The Tibbett name is back – Tibbett Logistics has just been launched in Romania by Keswick Enterprises, the holding company set up by former Tibbett & Britten chief John Harvey.
The move follows Keswick’s acquisition last December of Delamode Logistics and that company’s joint venture with DHL, DHL Delamode, from the shareholders of Delamode Group and DHL. These established Romanian businesses have been renamed Tibbett Logistics and Tibbett Retail Services respectively – and together will trade as Tibbett Logistics.
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Harvey said: “I am delighted that we have finally been able to bring Tibbett Logistics and Tibbett Retail Services fully into the Keswick group of companies. Our innovative and dynamic young Romanian team are drawing on Keswick’s global experience in the logistics sector. I am confident that together we will accelerate development and continue to build the business – which has already sustained continuous growth since 2005.”
Keswick Enterprises was created in 2004 by Harvey following the takeover of Tibbett & Britten by Exel (now DHL). Other Keswick companies include Link Logistics and Spatial Group.
Keswick’s management have been involved in Romania for over 14 years and, since 2005, have been shareholders in Delamode and the DHL/Delamode joint venture. Prior to this several of Keswick’s senior managers, when part of Tibbett & Britten, led the original Delamode entry into contract logistics in Romania that established the joint venture on behalf of Metro Group.
Tibbett Logistics operates from nine distribution centres across Romania – providing over 100,000 square metres of warehousing in Bucharest, Constanta, Deva and Timisoara. It offers a nationwide, broad range of supply chain related services to a variety of customers – including domestic and multinational retailers, plus FMCG, automotive and other manufacturers.
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Distribution operations include a domestic transport network, which last year transported over 60,000 vehicle loads in ambient, chill and refrigerated environments.
It also offers intermodal services for containers from the Far East landing in the port of Constanta; containers, semi-trailers and swap-bodies travelling between Romania and other EU countries; and the movement of domestic freight between wider Bucharest and western Romania.
Tibbett Logistics is the only private operator of a rail container terminal in Bucharest, and this summer will open a second, brand new intermodal terminal in the west of the city.
Harvey bought Tibbett & Britten from Unilever in the 1980s and over the next 20 years turned it from a garment specialist with sales of £30m to a major player in in the European logistics market turning over £2.3bn. T&B was taken over by Exel in 2004 for £328m.
