Delivering success for its customers
What business qualities make an SME successful? We’ve been visiting various businesses to bring you some insightful case studies. This month it is distribution specialist Pulleyn Transport – No 49 in The SME 100
Pulleyn by name and pulling by nature, this family-owned SME proudly sees its silver-liveried trucks and trailers providing gold-winning performances throughout Europe on a daily basis.
Based just south of Reading, Pulleyn Transport began life in1976 as a haulage company founded by Adrian Pulleyn, the father of current MD Ryan Pulleyn and operations director Scott Pulleyn.
Even then it was specialised in character, dealing predominantly with computer equipment, exhibitions, and roadshows. As the Reading economy grew, the business did well too.
But, in a hugely competitive industry Pulleyn Transport needed something other than price and speed of delivery to sustain its future income.
“We looked to diversify to maintain the business at a profitable level. We’d noticed the growing need for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical transportation and decided to go for it and become specialists,” explains Ryan Pulleyn.
Today, Pulleyn Transport’s workbook is around 60% pharmaceutical related, still very strong in the technology sector, but focused on specialist delivery of high value, short-life products that need care and protection, invariably temperature critical. The company, set to turnover more than £10 million this year, also has 42,000 sq ft chilled and frozen storage.
Pulleyn Transport’s fleet of more than 55 vehicles, ranging from 4.5 – 44 tonnes, delivers items as varied as high-value artwork, sophisticated electronics, perishable food, life-saving medicines, hazardous consignments, and the instruments of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Pulleyn’s competitive edge is honed by customer service improvements backed by continuous updating of its equipment and facilities.
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Pulleyn’s vehicles (and their drivers) may be making deliveries in a Norwegian winter approaching -30ºC or during the Turkish summer at 40ºC, but their precious cargoes will remain temperature-consistent to within half a degree.
But, in truth the reason for Pulleyn’s success is that it delivers success for its customers too.
Pulleyn Transport knows it is an important link in what can be a worldwide supply chain for its customers. While its cargoes may have a multi-million value, they can also be priceless life-saving products.
“Our customers are not just revenue streams to us. If they have an issue, we have an issue. Our business is all about what happens for our customers on the road.
“If you have a primary problem out there, and you haven’t got something arranged, you can be outside the comfort zone of your cargo in 60-90 minutes.”
Nothing is left to chance. Temperature monitoring and GPS route positioning is supervised remotely from Reading. If something goes wrong ‘on the road’ head office logistics will have worked out the nearest repair or depot location. Pulleyn Transport’s temperature-controlled trailers all have an extra refrigeration system as back-up.
While Pulleyn delivers valuable leading edge goods, it also invests in state-of-the-art products: Carrier refrigeration units, Mercedes trucks and Chereau temperature-controlled trailers. Evaporation systems allow different products to be carried at separate temperatures. Extra vehicle and driver security measures, and international communication systems are standard.
Pulleyn pays the price for this. A typical truck and trailer costs
Ryan Pulleyn
Offsetting such costs, Pulleyn carefully monitors vehicle fuel economy, tyre pressures and its drivers’ performance. Fortunately, the working-lifespan of vehicles has increased in recent years.
Pulleyn Transport is typical of many family-run businesses. Its 70-plus staff are treated on informal first- name terms almost as extended members of the family. “When your employees simply become numbers, you have lost something within the business.” Driver retention is high for the industry, says Ryan Pulleyn.
That family commitment and easy communication also assists the centrally-based management team. “We are constantly looking at figures, trying to improve, and when we need to, we can make a quick decision.” Controlled growth and a known future is the prudent style of management.
Fuel costs and Eurozone fragility continue to cause concern to Pulleyn Transport, but it’s the
same for everyone else, says the pragmatic Ryan.
“It still comes down to being good at what you do: knowing and understanding what your customer needs, care for the products and maintaining your levels of service. It’s all about finding where cost equals out against quality of service.
“We are firm believers in giving customers 100% of what they ask you to do. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t take on the work.”
Pulleyn’s SME-to-SME advice:
• Know your business from the ground up – if you ask an employee to do a task, you should fully understand what’s involved. (Ryan and Scott have both worked their way up through the family business from loading yard to boardroom)
• Don’t delve too deeply where you don’t have expertise.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012
£160,000 – around £30,000 more than the norm – but the company feels it’s a price worth paying. “We put in these systems to add value for our customers.”
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