A freight forwarder in Kent that is renowned for its runs to Greece has further expanded its business after joining the Fortec Distribution Network.
Intersped Logistics (UK) Ltd started life in 1982 in Dartford, Kent, as Intersped Manolesos UK Ltd, concentrating solely on forwarding to destinations all over mainland Greece and the Greek islands.
Owner Ray Murphy started with the company as a 16-year-old accounts assistant and worked his way up to become General Manager before acquiring a minority share of the company in 2004 then complete control in 2011.
Today his team organise around 2,000 shipments a month within the UK and Intersped has expanded its European operations to include Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey and the Republic of Ireland.
They bring ceramics, catering equipment, woodworking machines, wine and go-kart racing equipment from Italy; olives and olive oil from Greece; tiles, pots and furniture from Portugal, among other loads.
Since joining the Fortec Distribution Network in November 2014 Mr Murphy said the already expanding UK delivery side of the business was able to win even more business because of the flexibility of Fortec’s network.
Mr Murphy said: “We can get a vehicle into our depot here in Dartford to unload at 5pm and if we need to deliver the next day in Glasgow we can now do that.
“We selected the Fortec because they seemed to be very down to earth people who we could work with. It’s been a good addition to our business, a value-added service for customers. It has certainly helped us grow.
“Eighty per cent of our distribution in the UK is done by Fortec but it’s such a seamless service that our clients wouldn’t know – they just know that everything gets delivered safely and on time.”
Ironically Intersped has doubled its business with Greece in the past four years of the Greek economic crisis, not because exports and imports are increasing but because some of the country’s own carriers have gone out of business.
Intersped employs 25 people in the UK, has depots in Dartford and Manchester and a fleet of seven vehicles, from artics to sprinter vans which run exclusively in the UK as the company hires vehicles for trips abroad.