Courier company receives a £500,000 boost from SME funding provider
Logistics firm Contact Transport Ltd has received a £500,000 investment boost from Finance Birmingham, a national provider of funding to SMEs. Contact Transport Ltd will use the investment to fund its continuing growth and take on new contracts within the ‘Final Mile’ division – the last leg of a product’s journey in the supply chain before it arrives with a customer. The firm, which has seen a 60% increase in turnover to nearly £20 million over the past 12 months, already works for major clients including Amazon and UPS.
Formed in 1980, Contact Transport began as a local courier business for airline agents, delivering and collecting freight in and around Birmingham Airport. The company added overnight parcel deliveries to its operations in the late 1990s and – with the rise of internet shopping – started working within the ‘Final Mile’ sector over the last decade.
The company now offers a portfolio of services, including contract hire, logistics management, warehousing and haulage, operating up to 400 vehicles per day across the UK and employing 400 staff.
Neil Hughes, managing director at Contact Transport, said: “Finance Birmingham’s funding will enable the company to strengthen its offer by supporting existing jobs in the region, and adding a further eight direct posts – plus many more indirect roles – over the next three years.”
Finance Birmingham manages a £9 million funding programme to support SMEs from all business sectors across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP area.
