Movecorp plans to expand in anniversary year

Movecorp in Middlemore Lane West has expanded its workforce from three employees to more than 100 over the last decade and turnover has grown by £2.2 million in the past five years.

Formed in August 2007, Movecorp is gearing up for its tenth anniversary and to celebrate bosses have announced a number of plans for the future.

Among them is a new warehouse and office complex of 38,000 sq ft to be opened within the next 12 months, allowing the business to deliver a new range of services aimed at helping online retailers distribute stock across the UK and Europe.

Bosses have also set their sights on a new depot on the M25 within the next three years to continue to drive growth by offering new services that work alongside the firm’s current transport and storage facilities.

Founder and company director James Tennant said the expansion plans are a testament to the impressive growth of the business since it was formed and the continuous focus on delivering a first-class service to its growing portfolio of clients.

“It’s hard to believe that we are about to celebrate our tenth anniversary. The past decade has been exciting, incredibly rewarding but also a real challenge.

“I believe a lot of our success is down to continuously reviewing our product and service offerings to suit the needs of our customers’ requirements and budgets. It is our aim to provide same day quotes for all European and international destinations for any size shipment.

“One major game changer for us came in 2012 when we were able to buy our first warehouse with the help of a grant from the Regional Growth Fund. This helped us expand and create over 30 jobs in a two-year period," he said.

Despite the company’s impressive success, the past 10 years has not been without its challenges, with customers’ expectations and demands increasing considerably.

“Private clients now have the facility to compare more companies online and are therefore more educated and informed when they speak to us about their moving requirements. This means that it is incredibly important for us to remain competitive in price whilst still delivering the highest standards in customer care.

“Another challenge is fuel and sea freight costs – they are always a factor outside of our control. Currently, the pound is weak against a lot of currencies, so it is a competitive industry and we work on very small profit margins," said Mr Tennant.

Movecorp delivers around 1,200 shipments each month of varying sizes across the UK and overseas – with 60 per cent of its business abroad and 40 per cewnt within the UK, operating out of two warehouses and its headquarters in Aldridge.

The business counts America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Switzerland as its most popular destinations. In 2007, the most popular country was Dubai, but today the biggest route for the company is to the United States,

But with Brexit on the horizon, James says they are expecting more changes for the business and with those changes a few more challenges.

“The private market has shown some decline across Europe especially from people considering buying holiday homes. It’s our belief that people are waiting to see how Brexit will affect them as there is still so much uncertainty around us leaving Europe.

“However, our corporate relocation accounts enquiries have increased especially from financial related companies such as banks.

“We are expecting moving costs across Europe to increase between 20 and 30 per cent due to the cost increases of customs clearance and process fees when we leave the EU. This will be a challenge, but we have always prided ourselves on delivering a quality service at an affordable price and that won’t change.

“The last 10 years have not been without its difficulties and I’m sure the next 10 will be similar. But we are on an incredible journey and I am confident we have the expertise and experience to continue this exceptional growth in the years to come," added Mr Tennant.