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uK integration proceeding well<br />
Following the purchases of WT SeaAir<br />
and Genesis Forwarding in 2010, the<br />
process of integration with <strong>Toll</strong> Global<br />
Forwarding’s existing uK operations has<br />
made significant progress – resulting in<br />
a top six presence in the uK.<br />
The newly-amalgamated business has<br />
over 900 staff, operates in 15 locations,<br />
and offers a service portfolio spanning<br />
air and ocean forwarding, project<br />
forwarding, perishables forwarding,<br />
garment logistics, haulage and high<br />
street fashion distribution.<br />
Heading up the new uK business<br />
is managing Director, Gary Morter.<br />
His senior management team comprises<br />
representatives from all three of the<br />
constituent operations. The uK business<br />
is also strongly supported by <strong>Toll</strong> Global<br />
Forwarding’s eme managing Director<br />
Hakan Bicil and his team based in zurich.<br />
To ensure the integration process<br />
retains the strengths of all three former<br />
companies, an advisory board has been<br />
established. This is led by former Ceo of<br />
WT, Neil McGlynn, as president and Vice<br />
president Ken Howell, former Director<br />
of Genesis.<br />
Improving our business<br />
through action learning teams<br />
in late 2010, <strong>Toll</strong> Global Forwarding<br />
teams in australia and new zealand<br />
started their first Action Learning Team<br />
(ALT).<br />
alTs are a new and innovative way<br />
to share best practice across the<br />
business. Teams from different areas<br />
of the business come together to share<br />
ideas and learnings, and from these they<br />
develop programs for the business as<br />
a whole.<br />
an alternative to conventional training<br />
programs, alTs are primarily selfdirected<br />
learning teams run over 90 days.<br />
The focus of the first program was how<br />
in four primary locations, the resources<br />
of the three companies have been<br />
merged to create efficiencies. The former<br />
Basildon facility closed in march with the<br />
staff transferred to mountnessing, essex.<br />
in manchester the offices consolidated<br />
into the <strong>Toll</strong> Global Forwarding’s facility<br />
at the city’s airport. Three Heathrow<br />
facilities will become two in June, when<br />
the stanwell facility is vacated and<br />
operations are centred around Feltham<br />
and Harmondsworth.<br />
Finally, a single Birmingham facility<br />
has been created, with excellent<br />
warehousing and value-added service<br />
capabilities.<br />
Behind the scenes, the three companies’<br />
accounting systems are set to be<br />
replaced by a single, uniform package.<br />
meanwhile, the legal work involved in<br />
creating a new uK holding company is<br />
proceeding well. The Genesis and WT<br />
seaair identities are making way for the<br />
one <strong>Toll</strong> philosophy, culture and brand.<br />
The new, bigger <strong>Toll</strong> Global Forwarding<br />
uK business is already signing up more<br />
major customers: Aurora Fashions<br />
to be number one in creating customer<br />
value. The team had to analyse current<br />
work practices and identify ways<br />
they could achieve the breakthrough<br />
changes required.<br />
eleven team members committed up to<br />
10 hours a week for the duration of the<br />
program on top of their normal workload.<br />
While it was a challenging time, they all<br />
enjoyed the experience and felt a sense<br />
of satisfaction at what they had achieved<br />
in a relatively short time frame.<br />
The business is now rolling out<br />
three initiatives to deliver benefits to<br />
customers and employees, and create<br />
a culture with employees at the heart.<br />
(owner of high street brands including<br />
Coast, Warehouse and Oasis) has<br />
handed over its entire uK warehousing<br />
and distribution functions to <strong>Toll</strong>, along<br />
with 300 of its staff.<br />
and a major online fashion and beauty<br />
retailer with a 40,000-strong product<br />
line-up has also given <strong>Toll</strong> its entire uK<br />
logistics business, after a successful<br />
trial with its largest supplier. This work<br />
involves processing goods from some<br />
400 suppliers around the world, each<br />
of which is a potential <strong>Toll</strong> customer<br />
in its own right.<br />
uK mD Gary morter said, “We have<br />
made excellent progress with the<br />
integration, and can all look forward to<br />
exciting times ahead.<br />
“our sales channels are finding significant<br />
opportunities that would have been<br />
more challenging to progress when we<br />
were separate businesses; potential<br />
customers are now more open to<br />
learning about the commanding position<br />
<strong>Toll</strong> has attained in the uK market.<br />
“<strong>Toll</strong> Global Forwarding has certainly now<br />
arrived in the uK.” <<br />
a customer centric training program<br />
to all <strong>Toll</strong> Global Forwarding employees<br />
in the region is hoped will contribute to<br />
creating a culture where customers are<br />
truly at the centre.<br />
The team was delighted to be part of<br />
this innovative way of working, and other<br />
colleagues are lining up for the next alT<br />
program. management too have been<br />
pleased with the outcome and look<br />
forward to employing this technique to<br />
develop the business further and solve<br />
future organisational issues.<br />
The next alT is scheduled to start<br />
in July 2011. <<br />
<strong>TOLL</strong> GLObAL FORWARDInG<br />
AbOvE<br />
uK managing Director,<br />
gary Morter.<br />
June–auGusT 2011<br />
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