GBA Coronavirus – Operations Update: At the time of writing (18th March 2020) we would like to inform our customers that we remain fully operational across all sectors, dedicated to keeping all wheels in motion for our customers through tough conditions across the world.

Our colleagues have the capability to work from home in-line with government advice as we tackle the recent coronavirus outbreak.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, regarding any restrictions that may apply to our customers and sourcing solutions appropriately, as well as keeping up to date with all the latest health guidelines/protocols in-place for the best interest for all. We will update everyone as soon as possible if this situation changes.

We would like to say a big thank you to all our drivers delivering logistics solutions EU-wide every day through a tricky period for all; and are always consistently setting the bar for GBA.

If you have an operational enquiry, please contact sales@gbaservices.com or give us a call on 01772 471701 to see how can deliver logistics solutions for you.

GBA are proud to announce the investment into twenty brand-new trailers from industry-leading bespoke provider, Tiger Trailers.

The order includes 10 quantities of 4.8m Tallboy trailers and 4.2m curtainsiders trailers each, featuring clearspan, pillarless roof designs, designed and built at the Tiger Trailers’ depot in Cheshire.

David J. Birkbeck, GBA Services’ Managing Director/Owner said: “We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Tiger Trailers. They gave us a VIP tour of the factory to see the state-of-the-art facility and high-class standard that goes into making their trailers great and took delivery of our twenty-truck order.”

GBA Fleet Manager, Mark Hailwood, added: “Tiger Trailers has always been accommodating to GBA from the enquiry stage right the way through to delivery. Handling specific complex requirements across two trailer models with ease, we already have six of our 20 trailers fully operational. This further increases our capacity and flexibility to meet our customer’s needs.”

The new 13.6m curtainsider trailers will augment GBA’s existing fleet, blending toughness and durability with flexibility of access while complying with the EN 12642-XL standard for load securing – a vital requirement for operating on today’s roads.

Tiger Trailers provides customers with added value by means of its consultative approach, the expert team of highly skilled designers, coachbuilders, finishers and finance specialists treating each customer as individual with unique requirements to ensure that the entire process from conceptualisation and manufacture through to testing, completion and funding is as tailored and seamless as possible.

Tiger Trailers’ Technical Sales Manager, Tom Stott, said: “We are delighted to have made this first step in a hopefully enduring relationship of contributing to their continued expansion and success as a logistics specialist that provides an impressive portfolio of time-critical, temperature-controlled, hazardous freight and on occasion fascinating high-security solutions throughout Europe.”

For more information on GBA, visit our website here - www.gbaservices.com or contact our sales team on 01772 471701.

The 28th January soon came out of nowhere and we found ourselves celebrating our annual VOICE awards for the third time in a row, this year being held at the Bliss Hotel in sunny Southport!

Our VOICE awards enable us to recognise the hard work and achievements made by our dedicated people; throughout 2019 we asked you to nominate your colleagues if you believed they had gone that extra mile and really deserved to be rewarded for their efforts.

After being inundated with nominations for 2019, we felt it just wasn’t right for only 5 people to be recognised as so many had worked so hard! With that being said, we decided that we needed to recognise more colleagues for going the extra mile, presenting four colleagues with a brand new prize, the Recognising Excellence Award.

All winners received a prize of £500 worth of Electrical Goods or a Spa day for two. We then asked all attendants of the evening to vote for their overall winner of the VOICE Awards. The runner up received an additional night’s stay at the Bliss Hotel, and the overall winner winning a mini break for two where GBA have a depot (Austria, Poland, Portugal, Germany… even Sunny Scunny!)

After the votes on the night (and they were really close!), our runner up was Kellyann Hall, and the overall winner…Tariq Akram!

We would like to say firstly a huge thank you to our winners, as a company it is essential we have colleagues like ours helping GBA to achieve success, it really wouldn’t be possible without them. And of course a huge congratulations to our winners, the awards received were thoroughly deserved.

(From left: Deena Hamilton, Dominika Frejlich, Mel Oates, David J. Birkbeck, Chloe Hall, Tariq Akram, Kellyann Hall, Vasile Tirla)

Full list of Winners below:

- Values - Vasile Tirla

- One GBA - Danny Sansom

- Innovation - Mel Oates

- Customer Excellence - Tariq Akram (Overall Winner)

- Efficiencies - Nick Tissot

Recognising Excellence Award Winners:

- Chloe Hall

- Kellyann Hall

- Dominika Frejlich

- Deena Hamilton

(From Left, Ian Mountford and Danny Sansom)

(From left, Paul Birkbeck, Nick Tissot, David J. Birkbeck)

GBA have launched our first fully electric truck! After completing our younger drivers scheme, Jaxon took his brand new Mercedes Actros for a spin over the Christmas period, with his own personalised registration included!

Great to see he's always delivering service with a smile for our customers! We would like to thank everyone at AST Signs for arranging this custom build on our behalf, making one young driver very happy indeed!

JOB TITLE - Operations Coordinator

LOCATION - Amesbury

SALARY - Competitive

SHIFTS - 4 on 4 off 06:00am-18:00pm

CONTACT - 01772 471 751 or recruit@gbaservices.com

Are you somebody that enjoys a challenge and thrives in finding solutions? Are you a glass half full person where excellent customer service just comes naturally to you? Do you have a background in Logistics? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

GBA Services is a family business, providing logistic solutions for our customers whether that be by road, sea or air. We are currently located in 18 sites throughout the UK and Europe and have seen massive growth over the last year. As a result of this growth we are looking for an Operations Coordinator to join our growing business to-

Help ensure all deliveries are made within the correct timeEnsure each load is monitored and updates are sent to the customers.To assist with customer/driver queries in a helpful, professional mannerWork within a small team providing smooth handovers to and from other team members.

At GBA we pride ourselves on the service we deliver to our internal and external customers, so it is important you have a positive and polite manner along with excellent customer service and communication skills.

Drivers make up a large percentage of our workforce, therefore it is essential you communicate with them effectively and provide clear and concise instructions.

This is an exciting and challenging role and you will need to be able to multitask, prioritise your own workload and communicate in a professional way. We use a range of Microsoft products throughout the business, so a good working knowledge is definitely an advantage.

Culture fit is vital to this role and we are looking for people who share our values, so having a background in Logistics is desirable. In a recent employee engagement survey, when asked “what is it like at GBA” the top three responses were “Challenging”, “Fun” and “Friendly”. If this sounds like you then please get in touch.

Benefits:

Long term career with a stable market leaderCompany PensionHoliday loyalty schemeCompany Health Care SchemeCompany Sick Pay

Company Profile:

GBA Services was established in 1987 and specialises in providing logistics solutions for our customers around the world via road, air and ocean. We provide a range of services including Time Critical, High Security and Refrigerated. Our Enterprising value encourages us to explore opportunities and react quickly. We have recently branched out into providing logistics solutions to the Retail sector and the Aviation sector with the launch of our new division GBA Skyway.

Our Family values are very important to us and at the heart of our company and as we have grown, we have made sure that these remain in our core. GBA is rapidly growing and expanding, with no signs of us slowing down! The future is bright as we continue to invest in our business and our people.

“GBA driving Saracens into the New Year and Beyond”

GBA are delighted to announce a two-year partnership deal with domestic and European rugby champions, Saracens. This is a major opportunity for everyone at GBA, being the first formal sports sponsorship agreement that will see us become the official logistical and courier supplier for the foreseeable future.

As part of the deal with Saracens, who recently had nine players representing England at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, we will supply a range of transport services, always delivering logistics solutions for any of the Club’s needs. This will only improve awareness of both GBA and Saracens, with branding at Allianz Park and the Saracens logos will also be displayed on our GBA vehicles.

Saracens, Chief Executive, Mitesh Velani said: “We are delighted to add GBA Services to our family of commercial partners. Like Saracens, GBA is a progressive, recognised leader in its field that harnesses team spirit to deliver positive results. We are looking forward to developing a mutually rewarding partnership together.”

Ian Mountford, GBA Services, UK Sales & Marketing Director said: “GBA Services is growing year on year with record breaking numbers. We are delighted to join forces with current Premiership and European Champions, Saracens Rugby Club. Partnering with such a successful professional sports organisation which includes several key members of the England World Cup team is a great opportunity to enhance our brand awareness across Europe.”

(From Left: England and Saracens full-back Elliot Daly, GBA Sales & Marketing Director Ian Mountford, GBA Business Development Manager, Danny Sansom, England and Saracens centre Alex Lozowski)

For more information on GBA, visit our website – www.gbaservices.com or contact us on 01772 471701.

Location - Preston, North West

Job Title - Credit Control Manager

Salary - Competitive

Days of Work - 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday 08:30am -17:00pm

Are you somebody that enjoys a challenge and thrives in finding solution’s? Are you a glass half full person where excellent customer service just comes naturally to you? Do you have a background in Credit Control? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

GBA Services is a family business, providing logistic solutions for our customers whether that be by road, sea or air. We are currently located in 18 sites throughout the UK and Europe and have seen massive growth over the last year. As a result of this growth we are looking for an experienced Credit Controller to join our growing business and manage a small team.

You will be responsible for managing all new and existing customer accounts and be an excellent role model in how you look after and liaise with our customers, both internal and external. You will have responsibility for processing payments, arranging payment plans and posting cash receipts. On occasion things may need to be escalated to the County Court and you will be the go-to person who issues proceedings and liaises with solicitors.

This is an exciting, challenging and demanding role and you will need to be able to multitask, prioritise your own workload and communicate effectively. We use a range of Microsoft products throughout the business, so a good working knowledge is an advantage.

Culture fit is vital to this role and we are looking for people who share our values, therefore a formal Credit Control qualification, whilst desirable is not essential. In a recent employee engagement survey, when asked “what is it like at GBA” the top three responses were “Challenging”, “Fun” and “Friendly”. If this sounds like you then please get in touch.

Closing date for applications- Monday 16th December.

Benefits • Long term career with a stable market leader • Holiday loyalty scheme • Healthcare plan • Company Pension Company Sick pay

Company profile -

GBA Services was established in 1987 and specialises in providing logistics solutions for our customers around the world via road, air and sea. We provide a range of services including Time Critical, High Security and Refrigerated. Our Enterprising value encourages us to explore opportunities and react quickly. We have recently branched out into providing logistics solutions to the Retail sector and the Aviation sector with the launch of our new division GBA Skyway.

Our Family values are very important to us and at the heart of our company and as we have grown, we have made sure that these remain in our core. GBA is rapidly growing and expanding, with no signs of us slowing down! The future is bright as we continue to invest in our business and our people.

If you are interested in the role, please send your CV to recruit@gbaservices.com

GBA are delighted to announce a five-year contract to support TUI Airways' UK Engineering distribution requirements, supporting airside deliveries to all their UK Line Stations.

Services will commence early 2020 and will include the provision of storage facilities at Luton Airport. GBA Skyway will be moving into a 9,500 sq. ft. facility located on London Luton Airport before the end of this year in support and preparation for this new contract.

“We are thrilled with the outcome, further strengthening our position as the leading supplier of scheduled Airside services in the UK and Europe, and paves the way for new Aerospace products in our GBA Skyway journey. More exciting announcements to follow.” -Pete Wilkinson, Aerospace Director

GBA Owners and Directors were honoured to be invited to the Houses of Parliament yesterday to participate in the launch of the 2019 Parliamentary Review. The event was hosted by Radio and TV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer, with excellent speeches from Lord Blunkett and our World Cup hat-trick hero, Sir Geoff Hurst.

The Parliamentary Review combines political content with stories from a wide range of organisations who have excelled in their own industries. Every organisation involved had a story that seeks to inspire and challenge all who read them.

GBA are proud to be a part of the Parliamentary Review and used the opportunity to call for the government to take the drastic shortage of truck drivers in the UK more seriously, and also to give business certainty over the never ending Brexit saga. This was another milestone in the exciting GBA story.

(From Left: Chief Operating Officer, Peter Zak, Chairman, David. W. Birkbeck, Managing Director, David. J. Birkbeck)

GBA are proud to announce the recent appointment of Melanie Hill in our brand new role, Head of Customs.

GBA have recently achieved record sales in 2018, achieving a 35% increase on our figures in 2017 and continue to grow in a tough market. A huge challenge to all businesses currently, is the uncertainty regarding Brexit. The nature of our industry entails that we must ensure we are fully compliant with all Customs clearance regulations, how legislation may change post-Brexit, and Melanie Hill will prove vital in solving any issues for our customers.

Melanie has undertaken some key roles within trade compliance and customs matters over the last 20 years, these placements have enabled her to develop not only specific industry experience for all modes of transport, but also a valuable and transferable skill set in this fast-paced sector. Having worked in global positions previously, Melanie has gained Trade and Customs knowledge in many regions across the world which enables her to monitor imports, exports and border activity on a wider scale and add realistic solutions to situations and processes.

"My new role within GBA Services is a very exciting time for me and the GBA team, and I am looking forward to expanding the customs platform and adding immediate and strategic value to the business and its customers. GBA is a fantastic company with an abundance of values and culture which is driven through all that we do." - Melanie Hill, Head of Customs.

"We have sustained our continued growth and impressive financial figures, despite the potential impact of Brexit on our industry. The appointment of Melanie will only further add to our skill set as a business to continue to offer high standard expertise across all markets, ensuring we have the best service in place to always meet our customer’s needs. With 20 years’ experience, this is a key appointment for our business; expanding our Senior Management Team with vast expertise, GBA’s continual investment in our managerial structure furthers our development as a major player in our industry.” - David J Birkbeck, Managing Director.

GBA are proud to announce we will be exhibiting at this year's TransLogistica Poland Event in just under two weeks time, from November 5-7th.

We will have several key members of GBA management in attendance for the event including:

- UK Sales & Marketing Director, Ian Mountford

- Head of Supply Chain, Sam Mortimer

- Key Account Manager, Danny Sansom

The exhibition will be held at EXPO XXI Warsaw, Prądzyńskiego 12/14 Street with over 280 Exhibitors confirmed for the event, this will be a fantastic opportunity for GBA to showcase our expertise against key transport providers.

If you are attending the Exhibition, visit us in Hall 3, stand M24 to see how we can deliver logistics solutions for you!

GBA are proud to have completed over 1000 hours of CPC since January!

This has all been delivered through our very own bespoke programmes, and signed off for delivery by the governing body, Joint Approvals Unit for Periodic Training (JAUPT).

We would like to say a huge thank you especially to our GBA Trainers Brian Byrne, Catherine McCauley and Laura Mulholland.

This could not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of all the line managers, operations teams and our drivers to ensure we are always at our very best, for our customers.

To stay updated on everything, like our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/gbaservicesltd/

Or follow us on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com › company › gba-services-ltd

GBA are proud to announce we are in the 2019 Transport Edition of The Parliamentary Review.

Only 10-15 representatives are included in each edition, with a readership upwards of 500,000 makes it one of the most highly regarded publications of it's kind. This will showcase our business to directors, CEO's and decision makers across the country to help continue our growth as a business.

All representatives who have entered the Parliamentary Review are invited to the annual Gala as a thank you for their entry. Previous speakers at the Parliamentary Review Gala include Tony Blair, Eddie Jones, Jonny Wilkinson and Frank Lampard.

Here is the opening page of our official entry into the Parliamentary Review below.

Wow, what an exciting cycle ride I was anticipating back in September 2018 when I first heard of the opportunity to cycle 1000km across the Rockies of Canada. I was about to start training for my 3rd cycle challenge, raising funds for the Manchester based charity, The Message Trust.

After the initial wow factor had worn off, I began to realise the route would involve climbing some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, potentially using bear spray and setting off in snow or even ice. I began to think about whether I could do it...

I started training by joining Croston Velos and cycling with them twice a week, then doing a longer solo ride at the weekend. My rides with Croston Velos were great as they were really social, always involving a pint at the end! I found that to increase my fitness I would need to go out back to back so not taking a day off between rides, I also had to take advantage of good weather.

Weather was a major obstacle as I found cold damp conditions triggered off asthma, with careful management and setting up a bike on a turbo trainer in our lounge I managed to keep healthy during the winter training.

Loneliness was another obstacle I faced, the long rides can be up to 5 hours, with the only companion angry drivers (!), however I bought some great earphones which let you hear traffic, I could then listen to the radio or podcasts. I also met up to train with my teammates to combat the boredom and loneliness. This also helped with communication, we needed to understand how to communicate from the front of the peloton of 15 cyclists to the back, so these training rides helped us learn how to do that.

The actual event arrived and because I’d trained hard, I found myself fitter than I had been for the previous South Africa and Israel rides, I was still apprehensive though! It was another amazing experience, but Canada is a tough place to cycle - on both day 7 & 8 I broke my record for the amount of height ever gained in a day’s ride. The scenery we cycled through was amazing and although bears had been sighted by other tourists on various days, we didn’t see any which left me both disappointed and relieved!

The ride started on the frozen Lake Louise and finished in heat of Stanley Park, Vancouver and the next day before flying home we went to visit a new Message Trust project in Downtown Eastside. I was extremely shocked as it was like walking into an apocalypse film as this was the area of the city where people with drug addictions from all over Canada were gathered. As we walked the streets, we saw pavements full of homeless people, lots under the influence of drugs, young people with hollowed faces ravaged by years of substance abuse - it is a really dark and hopeless place. It’s into this area that a team of Christian volunteers had chosen to move into to try to bring help and love to the area, I hope in the future to hear of lives rescued from that life, addictions broken. Visiting this project confirmed the reasons I have chosen to help raise funds for The Message Trust as they are involved in lots of projects like this both in the UK and around the world - helping to bring hope in lots of difficult situations.

GBA’s sponsorship was fantastic as it was such a generous amount which gave me a wonderful platform in reaching my personal goal of £10,000 that contributed to the team total of over £190k raised. I also felt proud to have friends and a local business backing me in my challenge so a big thanks to you at GBA for all your support and encouragement.

Regarding plans for another challenge, yes absolutely, despite the pain and commitment involved in the training I would highly recommend a challenge like this as it builds friendships, helps with self-discipline and creates team. My next challenge is cycling across the fjords of Norway in September 2020 - bring it on.

GBA have achieved another accolade by being listed in the Top 100 North West Owner-managed Businesses for 2019 by Business Insider. Ranking at number 59 from the year end of December 2017, GBA continue to showcase our progress in our industry, growth towards our goals and vision for the future.

The full list for the Top 100 North West Owner-Managed Businesses for 2019 can be found in the April Edition 2019 Business Insider Magazine, or through the link HERE.

For more information from Business Insider, click HERE.

GBA took part in Careers and Enterprise Week at All Saints CE Primary School on Monday 17th June. We were given a fantastic opportunity to present to pupils in year’s three to six about how being Enterprising started at GBA 32 years ago from recycling oak barrels to providing transport for agency staff, and in 2019 Enterprise continues to shape our business today as one of our corporate values.

We delivered a presentation on what we do as a business, how we are Enterprising, proving how every pupil has the ability to be Enterprising, even if they didn’t realise they were doing it! We also gave Tips for Success to all pupils which will help with their business plans they’re creating this week and hopefully help guide them through life in the future.

Every pupil from year’s three to six played ‘Business on the Move’, a logistics game similar to Monopoly, travelling over Air, Land and Sea for the pupils to see what it’s like running a business and understand some of the problems that may stand in their way. The team with the highest overall value at the end won their very own Official GBA Toy Truck each! As well as this every pupil who took part received their own GBA goodie bag to take home with them.

We are proud to say that the visit was an overwhelming success! We would like to thank All Saints CE Primary School for the fantastic opportunity, we couldn’t have asked for a better audience for the day and we hope we helped to inspire pupils to always strive to achieve their best in the future.

GBA have been named in the 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2019 Report by the London Stock Exchange Group.

'We are proud to be included in this prestigious list of companies, and to be recognised for our achievements. I want to thank all of GBA’s employees who are dedicated to our customers and to each other. Without the hard work of our people our amazing growth would not have been possible. A special thanks to our awesome drivers who are at the coal-face every day.' - Peter Zak, Chief Operating Officer.

For a full list of the companies included, please follow the link here

GBA Services are delighted to announce we have been selected as finalists in the Business of the Year category for the 2019 BIBAs Awards.

We would like to thank all of our colleagues for their continued hard work in getting our business recognised, making this company special and moving forward together as One GBA to constantly reach new goals.

The full list of finalists can be found here.

Following on from our brand new fridge vans for our Temperature Controlled expertise, we are proud to announce further additions to our fleet.

GBA have invested in 14 right hand drive Mercedes Sprinter panel vans which will be used across our UK national fleet and Skyway division.

We have added 30 left hand drive Mercedes Sprinter panel vans, which will be converted for use in our GBA Europe division and prepared for our high security work across Europe.

As we continue our growth as a business, we continue to expand our fleet to always be dedicated to meeting our customers' needs.

To stay updated with everything GBA, follow us on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/company/gba-services-ltd

Or on Facebook here: https://en-gb.facebook.com/gbaservicesltd/

GBA's latest 3.5 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans have been in operation since last month.

The Carrier Transicold Xarios 350 refrigerated units allows us to maintain pinpoint settings, further developing our Temperature Controlled services; offering long distance, temperature-sensitive transport across the UK and Europe.

GBA have been in partnership with Carrier Transicold for over 10 years and they've never once let us down.

Please see the article in UK Haulier here for more information about our GBA fleet expansion.

To keep updated with everything GBA, follow us on LinkedIn here or on Facebook here

GBA is dedicated to providing the best solutions for our customers, in order to support this our Bespoke in-house training course (PLEASE) offers our employees a full insight into every section of our values and how we can provide the best standard of service to both our internal and external customers.

On April 29th, 17 of our employees, both office staff and drivers, attended the course at Wrightington Hotel, where they learnt about our history, good communication skills and how to strengthen customer relationships. In addition to this, the course has been JAUPT approved to enable drivers to receive 7 hours CPC but it is not just for drivers. It's for everybody in GBA.

Proud of our Business - Proud of our roots, family business founded in 1987.

Listen to our Customers - Focus, Remove distractions, get the whole picture.

Explore Opportunities - GBA Enterprising - Never say no, Dig Deeper.

Attention to Detail - You are GBA to our customer - Look Smart, Deal with enquiries in a professional manner.

Strengthen Customer Relationships - Know your customer - Manners are essential - Do what you say you are going to do.

Exceed Expectations - Treat customers as you would an Invited Guest - "Lots of Little Wows make BIG Wows."

This is the level we train all our staff to operate from, consistently on a daily basis, and always strive to achieve more.

GBA welcomed 45 of our managers to our annual conference themed 'We Are One GBA' held at the Last Drop Village in Bolton in January. In 2016 we launched our 10-year vision for GBA - to be recognised as a 'Top European Logistics Provider', reach the Top 20 companies in Motor Transport, achieve a £200m annual revenue and be established in every major European market.

Our One GBA vision emphasises the importance of employee engagement, as we continue to work together towards the same goals, supporting each other and driving our business forward. Our two day event was packed full with a variety of sessions to help us focus on the year ahead, develop our leadership skills and challenge us to think about how everyone in GBA can influence and support our vision of the future.

Peter Zak (Chief Operating Officer) and Paul Birkbeck (General Manager) took us through our progression, successes and guided us through the next three years at GBA. An essential ingredient in achieving our vision is having the right people, who are living our values, who not only understand and are excited about our future but see where they fit into it. Having people who are motivated and engaged will continue to drive us forward, so our conference explored how we could ensure GBA is a great place to work.

Head of HR, Jane Dawe, led an interactive session where our leaders were challenged to think about how they could directly influence and improve engagement. This was followed up by guest speaker Catherine Proctor, Head of Organisational Development at Together Housing who shared her journey of change over the last five years inside a complicated and fragmented business.

On Day two, we were incredibly lucky to have Olympic Medal-winning gymnast Craig Heap who also shared with us his journey of aiming high and reaching his vision. Who better than an Olympian to lead us into our workshop for setting goals? His overwhelming dedication and advice on setting goals was the perfect setting for introducing one of the core company objectives for this year...

Everyone being a part of the GBA Vision. All employees understand how their activities contribute towards the GBA Vision. With all our managers fully understanding our vision, our three year picture and our focus for the year ahead.

The recently-launched German division of time-critical logistics operator GBA Services has received notification of approval as a carrier of secured air cargo/mail (Bescheid über die Zulassung als Transporteur sicherer Luftfracht / - post), under the newly-strengthened German Aviation Act which takes effect in March.

As a Registered Haulier (in German “zugelassener Transporteur“), GBA Logistics Germany GmbH is now approved for the ground transportation of all air cargo that is secured, working for known consignors and regulated agents.

The German Aviation Act now imposes stricter regulations than those set by the EU, requiring that shippers, freight forwarders and hauliers working on their behalf create a security manual setting out all their procedures. Every company involved in the ground transportation of air cargo in Germany must also appoint a security manager, and provide all drivers with security training as well as conducting background checks.

All hauliers carrying secured cargo must now be approved by Germany’s Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA - Federal Aviation Office), which oversees the implementation of the new regulations and grants operator approvals. The new, stricter regulations take the place of the previously-accepted haulier declaration.

The approval process and ongoing compliance normally require the use of an external consultant, at a cost which is likely to be beyond the reach of smaller operators. However, GBA has its own approved internal trainer and avsec expert, Maik Maertens, who is an accredited LBA Instructor, and is also accredited by LBA and the EU Commission as an independent EU ACC3 Validator.

Says Maertens: “We are delighted to have achieved the distinction of LBA approval at such an early stage in our German operations, having only launched our business in mid-2017.

“For our existing customers as well as freight agents and their customers, GBA can now provide services which not only adhere to the new regulation, but ultimately maintains their secure supply chains and saves them time and money on urgent airfreight shipments”.

GBA operates a large fleet of vehicles in Germany, all of which are TAPA complaint, with electronic locks and seals, anti-hijack devices and GPS tracking. GBA’s Registered Haulier certification is valid for five years.

For more information about this service, please contact maik.maertens@gbaservices.com, call +49 (0) 421 37708896 or click here.

- ENDS -

Time critical logistics operator GBA Services has been named in the Motor Transport Top 100 Operators for the first time in its 30-year history. The company entered at position 82, representing the 2nd highest new entrant this year, and is one of the only time critical operators to be listed in the report. GBA was also ranked 35th for Growth in Turnover after the company achieved a 8.93% rise in 2016 vs. 2015.

As part of the feature the analysts also look at the industry as a whole. They stated: “More than one third of the Top 100 saw year-on-year turnover fall and almost half saw a year-on-year fall in pre-tax profit. Average turnover growth rate for the industry was calculated at just 1%”. GBA’s performance against this backdrop is therefore particularly impressive. GBA Services’ Managing Director and Founder, David J. Birkbeck, comments: “It’s great to make the Top 100 list for the time, but it’s even more pleasing to see how we outperformed much larger and more established market players. Now that we’re on the Top 100 radar, I’m already looking forward to next year’s report as we’re currently on course for 20% growth this year. Solving logistics problems is in our DNA, but so is our ambition and commitment to harnessing growth opportunities which has been underlined by our recent expansion into Germany and Portugal”.

The Motor Transport Top 100 Operators feature ranks the largest operators of commercial vehicles in the UK; by turnover; by pre-tax profit and by employee numbers and is a well-recognised and piece of analysis conducted on an annual basis. For more information, and to download the full report visit: http://bit.ly/2B2pk32

Time-critical logistics operator GBA Services has taken the next step in expanding its European network, with the opening of a new operation in Portugal.

GBA Logistics Portugal Lda is based in Lisbon, from where it will provide time-critical pan-European express van and truck services to customers across Europe - specialising in Portugal, Spain and France. The new operation will use GBA-owned vehicles, supplemented by those of its exclusive service partners.

GBA’s new Portuguese office is the latest addition to an expanding European network; it follows the launch of GBA’s German branch on 4th September, and joins GBA’s established operations in the UK, Austria and Poland. Once GBA’s time-critical operation is fully established in Portugal, it plans to add further services to its offering such as high-security and pharmaceutical transport - replicating its highly-successful UK model.

Says GBA Services’ Founder and Managing Director, David Birkbeck: “Portugal is an important market, with a particular focus on the automotive sector which is one of GBA’s core specialisms, developed over the company’s 30-year history. This creates strong synergies with our established operations in other countries, enabling us to provide additional solutions for current customers, and increasing our scope to utilise vehicle movements more efficiently.”

GBA’s office in Portugal is headed by Luis Monraia, whose past experience includes over twenty years in the management of hazardous goods transport and pan-European express transport operations. He is supported by a team of well-known international express specialists, who collectively speak four languages.

Says Monraia: “Express transport in Portugal has traditionally focused on the automotive sector, and this will certainly be GBA’s priority here. But all business sectors have a regular need for time-critical transport, so we intend to broaden our marketing effort to attract customers from other industries.

“The team in Portugal has a highly-developed understanding of serving customers whose businesses depend on fast and punctual deliveries. They have all earned a reputation for gold standard customer service, and we believe that – coupled with GBA’s resources and proven capabilities – this will give GBA a real market advantage here.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Derek Jones, Account Director, Pilot Marketing | +44 (0)20 8941 5381 | dj@pilotmarketing.co.uk

or

Will Jones, Marketing Manager, GBA Services Ltd | +44 (0)7809 522102 | will.jones@gbaservices.com

Time-critical logistics operator GBA Services has launched its latest European operation to cover the German market. GBA Logistics Germany GmbH is based in Bremen, from where it will provide the full portfolio of GBA’s services – including time-critical, high-security and temperature-critical transport. Although chiefly focused on express road services, GBA’s German operation will also offer global multi-modal forwarding of exports and imports.

GBA is no stranger to the German market, having previously operated in partnership with a number of local express companies for some years. It has established business between Germany and its other hubs in the UK, Poland and Austria; this traffic will now be managed by the new German operation.

The new German operation is headed by joint Managing Directors Jan Gredigk and Maik Maertens, who have over 30 years’ combined experience in express road freight operations, specialising in the engineering and automotive sectors: two of the key target markets for the new business.

It also marks an important further step in GBA’s post-Brexit strategy, as the UK-based business readies itself for a possible fragmentation of the single market, and potential restrictions and added regulation on future cross-border transport operations.

Pictured: GBA Services Founder and Group Managing Director, David Birkbeck (left), Joint Managing Directors - Germany; Maik Maertens (centre), Jan Gredigk (right)

Says GBA Services Founder and Group Managing Director, David Birkbeck: “GBA remains entirely optimistic about the long-term impact of Brexit, in which there will be both challenges and opportunities. But we share the widespread uncertainty about the more immediate steps we must take to maintain and expand our business in a newly-configured Europe. So, while we hope for the continuation of the single market and its simplified trade procedures, we must plan for the possibility that some of the current flexibility may not carry through.

“Our strategy is therefore to look at each major European market in isolation, and to assume that we will require a physical presence in a number of European locations, to underpin our long-term expansion plans. This is what informed our decision to invest in our own German base, and there will be more such openings in due course.”

Speaking of his own decision to join GBA and support its German expansion plans, Jan Gredigk adds: “The arrival of GBA’s own operation in Germany builds on its established business base, and enables us to provide a much wider product range to a much larger market. In addition, our ability to operate between our growing European station network means we will often be able to carry backhaul traffic; that makes more efficient use of vehicles, and will reflect in our pricing.”

Maik Maertens comments: “GBA’s branch network, own fleet, proven expertise, accreditations and excellent reputation all provide our new operation with a very strong starting point, and open up tremendous opportunities to expand our business here. GBA’s advanced technological capabilities will particularly appeal to the discriminating German market, providing welcome extra security and control for the type of traffic which will be a major focus, such as high-value cargo and temperature-critical pharmaceuticals.”

The German operation has access to GBA’s extensive own fleet as well as its trusted exclusive service partners. Vehicles range from parcel vans through to 44 tonne artics, with many refrigerated units. All vehicles have sophisticated tracking, security and onboard telemetry. As with the other GBA operations the German team undertakes to provide any vehicle type at any customer location within 60 minutes of initial enquiry.

GBA were present at The Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club today (Friday 11th August) as one of the sponsors of the 3rd Annual Jaguar Land Rover Golf Day in aid of The Lily Mae Foundation.

We’re delighted and proud to support this truly great cause, and one that is befitting to our company’s family values.

Good luck to all the teams and thanks to the organisers. Here’s to a great day and to raising lots of money!

For more information about The Lily Mae Foundation, or to make a donation, visit www.lilymaefoundation.org/

To continue with our series of events to celebrate our 30th Birthday, we recently re-wound the clock back to the decade when GBA was first formed, the glorious 80's!

All of our office teams got involved by dressing up and competing in various challenges such as the Space Hopper 50m dash and a Rubik's Cube Challenge.

Here are some of the highlights...great effort guys!

We’ve always known that we’ve got one of the best looking fleets on the road, and now it's official!

We’re very proud to have been shortlisted in the Livery of the Year category at the 2017 Motor Transport Awards.

Held on the 5th July at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, the Motor Transport Awards is a prestigious event which gathers around 1,600 people from across the road transport industry.

We look forward to the event and eagerly await the news of the eventual winners!

Global time critical logistics provider GBA Services has achieved certifications under the latest ISO Standards for Quality Management (9001:2015) and Environmental Management (14001:2015).

The ISO 9001 Standard for Quality Management was extensively modified in September 2015, adopting a more risk-based approach compared to its predecessors; this necessitated a full re-design of GBA Services’ procedures, and a totally new audit process. The ISO 9001 standard is designed to assure customers that a certified company can offer products and services of consistently good quality.

It also acts as a tool to streamline processes and improve efficiency. GBA has been accredited under the various versions of ISO 9001 since 2005.

ISO 14001:2015 assists an organisation in the successful implementation of its environmental management system; its scope includes enhancement of environmental performance; fulfilment of compliance obligations; and achievement of environmental objectives.

Says Director, Andrew Birkbeck: “GBA Services has a proud tradition of continual improvement, and adopting successive new ISO standards early in their lifecycle enables us to demonstrate to our customers that we remain committed to providing consistent service of the highest possible standard.

“In the case of our new accreditation under ISO 14001:2015, this illustrates our constant commitment to environmental policies that enhance our sustainability.”

GBA’s ISO accreditations are just one aspect of a culture of exceeding compliance expectations across many different areas of the business. “This is an integral part of the GBA Services culture”, continues Andrew Birkbeck. “For example, we have followed the WHO Good Distribution Practice Guidelines (GDP) for cold chain distribution for over six years and are also one of only a few UK operators which are TAPA (Transport Asset Protection Association) accredited to Security TSR Level 2.”

The ISO accreditations apply across every GBA business unit. In addition to the mandated regular audits, GBA teams carry out constant process reviews for all elements of the business, to ensure they remain flexible, innovative and customer-focused. GBA also actively encourages its staff to scrutinise the processes they use every day, and suggest improvements.

Global time critical logistics provider GBA Services has taken delivery of 22 new Krone trailers to meet the increased demands of new and existing customers across Europe.

The trailers which comprise ten curtain side sliding roof euro liners, ten dry liner box trailers and two twin evaporator fridge trailers represent an investment of nearly £500,000 from the Lancashire-based company.

The vehicles will be working predominantly from GBA sites in Europe, so have been specified to meet the height requirements common to the UK and mainland Europe.

When asked about the investment, Operations Director Peter Zak said: “This purchase obviously represents significant investment for the company, but is fully justified by the increase in new business. Our vision for the future includes further growth in our time critical, pharmaceutical and high value logistics sectors, all of which will be supported by this investment.”

2015 was highly successful year for GBA Services, with highlights including:

an increase in turnover of 37%significant new business wins in the automotive, aviation and aerospace sectors80% increase in high security TAPA-2-compliant loadsthe opening of two further operating centres in Birmingham and Lincolnshire

Global time critical logistics provider GBA Services, announces the appointment of Bill Smetham to the newly created position of Commercial Director.

GBA Services has been experiencing significant growth in recent years, culminating in an almost 40 percent uplift in business in 2015. As Commercial Director Bill’s role will include streamlining the new business development process, overseeing the complex legalities of working with big-name blue chip companies, reviewing and implementing new marketing activities as well as continuing to manage GBA’s global partnerships.

Bill has spent the last two years as an integral part of the GBA Services senior management team working within their Global business stream, so is well acquainted with the company’s client base and service offering. Prior to his time at GBA, Bill boasts extensive management experience working within companies such as Courage Brewery, Exel Logistics, P&O, American Standard and GAC.

Speaking of his appointment Bill commented: “For me one of the things that really sets GBA Services apart from many others, is that clients know they can rely on us around the clock. Whether they need Time Critical, High Security or Cold Chain logistics, we can provide it anytime and anywhere. I am delighted to be part of a company that has such significant growth plans, is highly competent in its field and has a genuine passion for customer service.

Peter Zak, Operations Director of GBA Services said: “We’ve had an amazing 12 months and have invested significantly in infrastructure as well as our people and our fleets. Our decision to bring Bill into this new role not only takes advantage of his outstanding attention to deal and experience in the logistics arena, but allows us to show how serious we are as a business about our future plans.”