and now includes a Smart Mover calculation tool using BAR’s online removal estimating system. The agreement will also mean that BAR will play a prominent role in helping this UK-wide service educate the public about the costs and processes involved in moving home. BAR’s ambition to reach strategic agreements with other organisations that can provide BAR Members with commercial opportunities and new leads reached new levels of success recently when BAR agreed a partnership of collaboration with the Money Advice Service. The MAS is a government-owned financial advice service that specialises in helping people during major life events, such as having a baby, losing a job, retiring – or moving home. Although a relatively new organisation, the MAS is already reaching millions of people, many of whom will be potential clients for BAR Members. The MAS is an independent organisation. Its role is to give free, unbiased money advice across the UK – online, over the phone and face to face. Its newly launched Smart Move campaign is in line with its overall mission is to help people develop good money habits, take control of their finances, and make more of their money. As part of the agreement, the MAS is ‘white labelling’ BAR’s online removal estimating system to power its Smart Mover cost calculator, an online tool to help people budget when planning to move home. Smart Mover provides estimates from as many as four BAR Members. As a result, all BAR Members who have opted-in to receive National Leads are likely to soon see an increase in the number of leads they receive. The Smart Mover calculator will provide consumers with an estimated cost for the essentials, including removals, packaging and storage, as well as other aspects such as cleaning and mail redirection. It also includes hints and tips about the extras which might impact customer’s budgets, such as insurance, childcare and household expenses. For the BAR, the agreement provides a unique and invaluable source of new leads for its Members. The Smart Mover calculator will exclusively provide estimates from BAR Members. At the same time, throughout the web pages that are devoted to Smart Move, the MAS emphases the importance of using a reliable removals firm to carry out the move, pointing consumers in the direction of the BAR, thanks to a prominent link on the MAS website. For Caroline Suard, BAR’s Director of Marketing: “Perhaps just as importantly, this partnership will also mean that residential customers should, hopefully, be better educated about what exactly to expect on moving days.” As readers of R&S know all too well, managing expectations can be one of the hardest parts of a mover’s work; with the support of the MAS, consumers will now be much better informed about the moving process, which will help eliminate those unwelcome surprises and awkward conversations, and ultimately go a long way toward improving customer satisfaction levels.
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What is the Money Advice Service? The MAS began life in April 2010 as the Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) which was established under the Financial Services Act in 2010 with all-party support. In April 2011 CFEB was renamed the Money Advice Service.
Its statutory objectives are to enhance the understanding and knowledge of members of the public about financial matters (including the UK financial system); and to enhance the ability of members of the public to manage their own financial affairs.
Its vision is to “enhance people’s lives because they take control of their money as a matter of course.”
The organisation has set a target of reaching 11.3 million users a year in 2016/17 as part of a five-year strategy. The target for 2012/13 is to reach 1.9 million people, including 88,000 through face-to-face advice and 90,000 people through the contact centre.
The Money Advice Service is paid for by a statutory levy on the financial services industry, raised through the Financial Services Authority.
BAR News
Former Financial Controller pleads guilty to fraud On Friday 24 August 2012, St Albans Crown Court sentenced Robert Ross, former BAR Financial Controller, to a custodial sentence of 3 years and 4 months, to run concurrently, on each of the counts to which he had pleaded guilty to stealing money from the Association. Ross had pleaded guilty at St Albans Crown Court on 16 July 2012 to the charge of stealing money to the value of £90,362.38 belonging to the BAR on and between 6 January 2006 and 18 March 2011 at Watford. He also pleaded guilty to the charge that on and between 1 June 2006 and 31 December 2010 at Watford he stole money to the value of £221,979.25 belonging to the Movers Trading Club (MTC). Ross admitted to falsifying two NatWest bank statements and to falsifying a Close Brothers Treasury
savings account showing a balance of £237,000.00, made or required for an accounting purpose for the BAR. He also pleaded guilty to falsifying three cheques made payable to the BAR totalling £290,000.00. BAR is also continuing a civil action against Ross for the recovery of monies stolen. This is likely to be a lengthier process. It is important to note that BAR believes that the charges against Ross do not reflect the full extent of the losses incurred by BAR and MTC but were those elements for which BAR was able to provide enough evidence for a successful prosecution. It is partly because of this gap that BAR is also pursuing civil action. A full statement on the fraud is available to BAR Members in the Members area of the website.
Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?
SW Dinner Dance in November The South Western Area is returning to the Best Western Hotel Bristol in Newquay for their annual dinner dance on Saturday 3rd November 2012. Set on the cliff top directly overlooking Tolcarne Beach, the Hotel Bristol has a reputation for exceptional service, glorious sea views and a level of hospitality to rival the very best hotels in the South West. During the dinner dance the Area will hold a raffle and auction, the proceeds of which will go to a local charity personal to Area Members, an international charity and the RBA. Last year these included Mayfield Special Needs School and Shelterbox. In the last 11 years the South Western Area have raised in the region of £30,000 through their dinner dances. They would like to invite you to join them and feel that the weekend has something to offer everyone. For more details and information please contact either Sue Christophers, South Western Area Secretary or Emma Lane, South Western Area Treasurer.
Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
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BAR News
Timon Thorncroft, Directly Elected Director Timon Thorncroft, Managing Director of JT & Sons Relocations, who is already a member of the Commercial Moving Group (CMG), was appointed as a Directly Elected Director (DED) at BAR’s Annual General Meeting in May. In this new role, he says he plans to work hard to enhance the organisation, especially to improve communications and support members as much as possible.
How BAR supports its Members Since joining the CMG Council and now as a DED, Timon has gained new insight into how hard the BAR works on behalf of its Members. “The support network that the BAR offers is tremendous and even though I have been associated with the BAR for many years, I was unaware of some of the support that HQ can give,” Timon says. “We are all able to get free legal advice, insurance advice and the like, as well as being able to phone HQ with any queries we may have. I think the recent newsletters and marketing have been great innovations and I do feel that HQ are listening to the membership at large far more than ever before. I would encourage the membership to get more involved and talk to their Association.” The support provided to BAR membership is even more important now, when the industry is going through such a turbulent time, especially in relation to the way that domestic consumers choose and carry out their household moves. Timon is a strong believer that BAR needs to make the public more aware about the benefits of using the BAR and believes that standards-based membership was “a little like PPI and mis-sold to the membership at large.” “With the consumer so well educated these days, we need to demonstrate that our industry is not a trade but a profession,” he says. 24
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Timon Thorncroft, Managing Director, JT & Sons Relocations
“With hindsight, the standards referendum could have been handled differently. Every member of the Association that I have come across would be able to obtain a standard with minimal effort,” he adds. “I think above all BAR needs to communicate better, get Members involved, after all it is their Association, and encourage all of them to assist each other for the greater good. And the BAR should also remind all the Members that profit is not a rude word!” Directly Elected Directors (DEDs)
BAR’s three DEDs are : Brian Maidman, Matt Faizey and Timon Thorncroft. Their role is to act as a conduit between the wider membership of BAR and the Board of Directors to ensure that information flows on important topics and to ensure the wider membership has input on the strategic aims of the association.
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I would like to encourage all our members to participate in discussions, decisions and debates to improve our industry. When everyone is involved, I will consider I have fulfilled my aims.”
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“I have been extremely lucky in our industry, in working for and alongside great individuals who have a pride and passion in what they do on a daily basis even when it is mundane,” Timon says. “In my short time as DED I have already received many good suggestions for improvements from individuals who really care how this industry is run and perceived. I would like to encourage all our members to participate in discussions, decisions and debates to improve our industry. When everyone is involved, I will consider I have fulfilled my aims.” Timon has been in the industry for 29 years and has been associated with the BAR since 1991. Like many in the BAR, he says he has been energised by this year’s conference in Windsor, where there was a real sense of people from across the industry pulling together. At JT & Sons Relocations, Senior Management have instilled a culture based on old-fashioned values and principles. “Those who know me will understand that my perspective on business is not just about profitability (even though this is why we are all in business) but about building relationships, trust and working ethically, which I hope will add value to the role that I am now undertaking for the BAR,” he says.
BAR Membership Subscriptions now due The 2012/13 BAR Subscription Invoices were sent in early July and are now due for payment. It is time consuming and un-productive for BAR to chase late-payers, so PLEASE ensure that your invoice is paid promptly. If you would like to receive a fresh copy of your invoice, or have a query about any of the details, please contact Accounts on 01923 699 488 or email accounts@bar.co.uk
BAR News
BAR partnerships result in leads for BAR Members BAR’s website has seen a clear increase in the number of visitors, leads* and enquiries over the past months thanks to the partnerships that BAR is continuously developing. According to BAR analysis, in July, four BAR Members received over 20 leads as a result of opting in to the BAR Sales Lead system. BAR analysed branches that received up to 24 leads during the month of July. All these branches have opted in for ‘UK’ leads, ‘European’ leads and the ‘Contact A Remover’ option. Most of these companies also opted in to receive leads if they are identified as a ‘Destination Remover’. “Since the BAR Board of Directors decided that the BAR Sales Lead will be completely FREE to all BAR Members until the end of December 2012, we’ve seen an increase in Members opting-in to receive BAR leads,” BAR Director of Marketing, Caroline Suard told R&S. “However, a lot of Members are still missing out on these enquiries, so if you haven’t opted-in to receive these leads and enquiries or haven’t set up your sales leads contacts correctly you are definitely missing out!” Every BAR Member located in the UK can benefit from this arrangement. Either contact the BAR
Commercial department on 01923 699 483 or login into ‘My BAR’ to download the step by step guide. *Leads include UK Quick Estimate, UK Advanced Estimate, Contact a remover enquiry, European Advanced Enquiry, Euro Quick Enquiry, Overseas Quick Enquiry, Overseas Advanced Enquiry, Commercial Moving and Contact Member enquiries. July leads per company ≥ 20 leads ≥ 15 leads ≥ 10 leads ≥5 leads <5 leads
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MAS deal increases leads Since the Money Advice Service launched its online moving tool at the beginning of August, based on BAR’s online removal estimate system, the BAR website has seen a 16% increase in activity, of which 60.4% represent new visitors. The exclusive agreement is likely to continue to see a significant increase in sales lead activity so don’t forget to take advantage of your free BAR sales leads! All BAR Members are entitled to free sales leads until 31st December 2012. For more information, and to opt-in, log in to MyBAR on the trade section of the BAR website.
Incentive to introduce new Members
BAR Members who introduce a new Member to BAR will receive £100 off the following year’s subscription where the new Member is accepted 25 into Membership. The new Member must not be related to the introducing Member company or be 124 an Affiliate or an International Associate. The incentive payment will become payable when the introducing Member and the new Member renew their annual membership (so if no renewal, no incentive payment) and pay their Do you have any news to share annual fee on time. The offer will be available up to a maximum of £500 in any one invoicing year. with R&S readers? To suggest a new Member, send contact details of Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com the company to commercial@bar.co.uk quoting REFERRAL. 8
New RBA Trustee: Jonathan Hood At the AGM of the Removers Benevolent Association (RBA), held in May at the BAR Conference in Windsor, the RBA announced the appointment of BAR past President, Jonathan Hood, Group Managing Director of Cadogan Tate as a new trustee. At a recent interview with R&S Jonathan said that he is delighted to have joined the Trustee body and hopes to be able to contribute to helping the RBA to operate even more effectively. “I’ve always been very committed to the moving industry and I feel that helping the RBA is an excellent way of partly repaying the industry that has done so much for me and Cadogan Tate over the years”. “The moving industry is extraordinary and very special. While we all compete hard there is very little backstabbing or sharp practice and we do a lot of good when we work together – the RBA is clearly one of those things, and I want to help make it do an even better job.” Jonathan is currently applying his commercial and charity management experience and eye for detail to the records and history of the RBA to see if he can
identify areas where savings or improvements could be made. After just a few months in the position, he says that he has been surprised by the extent and value of the work that the RBA carries out. “It’s obviously very positive that the RBA does so much to help those connected with the industry, but at the same time, why are so few people in the industry fully aware of what the RBA does and what it’s there for?” he asks. Raising the public profile and understanding of the RBA is a clear priority. This will in turn help the Association’s fund-raising activities, meaning that it will be in a stronger position to support those who really need help. “As a BAR Member I thought that I knew all about the RBA but I find that before joining the RBA Trustee body I really didn’t fully understand and appreciate the scope and scale of the RBA’s work,” he says. “I had not realised the RBA does a fantastic job in supporting past and present employees of members who are ill or injured at work and in helping their partners when bereaved.”
Jonathan says that in the coming months he hopes to help to introduce a series of measures to raise awareness, enhance fund-raising and review procedures and priorities for disbursements so that the RBA can continue and improve its already outstanding work.
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Young Mover BARProfile News
Boxing Clever: Jamie Durrans Jamie Durrans, Assistant Manager at G&R Removals and an enthusiastic amateur boxer, talks to R&S about his first year in the removals industry. Jamie joined G&R Removals, who specialise in moving pianos, in September 2011 and is just coming up to completing his very first year in the industry. Like many new members of the business, he says that above all he has been surprised and inspired by the diverse nature of the job, with every move bringing its own challenges and rewards. “I love the diversity of this business,” he says. “Moving pianos involves a variety of different skills at different stages, whether it’s knowing how to remove a window to get the piano out of the premises or preparing a CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) application if we are exporting a piano with ivory keys.” Jamie was recently involved in moving the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as countless more usual but still complex moves for consumers, piano companies and piano shops. As Assistant Manager, much of Jamie’s work is now devoted to estimations, operating MoveMan systems, quotations and administration. When he first joined G&R Removals, management wisely sent him out on the road so that he could learn all about the industry from the bottom up. That experience was essential to his understanding of the business, he says. Jamie is also being trained for the position of General Manager, which he will take on in December. As a recent graduate with a degree in business and management at Buckinghamshire University, he clearly has the academic background to take him far in the industry.
But in this business, attitude counts for as much as education, and Jamie has demonstrated that he has the ambition and drive needed to get ahead. He worked hard in Tesco’s behind the till to finance himself throughout his studies, gaining valuable experience of customer service under pressure. Jamie has so far been to two Young Movers events, the zoo visit and the brewery event at the BAR Annual Conference. “I feel that the industry should take its young people more seriously,” he says. Questioning regulatory burdens Looking to the future, Jamie has some concerns about the ever-increasing regulatory burden that the industry faces. After less than one year in the business, he is already frustrated by quite how hard the Government is making it to run a removals business! “We are continuously investing in a new, modern fleet of vehicles to comply with new standards such as EURO V, low emission zones and now EURO VI,” he says. “Combined with the rising cost of fuel, this is only increasing costs for our industry – especially for BAR Members, who are more likely than most to actually comply with all the new rules and requirements. I believe that the Government should give exemptions or be more lenient to industries such as ours who use fossil fuels to carry out essential business.” And Whitehall had better be careful – in his time off, Jamie relaxes by boxing! It’s a sport that he has loved ever since taking it up at the age of 16, and which lets him express all his competitive spirit after a busy day of managing removals.
Are we your preferred supplier - if not, why not? Our company’s sole purpose since its inception in 1977 is to serve the membership – to supply good quality, innovative packaging products at low prices. This is achieved by buying jointly on your behalf and passing on the discount achieved from this bulk purchasing power! As a member, we should be your preferred supplier but are we? For many of you the answer will be yes but for those of you that say no then we would like to know why? Your feedback is important so please ring us on 01342 870087 or you can simply email sales@barservices.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you.
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BAR News
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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BARBAR Features Services News
BAR Services’ free direct delivery online ordering system The online sales of packing materials is big business and is a huge potential revenue stream for BAR Members. BAR Services are pleased to announce that it has designed a simple and completely free way for Members to take advantage of this market. Members had previously commented that although they wanted to make the most of this opportunity they didn’t have the time and money to either start from scratch or to set up the ecommerce on their existing site – this can be a complicated and time consuming task. In answer to this challenge, BAR Services have been working with Open SEO and developed a new packaging module which allows them to tap in to this market off the back of the BAR Services website. So how does the new module work? Simply ask your website designer to create a link from your website to www.barservices.co.uk/association/. You can direct your customer by adding ‘Click here to buy packing materials’ to your home page. If you don’t currently have a designer, Open SEO can add this link for you at a cost of from £20 (depending on the work required). Your customer will be directed to an area of the BAR Services website which will display twenty core packing products i.e. Pack 2s, Pack 6s, tape, air bubble. BAR Services will receive the order and the payment and will deliver directly to your customer. The BAR Services website will be able to track the website the order came from and allocate commission to the correct member. You will be charged a set discounted membership rate for the materials and the differential between this rate and the price paid by your customer and this commission will be refunded to you in the form of a quarterly credit note. It really is that simple! From the screen grab opposite you can see the website module is simple and easy to use as well as being in the generic BAR branding. The module displays only the BAR member logo so your customer will be unaware that they have moved from your company’s website. BAR Services are extremely pleased to have produced a free of charge and hassle-free opportunity for Members to benefit from the increased turnover brought in from online sales. Some Members, however, still have a preference for an online shop to be personalised and to fit their existing brand and corporate image. You may remember that in June 2011, BAR Services unveiled a website module that Members could buy that allowed their customers to buy online. Again, designed with Open SEO, the initial module could be tailored to match the design of your existing website but it was based on the existing BAR Services online catalogue. This option is still available and can be bought from BAR Services. As far as your customer is concerned they are simply
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ordering directly through you, however, a copy of the order is received by BAR Services who will then process and deliver the items to your customer’s address. Your customer pays you through your website and BAR Services invoice for the products in the usual way. This website module includes many extra features: • Recently Viewed Products • Recently Compared Items • New Items Promotional Tool • Up-sells in Shopping Cart • Cross-sells on product pages • Bundled Products Options • Send to a Friend • Free Shipping Options • Auto-generated Site Map • Google map The cost of buying this programme was a one off set-up charge of £550 plus an annual fee of £70. As a hosted web application, ongoing support is necessary but the annual fee also included search engine optimisation which is a must for any website. This online ordering option will appeal to members to whom the consistency of their company’s brand is important.
BAR Services feel they have covered all the bases and now have a product that will suit all Members dependent on their requirements. The new option is free of charge, negates the need for your own ecommerce, is simple to install and the only effort required by you is to add a link to your website. The original module is ideal for Members who prefer to keep their own brand on the packing materials buying page. There is a £550 charge on this original module but you can control the look of the page as well as the retail pricing. However, don’t forget this option is dependent on you having an ecommerce website. With costs rising and the housing market still sluggish, making the most of other opportunities to bring in income is clearly important. If your customer can’t easily buy packing products from you they are only a click away from Argos and EBay. BAR Services are offering a free, easy to use link that taps in to its pre-existing ecommerce site. To coin a phrase, they have done the hard work so you don’t have to. If you would like any further details on how to link free of charge to the BAR Services website please contact the sales team on 01342 870087 or email sales@barservices.co.uk
Features
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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QSS BAR Update News
BAR Members raise the bar Congratulations to four BAR Members who have demonstrated their continuing commitment to high standards by achieving BS certification.
BHL Removers & Packers have achieved certification to BS 8522 Commercial Moving Standard. Kilmarnock Removals International have achieved certification to BS 8522 Commercial Moving Standard and BS 8564 Overseas Moving Standard. Finally, congratulations also to McCarthys Safe Shred who have achieved certification to BS EN 15713 the “Shredding” standard.
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Quality Service Standards Ltd (QSS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of BAR. QSS is an independent audit body. It helps BAR Members achieve and maintain certification for the specialist industry standards BS EN 12522 (Domestic), BS EN 14873 (Storage), BS EN 15696 (Self storage), BS 8522 (Commercial) and BS 8564 (Overseas) as well as ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001 (Environmental) and the standards for shredding and document storage. Peter Weltenius, Director of Quality Service Standards
This industry needs to improve its quality if it is to increase its margins. Everyone in the industry has a responsibility to see that happen. Peter Weltenius, Director of Quality Service Standards
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Doree Bonner International Group, Edinburgh have achieved certification to BS EN 12522 Domestic Moving Standard.
BAR Training Services Training from the Removals Experts Selling Skills/Promoting the BAR OFT Code of Practice
Course Dates 2012
This 1 day course is designed to enhance sales skills and to demonstrate the most effective way of promoting the BAR OFT Code of Practice to win business, covering topics such as:
Course to be held at BAR, Watford
• The Role of the Salesperson • Marketing • Prospecting & Negotiating • Promoting the OFT Code • Communication & Presentation • Identifying Customer Needs • Closing the Sale
19 September
Just £99 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: training@bar.co.uk
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Removals & Storage September 2012
BAR News Monitor Olympics
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Features
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Removals & Storage September 2012
Features
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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CMG BAR News
The Commercial Moving Group (CMG) is a dedicated group of companies within the British Association of Removers that specialise in all aspects of commercial relocations.
High profile for CMG at the FM Event The Commercial Moving Group will be an official partner of the FM Event which is taking place at London Olympia on 10-11 October. Being the FM Event’s official partner presents a useful opportunity for the CMG to raise its profile with the Facilities Management sector. The event is run in association with the BIFM, the British Institute of Facilities Management and supported by the Facilities Management Association. It has been created for UK facilities management professionals to share best practice, discuss current issues affecting FM and meet key suppliers. For more information, see www.barcmg.co.uk
FM Guide to the CMG website The Commercial Moving Group’s website has been featured in the August 2012 issue of Buildings & Facilities Management magazine. The website (www.barcmg.co.uk) aims to provide very practical and immediate assistance to anyone looking to organise a commercial move in the public or private sectors. In the article, Facilities Management professionals are guided through the main areas and benefits of the website. The type of information communicated was as follows: • H ints and tips on choosing a remover, writing a tender document and pricing. The topics to include when compiling a tender document for a commercial relocation service, or writing a brief for a particular project. The site’s moving resources page allows Facility Managers to gain an understanding of what to look for before
Do you have any news to share with R&S readers? Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
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Removals & Storage September 2012
contracting with a Commercial Removals Company. Visitors are also able to download free of charge a Commercial Moving Tender Sample. • C hecklists, guides and interactive documents covering every aspect of an office move. These to help plan and prepare an office move, right through to the actual move-in day and beyond. The relocation guides includes advice for Facility Managers to download free of charge top-line information for a successful office relocation to help at each step of the move planning process – Timetable, Moving Office Budget, Office Space Checklist, IT & Telecoms Checklist, Employment Law Checklist, and many more. • I nformation about the commercial moving process & criteria. Finding a moving company when planning a relocation is only one part of the
process that Facility Managers should follow. The goal is not for them to become commercial removal experts, as by using a reliable moving company they will be able to count on their expertise for every detail along the way. However, to ensure the move goes as smoothly as possible, and help Facility Managers stay on budget, it is always good to have basic understanding of the commercial moving process and criteria, and the CMG website provides useful information about Management Process, Space Planning, Relocation services available, Storage solutions, Filing solutions, Packing material, Recycling and disposal, key elements to include in a relocation tender, pricing, the BS8522 quality standard, and anything else they should know before contracting for commercial moving services.
BAR News CMG News
Specialised Movers wins Surrey County bonus
Commercial Moving Group Seminar, Golf Day and Awards
For everyone who took part in the BAR display at the Surrey County Show this summer, the event was one of the highlights of the summer. And for Nigel Shaw, Managing Director of Specialised Movers of Sheffield, attendance at the show paid itself back even before he had left Sheffield! Specialised Movers were leaving for the show with two vintage trucks on a trailer for transport. One was a 1938 Guy Vixen, which Nigel believes to be the only one of its type still running anywhere in the world, and the other a Thames Fordson E83W, a real classic vehicle that Specialised Movers have owned for almost 15 years. No sooner were the trucks in position for transport to Surrey, with the Guy Vixen resplendent in brand new livery, that a local multimillionaire drove past, instantly fell in love with the vehicles, and then called up Specialised Movers to arrange his house moving for the tidy sum of £6,000. “We’re very grateful to Tim Reynolds of TRC Commercial Vehicle Rentals in Sheffield for lending us a brand new Mercedes tractor unit and 45 foot trailer to get to the show,” Nigel says. “The key to events like these is to be highly visible at all times – you never know who might be passing by!” “Apart from the added bonus of the house move, we had a fantastic time at the Surrey Show. We are still getting emails from people who have taken the trouble to find our website and write to us to thank us for sharing our vehicles with them at the Show. It was a lot of fun, and I would recommend everyone to get involved next time if they have the chance.”
Tuesday 2nd October 2012
St Pierre, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Chepstow, Wales.
The CMG Chairman, CMG National Council and Basil Fry look forward to welcoming you on the day. This year we are promising an excellent networking opportunity for all BAR Members, CMG Members and Facility Managers whether you enjoy your golf or not. Afternoon seminars are set in the relaxed atmosphere of the St Pierre Country Club and the day finishes with John Stiles, our after dinner speaker, who promises us an entertaining evening and awards presentation. Sponsored by:
Prices Golf, Seminar & Dinner Golf, Seminar, Dinner, B&B Seminar, Dinner, B&B Seminar & Dinner only Golf Buggies
£48 £145 £125 £28 £30
VAT included in above prices
For more information please visit: www.barcmg.co.uk or email: kevin@companymoves.co.uk September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Overseas Group BAR News
The Overseas Group (OG) is a dedicated group of companies within the British Association of Removers that specialise in all aspects of overseas relocations.
OG Councillor: Wesley Bourne Wesley Bourne, General Manager and Director at Bournes, shares his vision for how BAR’s Overseas Group can help develop a strong future for the moving market.
Bringing innovation to International moving Bournes joined the Overseas Group in 2001. “We felt there was a lot of value from being part of the Group as our International business developed and increased,” Wesley says. “The payment protection
system and the Mover Trading Club are some examples of how the OG adds value, but equally important is being able to share experiences and information with like-minded companies and people, facing the same challenges as us on a global basis.” Wesley believes that it also equally important for International moving companies to provide as much information as possible to their customers about the complexities of overseas moves, the differences with domestic moves and the importance of using experienced professionals. “The Overseas Group has helped us to create value and differentiation for our clients so they can make the appropriate choices,” Wesley says. “I am very pleased that the Overseas Group strives to continually improve on this with the development of the BS8564 standard.” Wesley says that as an OG Councillor he is committed to listen, empathise, provide guidance and support, all with the aim of adding value to the Overseas Group membership. “We have to act impartially at all times and be professional enough to act in the best interest of the Group as a whole and not for our self-interest, but equally draw from our own experiences and share information to ensure the right decisions are made to support and protect the future of our industry.” “Although the new Overseas Standard has been developed there is still a lot of work to be done, firstly to ensure that companies are successful in its implementation and secondly to ensure it is continually developed and enhanced for the future,” he says. He believes the OG should play a stronger role in providing training and education not only to moving companies but also to their customers, for example developing new training modules for BAR Training Services to provide in areas such as international sales. “Most importantly I would like to see the OG play a pivotal role in how the industry will be shaped in the future,” he adds. “We appear to be so far behind the US, for example, in terms of creativity, technology and connectivity in the way we communicate and handle shipments. There is a lot we can do at the OG to help the industry develop and I am really looking forward to playing a part in this.”
OG Councillor: Wesley Bourne
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The Overseas Group has helped us to create value and differentiation for our clients so they can make the appropriate choices.
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Wesley joined the Overseas Group as a Councillor in May 2011, some seventeen years after officially joining T. Bourne & Son. As the fifth generation of the Bournes to work in the business, however, it is fair to say that moving is in his blood and has been a part of his life since he can remember. “Our company culture has been developed over the past five generations and is built upon the core beliefs of my family,” Wesley says. “I am proud that we still hold the same values today, integrating honesty, loyalty, pride, ambition, fairness and commitment into everything we do, and we expect it from everyone that is part of the Bournes team.” T. Bourne & Son Ltd, known by BAR Members as Bournes, was established way back in 1875, and Wesley is now in charge of continuing the tradition and seeing the company into the future. Overseas moving forms an increasing part of the company’s business mix. “It’s important to have a diverse set of business units in today’s economic environment,” Wesley says. “We service Domestic, European and International moving markets in both the private and corporate sectors. We also service commercial moving, logistics and specialist projects, and we have an auction facility.” Wesley says that the combination of the old family traditions of Bournes with a young and ambitious management team is the secret to the company’s success. “The contrast works very well, with new innovative ideas being developed to enhance our service, develop new ones and strengthen our brand, but still with the experience to keep us well-grounded and focussed,” he says. “We are a developing company and we actively encourage creativity, which builds energy and excitement and stops us from stagnating. Some of the best advice I have been given is that ‘anything is possible. If you can dream it we can make it happen’. We have taken that on board and we encourage that mind-set throughout our company.”
Wesley Bourne, General Manager and Director at Bournes
The Overseas Group membership currently consists of 54 Members. There are 153 BAR International Associates.
Do you have any news to share with R&S readers? Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
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BAR News
BAR Training Services Training from the Removals Experts BTEC Award in Practical Estimating This 2 day course is practically based and is designed to teach students the art of estimating as well as face to face sales techniques, covering topics such as: • Quantity assessment made easy • Instructor with 27 years experience in estimating • Best practice - survey to report to quote • Confidence in sales & estimating. • Understanding the importance of communication
Course Dates 2012 11 & 12 September 6 & 7 November Course to be held at BAR, Watford
NEWLY IMPROVED for 2012!
£545 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: training@bar.co.uk
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Self Storage BARGroup News
The Self Storage Special Interest Group was established in response to the needs of many Members who now include self storage as an important element in their service offerings. The Group offers a forum for companies to promote and develop their self-storage operations and is designed to encourage best practice in the self-storage industry.
New rules for VAT and Self-Storage Don’t forget that from 1 October 2012, all providers of self-storage be required to charge standard rated VAT. This brings to a conclusion a long-running debate on the VAT treatment of different types of selfstorage facilities and will apply in the vast majority of cases. The purpose of the change is to level the playing field between operators of self storage and other types of storage and to counter tax avoidance, making the VAT system simpler and fairer. Self storage providers are currently seen by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as allocating their customers with a discrete area of land and so their supply can qualify for VAT exemption. This contrasts with the treatment of providers of other types of storage (such as traditional removal companies) which do not provide their customers with a discrete area and are able to move their customers’ goods around within their premises, and which have to charge VAT on their rental charges.
HMRC estimates that only around 30 per cent of self storage is currently taxed and has noted that some self storage providers have used avoidance arrangements to convert their taxable supplies back to exempt supplies, gaining an unfair advantage over their competitors. This new measure will directly affect an estimated 250 VAT-registered self storage businesses that do not opt to tax their supplies. In addition, any unregistered suppliers of self storage will have to register as a result of the change. The number of these businesses is not known, but is estimated to be around 50. HMRC underlines that self-storage is distinguished
from commercial supplies of storage space, which do not provide a discreet storage area and where the supplier can move the customer’s goods around as they see fit, and which are already standard rated. The treatment of storage facilities by overseas customers has also been clarified by HMRC. Where storage is provided, but not as a designated area for the overseas customer, HMRC confirms that this will be treated as a general supply of services for VAT purposes. In other words, if this type of storage is provided to an overseas business customer, it will not be subject to UK VAT. However, it would be subject to the 20% tax if provided to a UK customer.
BAR Training Services Training from the Removals Experts Introduction to Estimating
Course Dates 2012
Ideal for staff who are new to the role. This 1 day course focuses on teaching students the unit system, methods of estimating, risk assessment, the role of the Estimator and selling services to the customer
10 September 5 November Course to be held at BAR, Watford
• Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator • Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques • Removals Insurance
Removals & Storage September 2012
for 2012!
Just £199 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: training@bar.co.uk
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BRAND NEW
BAR News
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Training BAR News
BAR Training Services carry out a range of training courses for removals companies. Peter Walters, BARTS Field Trainer, provides a roundup of the courses recently delivered. For full feedback from delegates and for more information on all courses, please go to www.removalstraining.co.uk
Recent training courses Strand C/O Wellcome Trust In July seven delegates, attended a one-day training course on Manual Handling and Furniture Handling at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus. The attendees handle the office furniture moves for the Trust and also set up meeting and conference rooms.
The first part of the course was theory based, focussing on the back damage that can occur when safe lifting procedures are ignored and the lifting aids that can make manual handling operations easier and put less strain on the body, reducing the risk of injury.
The course also explained the methods of securing fragile items of furniture and protecting items of furniture and property. In the second, practical, part of the training delegates learned about lifting aids and how to use them.
Feedback includes: Scott Temple: “This course was both fun and helpful with everyday needs at work. Learning new techniques to move furniture will be a massive help throughout, thank you very much.” Roger Brooks: “I have learnt a lot more than I thought I was going to. I feel more confident now when moving heavy objects. The trainer put the course across very well.” Kathleen Diss: “I found BAR training very interesting and informative, makes you think about what and why you do things, very enjoyable, Peter had some great tips on moving.” Chrissy Braybrook: “This course was very informative and was led by Peter, who gave us lots of tips on how to move furniture more easily. There was nothing boring about the day, a lot of light hearted humour, but at the same time, Peter gave us an insight into his furniture removal days and how best to move objects without stress and strain and techniques used.” Paul Bailey: “Very enjoyable, informal and relaxed, with sensible ideas and techniques to make Manual Handling safe.” Dennis Bushell: “Was worth attending, made removals and storage easy and safe to undertake.”
St Wilfred’s Hospice
Feedback includes: In July 12 delegates working for St Wilfred’s Hospice in Chichester attended a one-day training course in Manual Handling, Furniture Handling and Vehicle Loading.The Hospice has furniture shops where they accept donated furniture and bric-a-brac, for which they run a delivery and collection service. The delegates had varied experience in handling furniture and the course proved to be more of a best-practice refresher training course. However, attendees also learnt some different techniques, especially in the use of webbing, which was demonstrated in the practical session, and, going by the feedback, this proved to be extremely valuable.
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Terry Phillips: “The course run by BAR was delivered in an excellent format and was most informative; it catered for all grades of manual handling knowledge. A must for all employees engaged in this sector of business.” Tom Guy: “The course was very informative, Peter was a good lecturer, and I picked up some new techniques.” Matt Peeble: “Having had comprehensive experience of removals, Peter spoke with a genuine understanding of the job and put across the subject in a very relaxed and informative style.”
BAR Training Services BAR NewsNews Training
Training from the Removals Experts BARTS 2012 Training Dates All courses taking place at BAR Watford* BTEC in Removals Management
Introduction to Estimating
The course can now be completed in 5 days meaning less time away from your place of work! Upon completion of the later exam, successful students will be presented with a nationally recognised BTEC qualification.
Ideal for staff who are new to the role. This 1 day course focuses on teaching students the unit system, methods of estimating, risk assessment, the role of the Estimator and selling services to the customer • Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator • Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques • Removals Insurance
Course Dates 2012
Course Dates 2012
24 - 28 September
10 September 5 November
NEWLY IMPROVED for 2012!
BRAND NEW for 2012!
£1,675 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
Just £199 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
BTEC Award in Practical Estimating
Selling Skills/Promoting the BAR OFT Code of Practice
This 2 day course is practically based and is designed to teach students the art of estimating as well as face to face sales techniques, covering topics such as:
This 1 day course is designed to enhance sales skills and to demonstrate the most effective way of promoting the BAR OFT Code of Practice to win business, covering topics such as:
• Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator • Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques • Removals Insurance
Course Dates 2012
• The Role of the Salesperson • Marketing • Prospecting & Negotiating • Promoting the OFT Code • Communication & Presentation • Identifying Customer Needs • Closing the Sale
Course Dates 2012
11 & 12 September 6 & 7 November
NEWLY IMPROVED for 2012!
19 September 21 November
Just £99 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
£545 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)
1 Day (7 hours) Driver CPC Course Dates 2012 *BAR Training Services train you at BAR in Watford, in the BAR areas or at your premises.
4 October
£129 + VAT per driver (BAR Member)
JAUPT APPROVED CENTRE AC00191
prices start from as little as £49.25 + VAT per driver, delivered on site at your premises
To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: training@bar.co.uk
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Training BAR Features News
BAR Training Services carry out a range of training courses for removals companies. Peter Walters, BARTS Field Trainer, provides a roundup of the courses recently delivered. For full feedback from delegates and for more information on all courses, please go to www.removalstraining.co.uk
Introduction to Estimating An Introduction to Estimating at the Watford BAR Headquarters was the subject of a one-day training course for delegates from Britannia Quickmove, the Ministry of Defence, Britannia Freestones and R & J
Removals. None of the attendees had any experience of estimating, so this course was ideal for them as a precursor to the BTEC in Practical Estimating. The course focused on how to calculate volume, the various
Feedback includes: Jordan Bignell, Britannia Quickmove: “I enjoyed the course because it was really lighthearted and the trainer helped to make me feel comfortable. I feel I really learnt a large amount and it has developed me not only as an Estimator, but as a person.” Andy Townsend, Ministry of Defence: “Although it was just an introduction, I found the course to be very useful and hope it will be of use very shortly. Thanks, good course, good instructor.” Caroline Freestone, Britannia Freestones: “A nice relaxed atmosphere, the day went really quickly.” Mark Rutherford, R & J Removals: “A good start to enhancing my journey to becoming as skilled as I can be in this trade. A very good course.”
September handy tip Lifting a safe from a plinth Using a safe or sack barrow, put the blade of the barrow under the plinth and safe, then gently lay the barrow on its back. Once the barrow is lying on the floor, slide the safe about an inch towards the handle before sliding the plinth out, then slide the safe down to the blade and lift the handle of the barrow, standing the safe upright.
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methods of doing this and the importance of the Estimator’s role. By the end of it the group had grasped the idea of calculating volume, and rose admirably to the challenge of cubing up the training room.
Features
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European Industry News
Driver training makes a difference – official The European Commission has published a report on the application of legislation which requires professional drivers to undergo dedicated training. Data show that trainings have been effective and continue to enhance road safety. The report advises on specific issues to further improve the application of the legislation. The position of European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, who is responsible for transport, is that “safety on our roads is a priority.” Directive 2003/59/EC on the initial qualification and periodic training of trucks and buses’ drivers entered into force on 10 September 2003. The goal of the Directive is to enhance road safety in Europe by ensuring a common level of training, and the achievement of the necessary skills and competences for professional drivers to drive their vehicles. It establishes a mandatory level of initial qualification and periodic training for professional drivers in the European Union. The training is organised by training centres approved by the Member States. The training of professional drivers, together with the other measures set at European, national and local level, contributed to a 37% reduction of road fatalities involving trucks between 2003 and 2010, despite a 15% increase of the circulating fleet.
The report suggests a few specific issues which can improve the application of the Directive, such as enhancing the cooperation between Member States. A list of national contact points will facilitate the cooperation between national administrations to handle, among others, the cases of drivers attending the periodic training abroad. Moreover, the exchange of national timetables for periodic training should help overcoming any difficulty that enforcement authorities may face when checking drivers from abroad. According to the report, despite the national differences among Member States in the application of the Directive, the homogeneity of the national training systems is guaranteed by a set of standard training criteria. Member States are allowed to implement the periodic training with regards to drivers holding “acquired rights” by 2015 for bus drivers, and by 2016 for truck drivers.
Traffic restrictions in Romania Romanian authorities have notified FEDEMAC about a new restriction on goods traffic on a key road in the country. Until 26 October, traffic on DN 39 ConstantaMangalia will be restricted at the Agigea Bridge, for vehicles with a total maximum weight of over 5 tons. There will also be a 30km/hour speed limit. The
traffic restriction is necessary due to bridge repair works. During this restriction period, vehicles over 5 tons will have to use one of a number of bypasses. For more information about alternative routes, see the Fedemac website: www.fedemac.eu.
Best Eurasian haulers of the year The IRU Permanent Delegation to Eurasia has called on Eurasian transport companies to submit entries to its tenth annual contest for Best Eurasian Road Transport Operator, jointly organised with the IRU Liaison Committee to Eurasia, the CIS Coordinating Transport Conference (CIS CTC) and IRU national Member Associations. The contest helps draw public attention to the crucial role of road transport in the economy by promoting and rewarding the
implementation of innovative technologies, best management practices and corporate social responsibility of Eurasian transport companies operating in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The 2012 contest winners will be announced at the IRU General Assembly to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, this November.
End of magnetic strip cards on Spanish motorways The Spanish Abertis Group intends to stop accepting magnetic strip credit cards as of Tuesday 1st January 2013. After this date, credit cards will be accepted for toll payment on only a few motorways. BAR Affiliate DKV is offering BAR Members exclusive special discounts (of up to 50%) and benefits for its DKV Box which is fully compliant with both the Spanish and French motorway toll systems, allowing access to the T lanes. For more information or to order the DKV Box, email info-uk@dkv-euroservice.com
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German toll applies to new roads A truck toll is now in operation on 1,135 kilometres of four-lane federal trunk roads built similar to motorways and connected to the German autobahn network. This toll applies to trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 12 tonnes or more. A preliminary list showing federal roads that will be subject to the truck toll in future is available on the website of the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG). Toll Collect, the toll operator in Germany, is responsible for implementing the truck toll on federal roads. Over the past few months, the company established the technical and organizational conditions for the scheduled start.
French HGV park closes Because of construction work in Vidauban Sud (A8) Service Area, the HGV parking area will be closed for renovation work from July 2012 to January 2013.
Faster customs control in Serbia Representatives of the Serbian Customs Administration have announced that Serbia could well be the first country in the region to implement TIR-EPD Green Lanes, which will contribute to trade and transit facilitation by road transport across the Balkan Region. The first border crossing point to benefit from TIR-EPD Green Lanes is expected to be the border crossing point of Gradina at the Bulgarian border. TIR-EPD Green Lanes are dedicated lanes on both sides of a border crossing point. The transmission of electronic pre-declarations allows customs authorities to assess risks and determine in advance which truck should be subject to a specific control. TIR trucks permitted by customs to use TIREPD Green Lanes will only be subject to the scanning and stamping of their TIR Carnet, thus enjoying very speedy customs control allowing for a massive reduction of border waiting times and transport costs.
European News Industry News
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Features
Brycelands: trade partner of choice for the moving industry
Sonia Murdoch and Paul Loffler of Brycelands Removal Services.
Earlier this year BAR welcomed Brycelands as a new Member. R&S spoke to Sonia Murdoch, European and Operations Manager at the company, about Brycelands’ 50 years in the moving industry and its fast growing trade business.
Over the last 50 years, Brycelands has become not only one of Hertfordshire’s best-known moving companies in its own right but also an established trade partner to the rest of the industry, with a wellearned reputation for efficiency and professionalism. The Gravely-based company was founded by Bill Bryceland and is now run by an experienced team that includes Sonia Murdoch, Paul Loffler in Marketing and Sales, and Operations Co-ordinator Dave Smith, all of whom have over 30 years of expertise in the moving business. Sonia explains that Brycelands has gradually 46
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evolved into a trade partner of choice for international movers. Although about 25% of the company’s business still comes from its own local domestic moves, the remaining 75% is now dedicated to Brycelands’ work on the trade side. Sonia says that BAR membership is crucial in this line of business. “We’ve already found that being a Member of BAR definitely makes our trade customers more comfortable with using our service,” she says. “Belonging to a recognised industry association is essential, both in domestic moving and in trade moves, as it assures people that they will be receiving a professional service from us. It’s a guarantee of quality.” Brycelands, which is based just off the A1 in Hertfordshire, now has a fleet of some 25 vehicles, covering the full spectrum from packing vans to road trains. Some vehicles are liveried in trade partners’ colours, the rest are plain, so that Brycelands can carry out its trade work without running into branding conflicts with its customers. Likewise, the company’s staff use various uniforms, depending on the client, and Brycelands carries a varied stock of packing materials which can be plain or branded with the client’s name. The cost of these materials has risen significantly this
year, Sonia notes. “One of the main problems for us recently, and I expect for many other people in the business, has been that material prices such as the cost of cardboard are going up rapidly, as well as fuel prices,” she says. Brycelands are regular users of BAR Services products and appreciate the company’s objective in keeping prices as low as possible for high quality packaging. Despite the pressure on margins, the company’s customer base has expanded this year, which Sonia believes is testimony to Brycelands’ excellent reputation in the industry.
Features
High standards and new technologies As well as implementing the removals-specific standards, Brycelands has also chosen to be certified for international quality standard ISO 9001, and is continuously investing in new technologies and
software. Sonia says that information technology has made the company’s internal procedures much more efficient, freeing up time for management to focus on growing the business and optimising our service standard. Of course, the growth that Brycelands is enjoying has come during one of the most difficult competitive environments in the industry in living memory, and without any help from government. “Legislation hasn’t helped us at all, and in fact has only made life harder,” Sonia says. “For example, to make our fleet compliant with the Low Emission Zone in London implied a major outlay for us. The financial impact of the LEZ has been quite significant; it’s not really an option to have non-compliant vehicles.” Unsurprisingly, Sonia is a strong advocate of making the criteria for BAR membership more demanding, and she supports BAR’s moves in this direction. “I believe it will be very positive for the industry if all Members have to adhere to a much tougher group of standards,” she says. “Stricter membership criteria will really demonstrate to our customers that all BAR Members are reputable organisations. Brycelands has joined BAR to show that we are a professional, serious company, as well as to build our network in the industry. So I think it’s only fair that all the other Members of the Association should aspire to meet the very highest standards. It will be positive for all of us in BAR.”
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Belonging to a recognised industry association is essential, both in domestic moving and in trade moves, as it assures people that they will be receiving a professional service from us. It’s a guarantee of quality.”
Brycelands
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“We don’t advertise, so nearly all of our trade business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations,” she says. “We have worked very hard at maintaining a high level of quality in our operations, and the growth in our customer base shows that that is paying off for us.” Overseas runs are operated throughout Europe on a dedicated or part-load basis and storage, whether long term or transit is accommodated in their warehouse facility utilising standard trade storage boxes.
Jacks Hill, Great North Road, Graveley, Hertfordshire SG4 7EQ Tel: 01462 675555 www.brycelandsremovalservices.co.uk
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Features
Catalytic converter thieves target removal companies If you haven’t been the victim of catalytic converter theft, chances are that, if you don’t take the right precautions, you will be before long.
How to protect yourself from theft There are preventative measures that transport companies, and also individual motorists, can take to reduce the risk of theft. Apart from general measures, such as parking in well-lit areas, organisations such as the AA also recommend marking the metal shell of the converter with a unique mark, so that if it is removed by thieves it will be easier to trace back to your vehicle. Perhaps the most effective deterrent is to secure the catalytic converter onto the chassis of the vehicle using steel cables and shear nuts, so that thieves cannot unbolt the device. There are several such
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Gary Wheadon, speaking at the BAR Conference held at Windsor
systems on the market, and they normally come with security markings, making the vehicle less attractive to thieves. “My understanding is that if thieves see this, they will give up instantly,” Gary says. “The cables are almost impossible to cut through, and the police recommend them highly. In fact, two of the vehicles that share the garage we use suffered the same fate only a few weeks later as their replacement catalytic converters did not have the locks fitted.” Notifying your insurer If the worst does come to pass, catalytic converter theft may be covered by a remover’s Motor Fleet Insurance. Most fleet insurances are written on a ‘market value basis’, according to Greg Wildman, Director at Basil Fry & Company, BAR’s other Insurance Partner. Some insurers, mainly fringe underwriters, may be reticent to provide a full indemnity based upon items that have been added to vehicles of which catalytic converters are one. Greg continues “It is important to remind your brokers at the renewal stage or preferably when the converter is fitted that the market value of the vehicle needs to be changed to take this into account.” In the event of a claim underwriters are more likely to entertain this addition if they have been pre-warned of the value and due consideration has been made. Reason Global’s Loraine Dicksee also advises: “Motor Fleet insurers take varying approaches to the question of theft of catalytic converters. As a rule of thumb, if your vehicle has been changed in any way
from the original manufacturer’s specification – which would include, for example, adding a catalytic converter or upgrading it from the original – you would be well advised to notify your insurer who can then advise you of their stance on the matter of theft of these items.”
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The original view was that these thefts would be restricted to the London area because of the new LEZ Regulations, but recent claims have involved companies based in Manchester and Northumberland as well.
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BAR Vice President Gary Wheadon runs South London-based removals firm D Sully and Son and knows only too well how professional gangs of catalytic converter thieves can be. “The security cameras caught the thieves entering the garage at 21:15,” he says. “At 21:17 they were walking back holding the catalytic converters from six vehicles, including mine. They had opened the bonnets and undid the bolts in two minutes flat. They were like a Formula One pit stop team.” The thieves are stealing the converters for their scrap value, and this is not only in crime hot spot areas. Metal prices have soared in recent years – which is why, for example, so much lead is being stolen from church roofing across the country – and catalytic converters contain some of the most precious metals of all: platinum, palladium and rhodium. In fact, it is these metals that do the job of the catalyst, increasing the rate of the chemical reactions that oxidise or remove oxygen from exhaust gases. According to the AA, taller vehicles are particularly vulnerable to this type of theft as the converters are more accessible to thieves as they sit higher from the ground. And, as they tend to have larger engines, they contain more of the precious metals too. Each stolen catalytic converter can be sold to a scrap metal dealer for between £50 and £200 depending on the size, and cost around £1,000 to replace, depending on the vehicle. Removal companies are particularly vulnerable to these organised gangs, because their large fleets of vehicles make them more appealing targets. Lorraine Dicksee, General Manager at Reason Global – one of BAR’s two Partners for Insurance, told R&S: “We have seen a rise in claims from our own clients and, talking to our panel of major insurers such as Aviva, they are saying the same thing. Interestingly, the original view was that these thefts would be restricted to the London area because of the new LEZ Regulations, but recent claims have involved companies based in Manchester and Northumberland as well.”
Lorraine Dicksee, Reason Global
Features
Energy management: the way forward Businesses should be implementing energy management policies rather than just looking for the latest energy saving technology. Wellers Accountants and their cost reduction consultant partners Auditel have been looking at energy management and solutions for their clients and summarise here the key factors for a successful approach. There are various ways of optimising the procurement of energy but this can be seen as simply mitigating the inevitable rise in energy costs. The only way to achieve sustainable cost savings is by using less energy, not as a one off but as part of an energy management strategy. Before exploring the ways to become energy efficient it is vital to understand the drivers behind it as this may lead you to different outcomes. What is behind your decision: are you embracing energy management to reduce cost and hence increase profit, or are there ecological drivers and the good public relations which comes with that approach? It may even be to comply with specific industry legislation or customer requirements. Whatever the driving force, successful energy management does not just happen. It needs commitment, planning, implementation and sustained effort.
Funding Another area to consider is funding, how the project will be paid for and indeed whether it will pay for itself over the longer term. Is it to be self-financed, loan, investor-funded, grants, FIT, RHI? The list goes on and is dependent on industry, location and project type, amongst many other factors. There are also tax incentives for energy efficiency capital costs. As you can see, specialist help is needed to pull all these areas together and highlight the best energy management strategy, as every organisation has different needs. Energy efficiency and energy management is not a one size fits all solution. What works for one is not always the best use of resources for another.
A solid starting point is to instil a culture of energy efficiency within the workplace and make sure everything is turned off when it is not in use. Sounds simple enough but this alone will save money, resources and quite possibly an expensive mistake further down the road.
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Before exploring the ways to become energy efficient it is vital to understand the drivers behind it as this may lead you to different outcomes.
Wellers Accountants
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Factors in successful energy management • Developing an Energy Policy and Strategy • Energy Audit • Monitoring Metering and Targeting (anything from installing a smart meter to a full BMS – building management system) • Installing a culture of energy effi ciency within all staff, visitors, contractors etc • Lighting • Voltage Optimisation • Boiler optimisation • Stratifi cation • I.T. Server and monitor optimisation • Controls (heating, lighting) – temperature zones, lighting zones.
Identifying the ‘quick wins’ Before you invest in expensive new plant and equipment it should be understood what the ‘quick wins’ are, as these will have an effect on the ROI (return on investment) of a project further downstream. Why spend money on LED re-lamping before you understand which lighting areas are in most need of this new technology? You may fi nd equal savings by getting staff to switch off lighting circuits when not in use or putting timers in place. These types of cultural changes will in turn change the ROI of an LED re-lamping project. If improving green credentials is the driver, how will you publicise this to the wider world upon successful implementation and indeed prove your case? The old adage ‘If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it’ has never been truer than in energy efficiency.
For more information, please contact Wellers Accountants, www.wellersaccountants.co.uk.
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Features
Anna and Pino Giovaruscio owners of Giovaruscio C. Transport
Leo Pedone, Managing Director of the London branch of Giovaruscio C. Transport
Italian Style: Giovaruscio C. Transport Leo Pedone (pictured above right), Managing Director of the London branch of Giovaruscio C. Transport, talks to R&S about the niche moving services of the company, which specialises in trade moving between Italy and the UK and beyond.
Full service for relocation providers The company has grown steadily since Celestino Giovaruscio established it in Rome in 1985 as a small family business. Its fleet now encompasses some 20 vehicles, ranging from 1.5 tonnes all the way through to 7.5 tonners and fi ve road trains, as well as all the usual ancillary equipment. It expanded to Milan, Italy’s business capital, in 2004, and now employs around 60 people in its offices and warehouses in London, Rome and Milan. The warehouse in London is strategically positioned within easy reach of the M4 and M25, and the North and South Circular, as well as the cargo area of Heathrow Airport. In total, the warehouse in London covers an area of 600 square metres, with 400 cubic metres of containerised storage. The Rome office and warehouse are also close to Fiumicino Airport and the motorway network. This is Giovaruscio’s largest operation, and includes 1500 cubic metres of containerised storage. Meanwhile, the depot just to the north of Milan has 800 cubic metres of storage. All told, that means that the company has total combined storage capacity equal to 2700 cubic metres, using both wooden storage boxes and 20-ft steel containers. 50
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The Milan and Rome depots are also home to a carpentry workshop for production of custom made wooden crates, providing additional protection for valuable or fragile items. Where trade clients cannot supply their own packaging, Giovaruscio provides a full range of high quality materials. As these are non-branded, they can be specially printed with the client’s own logo. This is in line with the company’s general strategy; all its vehicles are plain white, with no logos or advertising banners. The company does not work for private customers. Its main clients are the large relocation providers in the UK and the rest of Europe, Leo explains. “It’s an increasingly competitive market”, he adds. “A lot of companies who used to specialise in domestic and national removals in the UK and Italy are now trying their hand at European work, as the local market is so slow and is very saturated,” he says. “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in competition from companies who have the staff and the vehicles and are often charging rates that are not in line with our tariffs, making it a lot more difficult for us. We offer a service where our trucks leave Rome and London on a weekly basis, empty or full, because this is what our customers have come to expect.” “On top of the pressure on what we charge,” says Leo, “all our other costs have gone up, including fuels, materials and wages! But we will hopefully stay on top. There will be a natural selection process as I think there are too many companies with not enough work. Giovaruscio Transport has been around a long time and we are specialists at what we do.” Leo himself has been in the industry since 1986, working his way up into management from packing and driving positions. As a veteran of the last recession, he believes it is a bad idea for removal companies to cut their prices; “pricing pressure is the main problem right now in the industry, and it will take forever to recover prices and recover margins in the future.” It is not only the UK that is feeling the pinch. The
Italian economy is also contracting and undergoing severe austerity measures, and Leo says that this has had a clear impact on Giovaruscio’s business. “We are moving people away from Italy to the rest of the world, but we are not taking many people to Italy right now,” he says. “Our corporate clients are rethinking their strategies. Rather than moving a staff member to Italy, they seem to prefer to employ an Italian, which is a cheaper and more cautious option given the current situation.” Leo says he is looking forward to working with other BAR Members who want to use the services of a specialist, high quality firm for their work in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. “We don’t advertise, so most of our work comes from word of mouth,” he says. “We are well known in the trade and in our niche and we hope that joining BAR will help us offer our services to a new range of BAR Members.”
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We offer a service where our trucks leave Rome and London on a weekly basis, empty or full, because this is what our customers have come to expect.
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Giovaruscio C. Transport has been working with a small band of BAR Members since shortly after it was established in the 1980s, and has seen its profi le rise steadily in the UK, especially after setting up its London branch in 2003. For Leo Pedone, who runs the company’s Londonbased operations, joining BAR is likely to increase the visibility of the company’s trade services, especially its weekly part- load service from Rome and Milan to the rest of Europe. Giovaruscio’s area of coverage currently includes the whole of the UK, Italy (including the islands), France, Switzerland, Germany and the Benelux countries. It is also introducing a new part-load service to southern France, Spain and Portugal.
Leo Pedone, Giovaruscio C. Transport.
Giovaruscio C. Transport Tel: +44(0)20 84596600 www.giovaruscio.com
BAR News Features
Affiliate Profile: O’Neil Software O’Neil Software has been providing services to the removals and storage industry for over 30 years. As many BAR Members diversify into records storage and management, O’Neil is on hand to help them develop new revenue streams with its state-of-the-art software.
Subscription Pricing to help companies get started O’Neil Software now offers a Subscription Pricing package to provide companies with all the tools they need to operate successfully: the complete RS-SQL software (including internet access via RSWeb.NET); unlimited standard user licenses; unlimited web user licenses; unlimited networking; unlimited classroom
training; unlimited Technical Support; all software upgrades; free ‘How To’ guides; full access to O’Neil’s website and resource centre; and 1,000 industrydurable barcode labels, with an unprecedented 20 year warranty. This is, in fact, the same package that the million box record centres use around the globe, yet priced for removals and storage companies to get a foot in the profitable records storage and management industry. As the company’s business grows, O’Neil’s Subscription Pricing scales to accommodate their size. “Removals and storage companies looking to expand into records storage and management can add 40-65% on top of their moving and storage fees to their bottom line,” Grant says. Subscription Pricing enables removals and storage companies to benefit from the record centre software in an economical and unlimited way: “Companies simply report the pricing tier they are on at the end of each month and pay the fixed monthly fee for that tier. No extra charges!” Readers of R&S will know that O’Neil Software also recently bridged the gap between on-site and off-site records through its RMBridge™ series of web services. These services enable end users to seamlessly and securely manage their corporate records. RMBridge is an Internet-based service that runs on ‘Cloud’ based servers for 24/7 availability, increasing productivity, efficiency and accuracy. For Grant, “Being a BAR Affiliate has given O’Neil Software the opportunity to access and provide assistance to removals and storage companies interested in branching out into records storage and management. We have helped these companies create a new business future by building on what they already have and growing new and established portions of their operations, offering new ways to attract revenue.” O’Neil Software Ltd.
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Companies operating in the removals and storage business often tire of the seasonality associated with their business. As a result, our clients from this industry have looked at the many components of their industry to create a new business future by building on what they already have: a warehouse with available space; equipment; staff; vehicles; computers and a customer base.
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O’Neil Software supports removals and storage companies’ expansion into records storage and management, a growth sector which can produce consistent, long-term recurring revenue. O’Neil provides all the tools necessary to run their facility and automatically captures all record centre activities. Its record storage solutions are designed to increase productivity, ensure total accuracy and control, as well as enhance customer service levels. The company has set the standard in the records storage and management business for more than 30 years, with over 1,000 installations in more than 80 countries. It is The First Choice of Record Centres Worldwide, ranging from start-ups to multi-nationals. Grant Jewsbury, European Business Manager for O’Neil explains how many of their removals and storage client companies have evolved their services by adding a records storage and management function. “Companies operating in the removals and storage business often tire of the seasonality associated with their business. As pricing has become more and more competitive every year, they’ve found themselves with smaller profit margins. Additionally, many have been hit hard by the current, on-going recession. As a result, our clients from this industry have looked at the many components of their industry to create a new business future by building on what they already have: a warehouse with available space; equipment; staff; vehicles; computers and a customer base. So, they have expanded into records storage and management, a natural link to their existing business, using O’Neil’s software to attract new and more revenue.” Grant says that the company’s customers enjoy having the scalability of a system that grows along with their business. O’Neil has no hidden fees, usage charges or stripped down or outdated software versions requiring add-on modules. O’Neil also invests millions of dollars in research and development each year to continuously update and enhance its core products (the leading commercial record centre software, RS-SQL®, RSMobile® and RSWeb®.NET). These products are backed by a service and support structure that consists of expert staff, who have decades of record centre experience. And they are always within reach, with three ‘around the world’ office locations (USA, UK and Australia) covering all time zones, while 98% of all service and support calls are answered by a real ‘live’ O’Neil support staff member, with no waiting.
Grant Jewsbury, European Business Manager for O’Neil
6 Joplin Court, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8, OJP, United Kingdom Tel: {44} 1908 635320 Fax: {44} 1908 635328 Web: www.oneilsoft.com Sales: eusales@oneilsoft.com Support: eusupport@oneilsoft.com September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Diary BAR Features Dates News
Diary Dates
Do you have any Diary Dates?
BOARD, COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2012
E-mail them to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
Board of Directors December 5 2012
To view diary dates/events, please log into ‘MyBAR’ and click on the Calendar/Events and BAR Calendar tabs where you can view full details including time, date, location and agendas (when available).
National Council October 9 2012
To view area minutes, please log into ‘MyBAR’ and click on the BAR Areas tab and then one of the 16 areas listed. Minutes from past 2012 area meetings can be viewed and downloaded (where available).
Overseas Group Council October 3 2012 CMG Council October 11 2012
North West Area Contact: Annette Harris 0161 6534455 annette.harris@anglopacific.co.uk September 13 - The Windmill 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start
Western Area Contact: Ria Russell 01278 447099 ria@britannialanesofsomerset.co.uk November 13 - Brent Knoll Somerset, TA9 4HL
Northern Ireland Area Contact: Dominic Murray 02890 748588 Dominicmurray@coastways -storage.com
West Midlands Area Contact: Sarah Pargeter 01384 377786 spargeter@fox-moving.com September 17
Scotland Area Contact: Georgina Berry 0151 502220 georginaberry@btinternet.com September 11 - Hilcroft Hotel Lunch - 12.30pm Meeting -13.00pm
Yorkshire Area Contact: Graham Puddephatt 0845 6021775 GrahamPuddephatt@reasoninsurance.com September 20 - Boothferry Golf Club Goole, East Yorkshire DN12 7NG
BAR AREA MEETINGS 2012 East Anglia Area Contact: Gary Beattie 01767 312869 gary@clarkandrose.co.uk September 11 East Met Area Contact: Paul Freeman 0800 413335 nealesremovals@btconnect.com East Midlands Area Contact: Andy Wade 01476 579210 andy@fnworldwide.com Kent Area Contact: Tom Bourne 01797 228000 tomb@uts-bournes.co.uk New Met Area Contact: Julie Thompson 01932 410100 Julie@luxfords.co.uk March 12 2013 - AGM Novotel Hotel, Heathrow Northern Area Contact: Alan Hoggin 0191 5491194 alan@harkersremovers.co.uk September 19
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Southern Area Contact: Peter Doman 01372 385985 peterd@basilfry.co.uk South Wales Area Contact: Andrew Robbins 01792 584229 amr@britanniarobbins.co.uk South Western Area Contact: Sue Christophers 01637 872529 sue@mjchristophers.co.uk September 18 - The Ley Arms Devon, EX6 PUW Meeting -14.00pm Sussex Area Contact: Miranda Hyder 01342 870087 Miranda@barservices.co.uk
Features
Competition Submit a seasonal story for R&S Magazine and get your picture FREE on the front cover!
Do you have a special story for Christmas or New Year to share with our readers? Submit your story and pictures to us and the best will win the front cover of the December issue and story.
Email entries to sandra@rubiconmarketing.net by 30th October September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Industry BARLetters News
Setting the record straight on dispute resolution I very rarely write letters regarding industry issues (if ever) but having read an article in The Mover Magazine (issue 17 August 2012) regarding Steele and Co., I thought a bit of balance should be brought to the attention of members. It has been the topic of conversation between some of my colleagues and it appears that “having a go” at the BAR for no particular reason is the agenda for some people. It is hard to see what the BAR has actually done wrong? The BAR obviously upheld the defence case for Steele and Co. whatever is said in the article, be it partially or otherwise. How do I know this?? Well the BAR arbitrator he is talking about, is NOT BAR at all. The arbitrator is in fact independent, the client can only go to arbitration if the BAR has not resolved the matter to the satisfaction of one side or the other (and although it is not mentioned in the article who referred it to the Arbitrator the inference is that the
I have always admired the quality and balance of Steve Jordan’s journalism and editing, and thus was surprised to read in the most recent edition of The Mover, which some members may have seen, an article alleging that the BAR had badly let down a member in a customer dispute due to the way in which an arbitration had been conducted. It was dramatised with a rubber stamp with the word “Failed” in red letters an inch high. Our Code of Conduct provides that, where the BAR mediates fairly in favour of a member in a customer
client did), by definition meaning the BAR supported the member rather than the client. Please take time to read your own terms and conditions in particular the section as follows off the standard terms: 14. Disputes
If there is a dispute arising from this Agreement, which cannot be resolved, either party may refer it to the Conciliation Service provided by the British Association of Removers (BAR). If the dispute cannot be settled by this method, it may be referred by either party to the BAR Arbitration Service. Under this scheme, the case will be independently determined by an arbitrator appointed by Independent Dispute Resolution Services Ltd. Recourse to arbitration is subject to certain limits, current details of which are available upon request from BAR, Tel: 01923 699486, Fax: 01923 699481, Conciliation does not prejudice your right to commence court proceedings.
dispute but the customer still persists in their complaint, in order to ensure objectivity and impartiality the matter is then referred to Independent Arbitration. At this point everything passes out of the Association’s hands; it cannot advise or assist the member further – that’s what “Independent Arbitration” means. If the member does not successfully convince the Arbitrator and the customer wins, or if the Arbitrator is unfair, then it is open to the member to appeal. However it is contrary to BAR’s Code to advise or
My views on the BAR are no secret; I like to think that the silent majority recognise and support the work that the Association has done for the members, especially in the last 3 or 4 years. There is a much bigger picture to be seen and I urge all members to take a little bit of time and interest in what their professional association is achieving, in particular with regards to the new membership criteria, marketing drives and free leads for all from the BAR website to name but a few of the initiatives. I ask all members to take a more active role in your Association by attending area meetings, reading the newsletters or using the website. This is not a sales pitch only the words of a frustrated moving company owner who sees the benefit of a strong BAR for all. Chris Smallwood, Britannia Anchor Removals
assist the member in that appeal and so if the member needs advice or assistance at that point then they should consult a professional adviser not the Association. In the case of this article, while I have every sympathy for the member who lost their case at arbitration and didn’t get their appeal in on time, was it fair on the BAR to say it “failed” its member merely by following its own Code of Conduct? I think not. Jonathan Hood (Past BAR President) Group Managing Director, Cadogan Tate Group
Competition In Honour of our Tour de France Triumph!
We’re celebrating our cycling success with a competition dedicated to the Tour de France. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
Who won the 2012 Tour de France? How many stages has Mark Cavendish won at the Tour de France? Who has won the most Tour de France stages? Who was the last French winner of the Tour de France, and when? Where did Tom Simpson die in 1967? How often has the Tour de France visited Corsica? What was the winning margin in the 1989 Tour de France? Where will the 2013 Tour de France start?
Usual rules apply and one of the winning entries will win a free quarter page advert in a future R&S. Don’t delay! Send in your answers now to rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com Deadline for entries: 15 September 2012. The answers to the Diamond Jubilee competition were: 1) Kenya; 2) Treetops; 3) Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay; 4)1992; 5) Queen Victoria; 6) September 2015; 7) Peter Phillips; 8) Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph; 9) Greenwich; 10) 2024 There were no entries with the 10 correct answers.
Watch this space for the London 2012 quiz in October, commemorating all things Olympian! 54
Removals & Storage September 2012
Industry News
The Professional Advisers Panel is a brand new initiative specifically designed to offer members extended support across every aspect of their business. This is a development of our highly successful Insurance Broker Panel scheme whereby BAR members receive unlimited support, guidance and advice from qualified specialist companies within the UK. We are constantly
looking at ways to support our membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; businesses; therefore, if this initiative proves to be a success, we will develop the Professional Advisers Panel even further into other relevant areas such as Health & Safety and Environmental services.
For any FREE* independent insurance, financial or legal advice, please contact a BAR Professional Adviser partner.
Insurance Basil Fry & Co Ltd
Reason Global Insurance
Tel: 01372 385 985 Email: broking@basilfry.co.uk Website: www.basilfry.co.uk
Tel: 01273 739961 Email: info@reason-global.com Website: www.reason-global.com
Financial
Legal
Wellers
Backhouse Jones Solicitors
Tel: 0207 630 6665 Email: BAR@wellersaccountants.co.uk Website: www.wellersaccountants.co.uk
Tel: 01254 828 300 Email: enquiries@backhouses.co.uk Website: www.backhousejones.co.uk
in association with September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Trade Memberships Features Services
BAR Memberships September 2012 Registered: The following Members have registered: National & European Group Grays Storage & Removals Ltd Memb No: G071 Unit 1, 23-47 Mare Street Hackney ,London, E8 4RP Tel: 0208 525 2888 web: www. graysstorageandremovals.co.uk Chappells Removals & Storage Memb No: C126 Units 6-9 Trackside Business Centre Abbot Close, Byfleet, KT14 7JN Tel: 01932 344777 web: www. chappellsremovals.co.uk Kerrs Removals Memb No: K026 145 Slateford Road Edinburgh, EH14 1NW Tel: 01314 441465 web: www.kerrsremovals.com Sunnyside Removals UK Ltd and ATN Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Move Farnborough Memb No: S116 The Long Barn, Little Bramshot Farm, Cove Road, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 2RT Tel: 01252 616633 web: www. sunnysideremovals.co.uk
Additional Trading Name Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Shaftesbury an ATN of Thomas Firbank Removals Ltd Memb No: T050 Amendment: Bishops Move East Midlands an ATN of Ballards Removals Ltd has been reinstated Memb No: R023 Resignations: BAR is sorry to lose the membership of the following companies whilst thanking them for their support: National & European Group J Bloomfield & Sons Memb No: B053 Trenchards Memb No: T064 Macdougalls Removals & Storage and ATN Scottish Removal Services Memb No: M083 Commercial Moving Group Stephens Removals Memb No: S052 Robinsons Relocation Ltd Memb No: R001
Commercial Moving Group
Additional Trading Names
BHL Removers & Packer Memb No: B003
Britannia Greers an ATN of Greers of Elgin Ltd Memb No: G044
Merit Office Installations Ltd Memb No: M101 S Dell & Sons Ltd Memb No: D012 Applications: BAR has received the following applications for:
Peppers Removals of Loughborough an ATN of B E Webbe Removals (Derby) Ltd Memb No: W014 International Associate AGS Frasers International Ltd Memb No: F401
Any Member wishing to make any comment regarding an application should do so in writing to BAR Head Office within 21 days of receipt of this notification. Details of membership applications in process may also be found on the BAR website: www.bar.co.uk
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Do you have any news to share with R&S readers? Send to: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com
Features Trade Services Channel Islands
Ireland
Weekly Service between Ireland
EASYMOVES and UK & UK and Ireland
Memb No:E309
Part Load Specilaists with Competitive rates and fastest times available Tel:00353 9066 23457 or Freephone UK on 0800 3284984 or Ireland on 1850 35 75 75 Email:info@easymoves.net
YOU R MOVE IN SAFE HANDS
Isle of Man
France
Scotland/Europe Scotland and Islands
SHETLAND ISLES IAN F REID Removals & Storage
Units 5&6, Lower Blackhill Ind. Estate, Lerwick, ZE1 ODG
Regular nationwide service Tel: 01595 696268 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 01595 693515 Email: mail@ianreidremovals.com
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Trade Services Switzerland
Europe
Germany and Austria
Austria
WH HUMPHREY & SON LTD
Weekly Groupage Service Full origin and destination services available. German speaking staff Contact Darrel or Justin Tel: 0208 144 0734 • Fax: 0844 770 7111 Email: Darrelb@humphreys-moving.com Italy
We offer Trade storage at competitive rates. Undercover Loading & Unloading Flexible hours £6.00 p/w no handling charge www.trekremovals.com
sales@trekremovals.com
Tel: 0800 1389242 or 01708 552981 Greece
GREECE by Road &ITALY EN ROUTE • • • •
7 day transit time Twice-monthly departures British Crews & Professional Service Highly recommended in Greece
00 44 1733 311 561 | enquiries@nomad.eu.com
www.nomad-international.com
TRADE ROUTES TO -AND OF COURSE
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ITALY
• Regular runs to all areas • Full or part loads • Receiving depot 10mins from M25 J5 ...or we collect • All deliveries and collections carried out by our own crews Phone Paul for advice and genuine delivery/collection times
paul@bearsbyremovals.co.uk
FRANCE ENROUTE 01732 358900 ‘WHEN SERVICE MATTERS’
Removals & Storage September 2012
Trade Services Europe
Cyprus and Malta
Spain
Purely The Balearics, No Bull!
Weekly Scheduled Service, Containerised Storage Depots Holder of Spanish Transport Licence for our Tranship vehicles Unrivaled Infrastructure in Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza Excellent Rates, Payment in Euros or GBP accepted UK Office: 01843 585055, sales@webbsremovals.com Mallorca Office: 0034 971 693566, webbs@spain.cc Trade website: www.william-worldwide-webb.com
WEEKLY
MALLORCA MENORCA MAINLAND SPAIN FRANCE
Scandinavia
REGULAR
France - Spain - Portugal - Italy
Weekly Service for the Trade. Call now for best rates Depots in Preston, Chester, Alicante, Malaga
PRESTON 01772 651570
Email: info@moversint.co.uk Web: www.moversint.co.uk
IBIZA PORTUGAL CYPRUS NORWAY
Cyprus
TEL: 01202 576514 FAX: 01202 574011
Memb No: W001
spain@whiteandcompany.co.uk www.whitesmovingandstorage.com
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Trade Services India
Germany
South Africa
Brazil
China
Singapore
United Arab Emirates
Israel Qatar
Caribbean
Web Banner Offer for Display Advertising Advertise in Display for 5 or more issues of Removals & Storage magazine and get a free static banner on the BAR website with a direct link to your own website.
Call Sandra on 0117 957 5400 for details 60
Removals & Storage September 2012
Trade Services Worldwide
BOOK A DISPLAY ADVERT
1/4 Page from just
£270+VAT PER ISSUE
1/2 Page from just
£435+VAT PER ISSUE
Full Page from just
£710+VAT PER ISSUE
call Sandra Zealand on:
0117 957 5400
or email: sandra@rubiconmarketing.net
Training
G&R Advert 60x60mm:Layout 1 Piano Specialists
NO NEED TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE FOR YOUR TRAINING OPERATIVE TRAINING THAT COMES TO YOUR FRONT DOOR
PACKING • MANUAL HANDLING • EXPORT WRAPPING VEHICLE LOADING • CONTAINER LOADING
REMOVAL SPECIFIC HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING ON SITE
HEALTH & SAFETY POLICIES • HEALTH & SAFETY ASSESSMENT • ACCIDENT CONTROL • FIRST AID RISK ASSESSMENT • HSE COMPLIANCE
20/10/08
16 Trade Storage
THE PIANO SPECIALISTS A family run business, Est. in 1968.
LOCAL MOVING • WORLDWIDE SHIPPING WEEKLY EUROPEAN SERVICE Recommended by the worlds finest piano manufacturers, auctioneers, music colleges & academies.
Mem. No G005
Call BARTS on 01923 699484 or email training@bar.co.uk
100 BOLLO LANE, CHISWICK, LONDON W4 5LX Tel: +44 (0) 20 8994 9733 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8995 0855
Trailer Hire
Warehouse Containers
Email: info@gandrremovals.co.uk www.gandrremovals.co.uk
Space to to Hire Hire
This space is is This space available just availablefrom from just £33 £33 per per month month
September 2012 Removals & Storage
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Classifi Features eds Opportunities
For Sale Removals, Storage & Shipping Business for Sale (West London based) Fantastic opportunity to acquire a well established business.Specializes in Domestic, Overseas & car shipping world wide Excellent staff, 6 vehicles, good storage revenue, turnover in excess of ÂŁ850k/pa Sale due to moving abroad. Contact: 079 0934 8328 For Sale
Are You Looking To Sell? We are looking to buy good quality household moving and storage companies in London and the home counties. Please call 07933 123 123 in full confidence for a quick decision.
Removals & Storage Business for Sale (East Midlands based) Well established removals and storage business for sale in ideal location.Large, secure premises. Excellent storage business with ample room for expansion. Removals business throughout UK and overseas. Sale due to retirement.
Make the most of this space
Call 01461 758223 or 07845111243
Use this space for Business for Sales, Vechicles for Sale and Job Vacancies.
For Sale: Cheshire Business A. Houghton Removals began in 1926 and has been in the family ever since. Due to retirement the current owner is no longer able to maintain the business. Call 0161 480 3434, email: info@ahoughtonremovals.co.uk www.houghtonremovals.co.uk
Call Sandra on 0117 957 5400 for details
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your magazine! If you have any news or comments about your business, the economy, and the industry in general, please send in your information, letters or articles. We have now been running R&S Magazine for just over one year and we know some of you, but not all of you! Please let us know if you are not receiving and want to receive our monthly email reminders for submitting ideas, news, comments and events to include in future issues of the magazine, and the deadlines for submissions. While we cannot promise to publish all your news and information, it does help if submissions are received within the copy deadlines. Please also send us your feedback on the content of the magazine and your ideas for new regular sections or other improvements made.
looking forward to hearing from you soon. The editorial Team at r&s e: rands-editorial@analyticamedia.com T: 020 3235 1806
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