FORWARDER Move it Like... George Baker, George Baker Group

MOVE IT LIKE...

George Baker (Shipping) Ltd started out providing ship’s agency and Customs brokerage services. Hard work and steady growth over the years has seen the George Baker Group develop significantly, and it is now recognised as a leading provider of a range of quality freight services.

However the Customs brokerage services, for which the company is renowned, remain the heartbeat of the business.

GEORGE BAKER

FOUNDER OF GEORGE BAKER GROUP

COVER FEATURE

FOUNDED

1982

EMPLOYEES

73

OFFICES

Port of Felixstowe (HQ), Midlands, London, Dover, Timisoara SPECIALISMS

Customs clearance, customs bonded warehousing, UK distribution and European transport MILESTONES AND AWARDS

Being one of the first UK Clearance companies to achieve Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status back in 2010.

In 2012 we received a trophy from BIFA to mark the 30th anniversary of our membership Ranked 8th in the Sunday Times SME Export Track 100 in February this year Listed in the top-100 companies in Suffolk in a study by Grant Thornton and Birketts

GEORGE BAKER,

GEORGE BAKER GROUP

GEORGE SAYS... ...we have steadily established a large team of experienced sta.

G

eorge Baker (Shipping) Ltd started out providing

and it is now recognised as a leading provider of a range of

ship’s agency and Customs brokerage services.

quality freight services. However the Customs brokerage

Hard work and steady growth over the years

services, for which the company is renowned, remain the

has seen the George Baker Group develop significantly,

heartbeat of the business.

COVER FEATURE Q A

The George Baker name has been established for many years in the customs clearance sector; how have you managed to maintain your status as a market leader?

We have been providing Customs brokerage services to

GEORGE SAYS...

My son David Baker took over the reins as group M.D.

Q A

What does your business offer that you feel sets you apart from your competitors?

Systems research and development has always been a big part of what we do and we are fortunate to have some very talented technical people within our team. Our bespoke

fellow freight professionals and UK importers across four

systems, which work in conjunction with the industry

decades now. It remains our core business and what we are

software's, enable us to process large volumes of clearances

renowned for. I think that always subscribing to all possible

quickly and competently. We can also provide real-time

Customs regimes has been key, we can offer our customers

Customs clearance notifications 24/7, so they are there

significant duty deferment facilities, Community Transit (T1)

ready for when our customers open up.

guarantees, NES export documentation, Customs bonded warehousing, CFSP, ERTS and post clearance services.

We hold clearance ’badges’ at all the major UK ports of course, but also at a growing list of vitally important smaller ports. And crucially we have steadily established a large team of experienced staff with a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of Customs documentation procedures.

Q A

Can you tell us more about the structure of the business?

The George Baker Group as it has become is owned by me, my wife and our four children, so it’s a 100% family owned business. My son David Baker took over the reins as group M.D. just under two years ago on my 65th birthday.

It has been a very smooth and successful transition and it means that I am no longer in charge of the day-to-day general management. My eldest daughter Sharon Binns is also a director. Together with David she has made an invaluable contribution to our business over the last ten years. David and Sharon are supported by a sturdy management team who each have their own strengths and areas of expertise.

Q A

So how are you spending your time now?

I am technically ‘retired’ now. My wife explains my situation well, she always says ‘George has retired, but he still goes to work most days’. I just love being there in the office and I am more than happy to assist whenever my input is needed. My stake is not just a financial thing. I have invested a tremendous

Q A

The company has developed significantly over the years; what other services do you provide?

It has. We do so much more than just Customs clearance these days. Through our various group companies we offer UK container transportation,

amount of passion and perseverance in the George Baker

UK pallet distribution, European freight transport,

Group of companies and still love the daily hubbub. My

cargo handling, cross docking, warehousing and

work is mainly consultancy based. Most recently many of

storage. As mentioned already David is M.D. of

our clients are looking for assistance with preparations for

the group and deserves the credit for our rapid

Brexit and I am happy to support them. Meanwhile I still

expansion over the last decade in particular. We

have many hobbies and interests which keep me busy outside

should emphasise that all of the services mentioned

of the business including lots of family commitments and

above are ‘in house’ and operated by our own directly

spending time with our eight grandchildren.

employed personnel. Our headquarters are located on the Trinity Distribution Park in Felixstowe where we are perfectly positioned to accommodate the safe cross-docking of full container loads which require unpacking on arrival at the Port for urgent onward delivery. We operate 24 hour ‘shunting’ dedicated to efficiently moving loaded containers from the port terminal to our port depot and ensuring the safe return of empty containers. We have plug in points for reefer containers and our Customs controlled warehouse is AEO certified.

COVER FEATURE Q A

Why did you decide to establish your own fleet of trucks and venture into UK container transport services?

Following the financial crisis in 2008 many of our regular and reliable container transportation suppliers sadly folded.

GEORGE SAYS...

It took the rest of the decade to recover.

We just got on with it.

I refused to give in.

Q A

You most recently added a European road freight division, tell us more about that.

This is our latest and fastest growing project. It’s very exciting. As recently as 2014 we made the big decision to extend our logistics services into Europe. By January 2015

As a result we were experiencing difficulties in covering UK

we were already up and running and very pleased to welcome

container deliveries and needed a solution to ensure we

Mike Sharpe into the group as director of George Baker

could maintain our high services levels. And so George Baker

(Europe) Ltd. This new group company provides logistics

(Transport) Ltd was launched, headed up by director Jon

services for both Manufacturer’s and Freight Forwarders.

Goulden. We invested in our own fleet of high-specification

We are able to offer full load, daily groupage and part load

vehicles, with directly employed drivers, which has enabled

services to and from all European destinations, and have all

us to guarantee a reliable and cost-effective container

types of trailers available to suit customer requirements as

delivery service.

approprite. Using our own fleet of vehicles coupled with long established links with reliable partners we are able to provide modern equipment at a competitive price without compromising service levels.

Q A

Q A

What new challenges do you face and what are your expansion plans?

Brexit is by far our greatest potential challenge.

The uncertainty sees us facing the possibility that our Customs documentation workload may increase by anything up to 500%

Q A

What makes you most proud about the George Baker Group today?

Our happy customers, who often take the time to tell me how well they are looked after. A good number of our clients today have been with us from

in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit or a ‘hard Brexit’. Whilst

the start and back in the day I would have been in

such a massive increase in business has to be a positive thing,

regular contact with them, often now I am more likely

it's a daunting prospect. We have already started to recruit

to only bump into them at an industry event or speak

and train additional import entry personnel ‘just in case’ as we

to them only very occasionally. Good old fashioned

prepare for the fact that we may have the need for sudden and

customer service is something we have always prided

vast expansion in our Customs department. Meanwhile all the

ourselves on and I am hugely proud of the positive

group companies just seem to grow ‘organically’ year on year.

feedback we receive.

With technology advancing

all the time, that personal touch is something that is

What do you consider to be your biggest personal achievement?

sadly dying out in some organisations. I am pleased to say that my initial vision of combining a high level of customer service with the latest technology remains

That’s an easy one, it was our survival after January 1993.

one of the core values throughout the group today.

We lost a huge part of our work overnight when the single

I am very proud of our client retention record and

market was established and the EC borders were removed,

of the great relationships enjoyed between our

it was an awful time when so many other decent businesses

customers and staff.

similar to ours went bust. This miserable time coincided with a recession and a catastrophic property crash and we had recently purchased a brand-new office building. It was a terrible experience; it took the rest of the decade for us to recover. We just got on with it, I refused to give in. Gradually we emerged from the brink of ruin to a position of financial strength. I look back on that battle now with tremendous personal pride.

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