A West Midlands logistics firm is setting its sights on further growth as it plans to move to a new 35,000 sq. ft premises just a year after putting down roots in its current home.
Walsall-based Trailer Freight International (TFI) has expanded significantly since it moved to its 6,500 sq. ft premises in February 2021, so much so that it is now looking for a site nearly six times that size.
The speed at which it has outgrown its Walsall Enterprise Park home is down in no small part to it joining the Wolverhampton-based Pallet-Track network in September 2021.
Handling deliveries for its Black Country neighbours in the WS7, WS12, WS13 and WS15 postcodes has seen it grow its fleet from three rigids to six, plus another 7.5 tonne vehicle.
Two brand-new 18-tonne vehicles are also on order, with another articulated lorry soon to be joining the existing fleet of seven.
TFI was established in 1983 operating daily freight services to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It now boasts a thriving international freight forwarding division and was sold to Northern Ireland-based logistics firm Express Distribution Services in 2015.
Allan Collins, depot manager at TFI, said: “We joined Pallet-Track as part of our plan to accelerate our domestic growth and it has paid off. We’ve outgrown our new premises already and that is largely to do with Pallet-Track.
“If we can make the sort of strides over the next 12 months that we have made over the last six, it’s scary to think where we could go!
“Our aim is to continue to grow our footprint within the Walsall and wider Black Country area, supporting other local businesses with their logistics needs.”
TFI’s growth has also been achieved with a strong local feel, with 80 per cent of its workforce living within five miles of its depot.
“We’ve always been keen to employ people from within the local area and keep our roots here. At our last recruitment drive, everyone we hired lived within three miles of the depot,” added Allan.
Caroline Green, chief executive of Pallet-Track, said: “It’s fantastic to see our members going from strength to strength and TFI’s success is a great example of how membership of a quality network can help a business grow.”
