17/Dec/2007

Office opened in Paris as growth continues

Priority Freight opened a new office in Paris in October, a foundation for expanding its French operations as part of the company’s continuing growth.

The family-run firm has enjoyed phenomenal growth since its establishment in 1996, opening an office in Coventry in 2005 and expanding to its current staff of over 100.

The Paris office is headed up by Denys Couleard, who has been promoted to Director. Says Neal Williams, Managing Director, “Denys joined the company just three years ago and he  came from outside the industry, yet his personal development and contribution to the company in that time has been immense. It’s his success in penetrating the French market during the past few years that has given us the confidence to invest in this new facility in Paris.”

Located in Evry in the south of Paris, the site is already proving a fruitful investment. Explains Neal Williams, “The clients that we transferred to the new office are already increasing the volume of work that they give to us. In addition, Denys is successfully opening a market not previously targeted by Priority Freight – the cross-European market, from France into the rest of Europe and from there back into France.”

The new operation is currently recruiting bilingual staff, who will help to meet the challenge of building sales across Europe from this strategically located site. The investment in a French operational base forms part of a comprehensive programme of investment that Priority Freight has undertaken this year. The firm has built a brand-new operational and storage facility at its Dover headquarters, as well as expanding and refurbishing its
Coventry site. In addition, the company has made significant investments in new IT, vehicle tracking and communication systems during 2007.

The company has plans for further growth in the coming years. Says Neal, “We’ve grown very quickly but we’re planning yet more expansion – we have our sights set on more bases in the UK, as well as an operational facility in Poland.”