Made in Britain “W


e can do it, and have to”. The UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Green, was referring to the national challenge of getting SMEs exporting when he included these words during a speech in the autumn, writes Isabel Lesto.


But this statement could be equally applied to the 25 UK freight leaders we have selected for inclusion here, who are “doing it” for trade through innovation, influence and tenacity – often via all three. The 25 leaders we’ve chosen come from a variety of sectors and modes – freight, retail, air, road, sea and rail – and it would be impossible to rank them in order of importance; so we haven’t, we’ll let you decide.


They make up a diverse group of people with a mix of business strengths combining with an innovative approach to freight. Their influence often spreads well beyond the freight industry. We have selected them according to the following criteria: the size


and reach of the operation they manage; the degree to which the individual has influenced his or her particular organisation and raised its profile within the market; and the extent to which the individual has stuck his or her head above the parapet and taken risks. Raising the profile of a “hidden” industry within the wider market was another criterion, as was supply chain innovation.


All the people on our list needed to meet at least one of these criteria, most exceeded this requirement.


There is no doubt that each of these leaders deserves to be included in a global freight top 100, although we are well aware that the subjectivity of such lists always generates controversy.


There may be some who feel aggrieved at being left off the list, and maybe rightly so, but we believe few will argue against the merit of those chosen.


There is a drive in the UK at the moment to encourage businesses to be courageous and explore new markets, and for small businesses to start exporting. With this in mind we went looking for freight leaders who embraced this spirit of change against a dark economic backdrop. Turn the pages to find out how the UK’s top freight leaders have done just that.


John van Bergen MD, Cory Brothers


ory Brothers has a proud history that spans three centuries. It was in the mid 1800s that Richard Cory set up his ship-broking and coal exporting business to serve the Welsh valleys.


C


One hundred years later, his business empire owned land and mineral rights across the UK and had interests in oil terminals, fuel, engineering and chemical industries. Today its reputation extends well beyond national boundaries; the Cory Brothers name is known and


Chairman, Rail Freight Group L


ord Berkeley is a Labour peer and Chairman of the Rail Freight Group, known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the transport industry and vast


contacts book.


An engineer by training, he worked as Public Affairs Manager for Eurotunnel until the completion of its construction in 1994, after which he entered the House of Lords.


He served as opposition spokesman for transport in 1996-7, and has also served as President of the


38 IFW-Lloyd’s Loading List | Freight’s Global 100 | 2012 European Rail Freight Association.


Berkeley has been a tireless campaigner for the rail freight industry, constantly promoting its reform, both to government and to the industry itself. His influence does not end there – he also holds the presidency of the UK Marine Pilots Association and played a key role in the debate about the light dues subsidies paid to the Irish by the UK for the maintenance of the country’s maritime navigational lights.


respected in the shipping and transport industry. Since July 2003 Cory Brothers has been owned by Braemar Shipping Services, which provides shipbroking, technical, environment and logistics services. The company has adapted – creating subdivisions Cory Energy and Cory Renewables – to react to the recent growth in the renewables and wind farm industry, particularly in the UK’s east coast area. “It’s an interesting operation, bearing in mind that most of this goes on offshore,” says van Bergen.


Tony Berkeley


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