Supply Chain entrepreneur launches Baxter Freight

By Freddie Pierce
Supply Chain entrepreneur Ian Baxter has founded Baxter Freight, a new type of freight logistics business bringing a fresh approach to the industry. Ba...

Supply Chain entrepreneur Ian Baxter has founded Baxter Freight, a new type of freight logistics business bringing a fresh approach to the industry.

Baxter built up and successfully ran RH Freight as Managing Director and co-owner from 1995 until its sale in 2011 to Kuehne & Nagel, for more than £60million. Now he has returned to the industry after spending some time away from business, and is looking to rapidly expand Baxter Freight.

He said: “Starting a new company in a traditional industry is a huge challenge but we are determined to follow our instinct by prioritising a progressive working environment to complement our comprehensive service offering.

“The signs are good and we are developing a market position  that employees and clients buy into but we have only just started out on the journey – many challenges and successes are still to come. That’s what is so exciting about this great challenger business”

Company origins

The idea for Baxter Freight originated in April 2013, when Ian spoke to Peter Isler and Steve Rafferty, who had been Sales Director and Finance Director respectively at RH Freight, about embarking on a new venture together.

They recognised some companies were not always well catered for by the freight industry. They felt customers wanted a single point of contact with a one stop shop capable of addressing all their logistics needs, whether domestic, European or international, whether for full loads, groupage shipments, pallets or parcels. They would reach these customers by creating a large customer relationship management team based in one central location. They would serve them by partnering with the best companies from across the market place.

With the company’s offering decided Baxter Freight was established with Ian, Peter and Steve as shareholders and directors. After less than two months of active sales, the company has already won 125 clients with further exciting partnerships in the pipeline.

Baxter Freight’s targets are ambitious but the management team’s track record for commercial development is proven. In particular, they oversaw growth from an annual turnover of £35m to £135m in 15 years at RH Freight, in which time Ian introduced an entirely new management style and a leadership team that transformed the trajectory of the company. RH Freight became a thoroughly modern operation, with a product offering of 32 daily services and a team of 140 account managers handling customer relationships.

Baxter Freight factfile

Based:Nottingham

Members of staff:40 as at 1 April 2014 but planning 100 by mid-2015.

Growth targets:£100m turnover by 2017.

Ethos:Baxter says the business is based on building trust and long term relationships. For more information, visit: www.baxterfreight.com

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