Espace Newsletter February 2024

FREIGHT TO THE POINT...

Whilst

other economies are coping with recovery, India is thriving through it!

Complete India Import/Export Service

Namaste!

Just before Christmas, my colleague Peter and I boarded a plane at Heathrow bound for Mumbai set for the India International Cargo Show (#iics2023).

We had strategised a move into the Indian market earlier in 2023. India, despite being ranked 5th in the world GDP tables, and ahead of the United Kingdom, is still considered an emerging market. With the prospect of a Free Trade Agreement with the UK on the horizon and countless historical trade links - and predictions that India will have the third biggest GDP after China and the USA by 2030 makes them red hot property.

Companies from Apple through to Xerox have been moving into India and with a young, skilled population, they will continue to move in their droves given the current global climate.

The IICS itself was a superb chance to meet with some of our key Indian contacts all under one roof and attend industry related seminars.

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The key issues we experience in the UK and Europe of sustainability, digitisation and infrastructure are of equal importance half the world away. India though, seems to have the funding to tackle some of them head on. In the words of one government minister making a speech at the opening seminar, “whilst other economies are coping with recovery, India is thriving through it.”

The lasting memory I had from our few short days in Mumbai is that of the people we met. As the saying goes, “people buy people” and the Indian population is filled with hard working and talented individuals who are serious about making a difference for themselves and their families.

Here at Espace, we have built a large network of support across the UK and the Indian subcontinent over the last year to enable us to grow this trade lane. If India is a market which is of interest to you, and you need some guidance, we’d love to hear from you and are happy to put you in touch with anybody who we think would be able to help.

2024 will see many changes in the way we trade internationally. Customs, borders and carbon taxes are moving continually. We aim to guide you through as simply as possible, keep your eyes peeled for our regular updates in your inbox throughout the year.

All the best,

Geoff Commercial Director

India

COMPREHENSIVE AIR & SEA FREIGHT SOLUTIONS

We understand the challenges of exporting and importing goods to and from India

Our extensive network and expertise provide you with bespoke, seamless, end-to-end transport solutions and customs clearance. From navigating complex regulations to ensuring timesensitive deliveries, trust Espace Global Freight to be your strategic partner for India.

Always there to help

We really value the support and service that Espace have offered us over years which is why we come back to you time and time again for Indian freight.

What we offer:

Air Freight, Time Critical Express & Standard

Ocean Freight, FCL/LCL/ Consolidation

Award-Winning Time Critical Service inc. Air Charter & On-Board Courier

Certified Customs Brokers

Warehousing

Physical Representation at all Major Ports and Airports

Out of Garage & RO-RO

Local Languages Spoken - Comprehensive Local Proven Networks

GDP Qualified Agents

Second to none

From the quotations to the expedition, process of customs documentation and delivery of the goods you ship on our behalf the experience is second to none.

Logistics Manager

Tier 1 Automotive Supplier

Written by Kelly Vasey Sales & Marketing Director

On January 8th the Espace team travelled down to the Brewery in London as Finalists in the European Freight category at the annual BIFA awards.

Back in 2000 when Espace was established European Logistics was our bread and butter, not to mention the very reason that I joined the business myself so that my languages skills would not go to waste!

In just under 24 years Espace has evolved to become a global freight forwarding business but European freight is at our very core. For this reason we were beyond proud to have been nominated as finalists in this award category.

When the Brexit referendum result was announced in June 2016 we were all stunned. Our founder and leader at the time came in to work in tears the following day (I’m sure that Tony won’t mind me sharing that with you). What did the future look like for Espace? A European time critical freight specialist. We committed to tight deadlines on a daily basis. How would the implementation of a customs framework affect our premium service? (Continued on page 4)

It was truly great to spend quality time with industry legends outside of the day to day.

Like everyone in logistics, we went away, knuckled down and came up with a plan that meant we could continue servicing our clients without any disruption to the service they were accustomed to.

The Espace Customs Consortium was established in 2020 and quickly became the largest department in our business alongside our European department. We supported our clients and the wider community through the entire Brexit process with relevant webinars, our Brexit Simplified booklet and held everyone’s hand for that first intense three months of 2021. Perhaps the reason we made the shortlist for this award.

In our category, we were privileged to be in the good company of Atlantic Pacific Global, Baxter Freight, Brunel and Uniserve and this year missed out to Atlantic Pacific Global – we salute you!

Employee Spotlight

Marguerite Thornes

Q1 What do you like best about working at Espace?

Espace makes a difference in people’s lives and gives meaning to the job you do. It gives to you the opportunity to make a difference. Even small things mean a lot. I feel valued and part of a family.

Q2 What is your personal philosophy?

Be the best person you can be and live life to the fullest.

Q3 Where is your favourite place to be?

Wrapped up in front of a cozy fireplace in the mountains with a good book.

Q4 What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?

fabulous day out was had by all. Great venue, great food, great company! (I even got to meet the fabulous Suzi Perry who was one of the many reasons I fell in love with Formula 1!)

It was truly great to spend quality time with industry legends outside of the day to day. Even more heartening was the visible amount of new talent joining the forwarding community. The next generation promises to be even more exciting thanks to the likes of BIFA and Generation Logistics.

I would be a paramedic.

Q5 Where is the best place you’ve travelled to and why?

The Augrabies Falls in Northern part of South Africa. This waterfall is located in a desert environment and reminds me that even in the bleakest places beauty and rebirth is all around us.

Q6 What would you most like to tell yourself at age 13?

Don’t listen to negative people and believe in yourself.

Q7 What are your three most overused words/phrases?

“Cool Beans”, “What now?”, “Really”

www.espaceglobalfreight.com

A GROWING PRESENCE WITHIN THE UK:

Espace has been an EO Business since 2017 and it’s been almost 7 years since every employee became a co-owner.

We’ve seen many examples of how employee ownership has helped our business to move forward positively. Without doubt we have seen better communication, improved engagement, increased staff satisfaction and higher levels of idea generation. All of these factors will in turn mean a better experience for you, our valued customers.

As we begin 2024, the EO phenomena continues to grow within the UK economy. It’s likely that you deal with more employee-owned businesses than you think!

There are at least 1,650 employee and worker owned businesses (EOBs) in the UK in October 2023. The true population is likely to be higher but this data is not presently recorded nationally in a standardised way.

In the last 12 months, the sector grew by over 30% (roughly 330 new EOBs) and between 20112023 has grown at an average annual rate of 16% (compared to 2.2% growth in all active companies in the UK over the same period)

EOBs contribute disproportionately to the UK economy: 0.1% of overall businesses drive 0.8% of direct GVA and 1.72.1% of overall economic activity (reflecting direct, indirect and induced GVA).

DID YOU KNOW?

The EOB sector grew by 30% in the last 12mths!

www.espaceglobalfreight.com

EOBs are increasingly found in all major sectors of the economy and in every region of the UK.

healthier A ECONOMY

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM EOBs?

MORE INVESTMENT IN EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

48% of EOBs offer supported access to private healthcare compared to 34% of non-EOBs; and more than twice as many EOBS (74%) provide access to mental health resources than non-EOBs (34%).

MORE ACTION TO PROTECT EMPLOYEE QUALITY OF LIFE

EOBs are more likely to offer flexibility in contracted hours (61% vs 36%), allow employees to work remotely (84% vs 47%) and almost 3 times more likely to support career breaks or sabbaticals (47% vs 16%).

HAPPIER EMPLOYEES

83% of those surveyed reported increased employee engagement and motivation since adopting an EO model and 73% reported increased job satisfaction.

BETTER HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS

Incidence rate for all types of business are low, there is a significant difference between EOBs (0.1%) and non-EOBs (0.9%).

So...what does that mean for you?

Co-owners are more committed to providing the best solutions for customers, and build long term relationships

You know when you are speaking to anyone at Espace, they have a genuine stake in the business and treat every shipment as if it were their own

You can be confident the Espace will invest in its people and their development, consequently driving innovative new services and solutions to support the growth of your own business

Ethics and values are important to us here at Espace. We are committed to building a community that thrives. Our co-owners act with integrity and treat our customers and partners with respect.