Trans2 on expansion trail after boss swaps retirement for rescue bid
12th August 2015
A businessman who came out of retirement to revive his former logistics company has marked the anniversary of the rescue by embarking on a family venture which promises expansion and excitement.
A year after re-launching his old company as Trans2 Logistics, Alan Johnson has been joined by son Martin, who brings experience of a high level career in global IT and consultancy to the formation of Trans2 Performance.
As owners of Trans2 Group, the pair are delivering projects from building holiday villages to presenting motivational events for business.
Alan went into logistics from school, set up his own business in 1996 and then severed all links by selling it 10 years later. But in 2014 the company collapsed and Alan came out of retirement.
The result was Trans2 Logistics, which completed its first year of trading in June having expanded its initial team of three to seven. The company’s office at The Deep Business Centre is the hub of a network which has depots in Hull, Dublin and Rotterdam.
The office also houses Trans2 Performance, formed in June by Martin, who progressed from the Royal Navy to senior roles with the Butler Group and Gartner Associates.
In partnership with Hull-based Johnson Construction, the logistics business recently completed delivery and assembly of components for a holiday village at Alton Towers and is now working on a new housing scheme in Liverpool.
Alan said: “Our regular work is moving palletised cargo in the UK and Europe but we do anything from delivering a one kilo parcel to transporting a 120-tonne heat exchanger to the United States, including chartering deep sea vessels and aeroplanes.
“I was upset when the people who bought my business went bust. It was no longer anything to do with me but some of the people had been with me from day one so I decided to go back, finance a new company and employ my former colleagues.”
Alan secured support from original customers, and Trans2 Logistics clients are among the businesses exploring the opportunities offered by the new venture.
Martin said: “For the last three years I’ve been managing a $10-million territory for Gartner in the north of England and Scotland. The next step would have meant relocating and that wasn’t an option so it seemed the right time to work with Trans2.
“We were operating at the highest executive level. The biggest part of that was to do with people, politics and leadership and that’s why we launched a performance consultancy rather than a sales consultancy.
“We are working with professional sports teams, charities, education companies, not just classical business management. We’ve started well and I’ve got big plans for the future, including taking over Trans2 Logistics so Alan can go back into retirement!”
Freya Cross, Business and Corporate Manager at The Deep, said: “We have an excellent track record for supporting start-up businesses from day one and offering the flexibility in terms of space and facilities which enables them to expand when they need to.
“Trans2 Logistics started with one unit in The Deep Business Centre and took more space with the launch of Trans2 Performance. We’re in regular contact with Alan and Martin about their plans for the future, it is clear to us that they are highly motivated and very innovative and we want to help them achieve their ambitions here.”
Alan said: “We looked at other sites in the city and were attracted to The Deep by the quality of the premises. Cost was a big factor, as was speed. We wanted to get back to work as soon as possible and we found that telephones, broadband and other services were available for us to be up and running in three days.
“Freya has been unbelievable. There is nothing we have asked for that they haven’t been able to do for us. I would recommend the Deep and Freya’s team to anybody, whether they are a start-up or not.”