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ITAL\\\ ‘We never closed’


Ital Logistics continued to operate its core groupage services to and from Europe throughout the Covid crisis, points out sales manager Mike Whitney. While some traffic inevitably fell, as much of Europe’s manufacturing shut down, “we still had a nice, consistent flow of traffic,” he says.


This is all the more remarkable


considering that Ital’s two main markets – Italy and Spain – were particularly severely hit by the virus in the early stages of the pandemic. However: “Our figures are not bad, far better than predicted.” Mike


Whitney believes


that Ital Logistics was as well prepared for the crisis as any freight operator could be, something he puts down to managing director Phil Denton’s “meticulous attention to detail”


in the period leading up to the UK lockdown. He adds that Phil Denton


recognised early on, before any mention of lockdowns in the UK, the need to buy laptops and get them all to sync to the company system so all operational office staff had the facility to work remotely, along with other hardware so they could use their work phone from home. France has been a particular


bright spot, Whitney adds. “We are seeing a noticeable increase on our export line to France, which can be attributed to smart rates and good service, with more departures, better distribution within France and stronger, increased from


support our manufacturing


customers to this area. We also have an excellent partner in the Paris region.” Ital’s service is backed up by


Issue 5 2020 - Freight Business Journal


17


Things you may not know about Ital Logistics


Phil Denton was once a semi-professional musician


its bespoke FREIGHTsoſt® freight soſtware. However, while IT is a vital tool for freight forwarding these days, in Whitney’s opinion, it can never replace the human freight forwarder. Its workflow was designed in-house by Phil Denton with input from the operations department, not by a soſtware house. The soſtware has certainly


been a bonus while so many are working from home and, indeed, it is hard to imagine how it would have been possible during the Covid crisis without


The secret of Ital’s success


Since joining Ital Logistics 15 years ago, James Mears has had many opportunities to start up in business for himself. However, he has stayed where he is. “I respect Phil Denton too much and his hunger for Ital Logistics to succeed is unbelievable,” he explains. “I have seen the company grow from strength to strength year on year. Phil Denton’s leadership and high standards filter down throughout our company.” Before joining Ital Logistics,


James Mears worked for some of the biggest multinationals in the industry but found that, in the larger firms, “you can sometimes be just a number”. Joining Ital has turbocharged his career and he has risen from office junior to Iberian and French route manager in a short space of time.


it. “But it’s not just about this


Pandemic we all face - we have Brexit to contend with also. Although, as proven in the past when we have approached a Brexit deadline, we have fared very well, in some instances hitting record revenue and profit. It may be out of our hands, so the best any company can do is knuckle down and get on with it. I am rather fortunate that I am surrounded by likeminded people - out of the unexpected come opportunities.”


for pharmaceuticals and other products. This will be extended to France in time. ADR goods can be carried to


and from all destinations. James Mears now has six


people in his team. He is also responsible for


Ital started its Iberian routes


during the financial crisis of 2008. Initially serving just Barcelona, it has added partners and now covers the entire country, as well as the Balearic and the Canary Islands, Andorra and Gibraltar, along with Portugal. Customs clearances are


already required for Andorra and Gibraltar, which will


A 100% record at the BIFA awards


Ital Logistics has been


successful every time it has entered the BIFA Freight Service awards. It has made four entries over the years between 2002 and 2015 in the European Road services category, twice finalist and twice winning the


category. Additionally, in the most recent year of entry they were also finalists in the ‘Extra Mile’ award based around their HAZculator®, and the ‘Young Forwarder’ award with James Mears. A record indeed to be proud of.


stand James Mears and his team in good stead when the requirement is extended to all of the EU from next year. He adds: “We have spent a large sum of money on getting ready for


the new customs


requirements within our internal software.” There is also a temperature-


controlled groupage service to and from Iberia, catering


France, where Ital now has partners in Lyon, Marseilles and Paris. It has been Ital’s fastest- growing route since starting 18 months ago and, through its partners, has now been extended to serve Morocco and Tunisia, reached in just 6-7 days from the UK. Ital continued to service


its customers throughout the Covid crisis; with its emphasis on chemicals, foodstuffs and, lately, PPE, many regard the company as an essential element of their supply chains. James Mears says: “We are still running at about 70% on all Iberian markets - and we have picked up new clients during this period along the way.”


Spot the trailer


Ital planned to livery out ten vehicles to mark its 20th anniversary in 2020 , several of which having a special graphic. However, the Covid crisis has intervened and so far only one trailer will have the new graphics. The plan now is to complete the balance next year. Meanwhile, Ital


management would welcome reports of the unique vehicle from truck-spotters up and down the country. A hand- picked case of wine, tailored to your taste buds by our wine connoisseur (our MD) will be given for the first three photos sent to sales@Ital-logistics.com (Trailer number: ITAL 2020).


“Yes, it’s true. The freight industry in Manchester went through a lot of changes in the 1970s and 1980s, with the closure of the docks and I inevitably had a few periods of redundancy. “From 1978 through to 1994


I played keyboards in the social clubs of Manchester – backing the artists and performing in my own right. But then I wanted a mortgage and when the bank manager asked my profession; you can imagine his reply! So in 1987 I went back into the freight business, and was able to get on the mortgage ladder. Wild thoughts of being the next Rick Wakeman were thrown by the wayside! “I still have a recording


studio at home, but music these days is just a hobby - when I get time.”


Parla Italiano


Phil Denton says: “Back in the 1990s, I used to go to a lot of meetings in Italy and I quickly became curious about what people were saying – in case they were talking about me! So I went to night school and even took a GCSE. I’ve used my Italian quite a lot over the years, and speaking the language has helped with sales – I remember I’d been learning about 12 months and was on a visit in Italy with Roberto. Just as we arrived in the car park he mentioned the person didn’t speak any English. I had about three minutes to work out what I wanted to say – in Italian!”


Our trailer was once blessed by a priest!


In partnership with ITX Cargo, we were


extremely


pleased to offer our services free of charge to St Joseph’s Catholic


Church in New


Malden Surrey, to transport their charitable collection to local L’Aquila earthquake victims at the Parish of San Raniero in Cività di Bagno. Various gifts of computers and musical instruments, Christmas presents, and even 2 religious statues which we case packed on site were dispatched in time for Christmas 2009.


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