Carl's fighting back

Black Country van driver Carl Collins was among 330 people who lost their jobs when the Co-op Dairies processing site in Birmingham was closed two years ago.

But the Stourbridge management trainee has taken what he learned at the Co-op to go on and start his own transport and delivery business.

In its first year his Anytime Logistics company reached a turnover of £56,000, but he now has five staff, half a dozen vehicles and aims to hit a target of £210,000 this year.

Mr Collins, aged 29, had been a driver with the Co-op Dairy in Birmingham for eight and a half years when he lost his job.

Food producer Dairy Crest bought the Birmingham diary processing site from the Midlands Co-operative Society for £20 million in 2005 and then shut it down, sacking more than 300 people.

"It was a blow, but I've taken everything the Co-op taught me about customer service and applied it to my own business," said Mr Collins.

"I had a really good job at the Co-op and was being trained for management when the site was sold. The big lesson I learned there was that the customer comes first.

"I have taken my skills and pride in the job and made them work for me in my own business. That's why, if one of our drivers is going to be late for any reason, he rings the customer to tell them - they don't have to wait two hours and then ring us to find out what's going on."

The result has been phenomenal success for the company in its first year. When Mr Collins launched the business in March last year he had a single van and ran the business from home.

Now Anytime Logistics is based in Jubilee Business Park, at Lye in Stourbridge and has a total of five experienced drivers and six vehicles ranging from vans to a 7.5 tonne lorry, enabling the company to transport anything up to 41 tonnes.

And the second generation of the new family business is already showing an interest: "My son is just two-and-a-half but he's mad about vans and trucks.

"Sometimes when I am working weekends his mum will bring him in to see me and he'll sit in our big 7.5 tonner for half an hour, pretending to drive it."

Mr Collins moved into the business park at the beginning of January this year to enable the company to continue to grow.

He made contact with company advice and support agency Business Link Black Country when he set up the firm and has received regular support from them ever since.

"I am really grateful for the regular help and support I have received from Business Link," said Mr Collins.

"I ring them up whenever I want a chat about a business-related issue or if I need pointing in the right direction.

"Business Link gave me advice on expanding the business and also put me in touch with other local businesses, which has been fantastic," he added.

BLBC business adviser, Bob Howard, said: "We initially helped Carl put together a business plan but we have talked to him and given him regular advice and support since then.

"Setting up your own business can sometimes be a lonely situation and I know Carl finds it really supportive to be able to just pick up the phone and talk to us whenever he needs advice on something," he added.

For more information on Anytime Logistics contact Carl Collins on 01384 896335.