Coll-8 Logistics recorded more than 100,000 declarations on Cyber Monday alone
Logistics company Coll-8 has announced that a surge in business from British retailers has already seen it eclipse its seasonal customs clearance records.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dave Field, has said that Coll-8 was on course to process more than one million such documents in the run-up to Christmas – twice its average across the rest of this year.
He explained that the increase in work had cemented its position as Ireland’s leading customs clearance operator.
Mr Field added that a six-figure investment in IT and a doubling in operational staff numbers meant Coll-8 had no difficulties in accommodating the extra volumes.
“Since launching, we have enjoyed phenomenal growth but have always understood that we cannot afford to stand still.
“In each of the last three years, we have seen strong and consistent growth in the packages which we handle and items which we’re clearing through customs on behalf of clients.
“That has been partly due to how much more efficient the automated declaration system which we created in-house is compared to the methods used by our competitors,
“Even so, we decided to invest further significant sums in systems and personnel to enable us to deal with further anticipated increases in submissions.
“The rise in declarations which we have seen over the last few months has fully justified that approach and cemented our market-leading position as Ireland’s number one independent clearance specialist even before the period when declarations traditionally reach their height.
“By renewing the technology which has allowed us to operate very differently to our rivals means that we are also very confident that we are still some way from realising our full potential.”
Mr Field’s comments follow the publication of figures by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade showing that Ireland had become its fourth biggest export market.
During the 12 months to the end of March, sales to the Republic were worth £85.7 billion – more than France, China and India.
The same data highlighted that the value of all trade across the Irish Sea had risen by 59 per cent since the Brexit vote.
Ireland is especially renowned as one of Europe’s most vibrant e-commerce markets, generating €7.4 billion (£6.5 billion) worth of online orders in 2022.
Coll-8 was launched in 2019 by Mr Field, who had previously co-founded the company which went on to become the Republic’s biggest independent supply chain business.
The following year, Coll-8 announced a partnership to roll out its drop2shop e-commerce delivery and returns platform across Ireland’s largest network of convenience stores owned by BWG Foods.
Mr Field described how drop2shop had witnessed “strong growth” during 2023 with its network of participating premises now numbering more than 500 stores.
Such has been the success of drop2shop and Coll-8’s customs clearance work that the firm has opened a second Dublin depot to cope with extra parcel volumes.
Mr Field explained that Coll-8’s new depot on the Rosemount Business Park was convenient for clients moving goods either by sea via the port of Dublin or by air.
He added that the location was “the perfect complement” for the firm’s existing headquarters at Baldonnell.
In May, the company relocated its UK head office to 15,000 square feet depot on Runcorn’s Manor Park Industrial Estate following a seven-figure investment.
Coll-8 also maintains another site at Tamworth, in Staffordshire, and has enjoyed “unprecedented growth” over the last 18 months, a period during which turnover and the size of its client roster also doubled.
