Headford Group newsletter 2023

A word from Craig

The Headford Group is the leading management consultancy for the freight industry and has a range of services to assist freight companies with their growth strategy.

Our aim is simple...

1. Partner with our clients and agree a clear growth strategy.

2. Provide the marketing platform to produce the right type of enquiries at the right pace.

3. Source market-leading talent

4. Present any suitable acquisition targets to ensure a higher level of guaranteed growth.

5. Offer a tax-efficient, effective exit strategy for owners aiming to sell their freight business.

Mission statement

To be the globe’s leading strategic growth consultancy for the freight forwarding industry.

Forming valuable partnerships with our clients and offering them an effective growth strategy at any stage of their journey.

Headford...

Your Strategic Growth Partner

Director’s summary

2022 was a very exciting year at Headford. We have been recruiting heavily internally and are in the process of building our board to take the company to the next level.

We worked with a dedicated non-executive director to strengthen the board and assist me with building the foundations needed to drop SME status within 10 years.

Staff training as always has been of paramount importance and we have also recruited a training manager to support and develop the team’s skill set. This will have a significant impact on service levels and Headford’s ability to deliver with the utmost speed, efficiency and accuracy.

We have budgeted to hire an additional 24 recruitment consultants in 2023 so that we can further our global expansion. The group really is gearing up for rapid growth.

Craig Headford – Managing Director, Headford Group

Headford Group’s 20th anniversary

Entrepreneur Craig Headford’s logistics industry business and recruitment agency, Headford Group, has reached a significant milestone: 20 years of successfully placing people in strategic logistics roles around the world.

Craig joined the freight industry at 16 and spent the next 14 years in both operations and sales. In 2002, he decided to combine his experience in logistics and recruitment into what became Headford Group. That’s 35 years of almost uninterrupted experience and knowledge.

He says, ‘I believed I could add significant value to the bottom line of a lot of my contacts in the industry, combining my overall knowledge of the forwarding industry and my extensive recruitment training from a market-leading recruitment business.’

The core of the Headford Group success is Craig’s ethos: that the need to create a business that is more a family of personnel than a group of individuals who lack any team spirit is vital. He says ‘we are still now very much a familystyle business and my management team are very loyal and close to me. My vision is to build a legacy.’

After two decades at the helm, Craig retains the passion he had when he launched the business in 2002.

He says, ‘whilst I am at the helm ,we certainly have a passion for growth. My vision is to build a business globally that employs over 1,000 people.’

Craig says, ‘there is a massive skills shortage in freight forwarding globally. We are fighting this head on by the use of our job board, forwardingjobs.com. We are adding additional executive search consultants and seeing a massive increase in our candidate marketing spend. We genuinely believe that with our combined resource as a group we have access to more candidates than all of our competitors combined.’

Needless to say, everyone in the Group is very excited about the next 20 years.

Craig Headford – Managing Director, Headford Group

In 2022 we returned to Multimodal with FORWARDER magazine for what was a very successful event.

Our stand displayed a delicious array of homemade cupcakes by our team member which provided us with many entertaining photos from our visitors. We were thrilled to catch up with our clients and converse with likeminded individuals in the freight forwarding and logistics industry. We also ran a competition in the magazine where the winner would receive a free advertisement by simply handing us their business card. We are excited to say that FORWARDER magazine gained lots of traction from Multimodal last year, with our magazines flying off the shelves. We look forward to attending again this year.

Tony Serb – Sales Executive, FORWARDER magazine

Department summary

2022 was a fantastic year for the group.

I have come on board this year to help do it all again, bigger and better. What better way to demonstrate that than by introducing two great new hires...

Daniella Goodwin – Chief Growth Officer, Headford Group

I am a highly motivated individual with a history in sales, I take pride in whatever I do, I achieve anything I set my mind to. I am educated to a university level with a bachelors degree.

My experience is sales orientated with lots of training in people skills and communication. I love combat sports (current ICO middle-weight World Champion in K1 kickboxing) and 5th Dan blackbelt. I also enjoy gaming.

Favourite animal: Panther

Interesting fact: The official name for boxing is not boxing but pugilism meaning to practice skills of fighting with fists.

I am a driven individual who started my career in the aerospace industry working with Rolls Royce and Airbus. I decided to have a career change, and I then did door-to-door sales. The experience I built up helped me transfer into event sales where I was working with C-level executives from Fortune 500 companies daily. I have since changed careers again to recruitment as I felt like a fresh challenge.

Favourite animal: Lion

Interesting fact: When the moon is directly overhead, you weigh slightly less due to the gravitational force of the moon against the Earth’s. get in touch...

+1 (786) 233 5774 jorell@forwardingjobs.com

headfordgroup.com +44 (0)1454 275 940

info@headfordgroup.com

Global service for a global industry

Headford USA

ForwardingJobs USA

Principal Consultant +1 (645) 513 2733 luke@forwardingjobs.com

Principal Consultant +1 (646) 912 8288 mark@headfordgroup.com

Danae Voudouri

Headford EU/UK Recruitment Consultant +30 697 2756 183 danae@headfordgroup.com

Headford UK/US/EU/UAE

ForwardingJobs UK/US

Daniella Goodwin

ForwardingJobs UK

Recruitment consultant +44 (0)161 696 1738 scott@forwardingjobs.com

Headford Group

Chief Growth Officer +44 (0)1454 275 934 daniella@headfordgroup.com

Luke Hatt

Scott Haynes

Mark Jury

Training for success

Due to its global growth strategy, the Headford Group has invested heavily into staff training and has recently appointed Maria Stevens as their group training manager.

Maria has over 20 years’ experience as a recruiter training manager and in that time she has worked for some of the leading recruitment firms.

CEO Craig Headford said, ‘We see staff training as an integral part of our rapid growth strategy. If our staff are trained well and are successful in their role, they will enjoy the Headford journey from trainee consultant to profit centre manager or director.’

The company is implementing training plans for all employees at all stages of their career. Maria will provide bespoke training to support the growing team.

Using the Group’s full range of resources, it’s doing everything it can to be as efficient as humanly possible at placing freight industry professionals into jobs.

It uses a combination of FORWARDER magazine (trade press), ForwardingJobs.com (the industry’s leading online job board), the largest database (manned by a team of dedicated data entry professionals for candidates and clients) and its highly trained team of recruiters and headhunters, covering key geographical regions and vertical markets, to fulfil the recruitment needs of its clients.

Headford enjoyed its 20th year of trading in 2022 and our firm belief is that in that time it has perfected the art of freight industry recruitment.

Craig Headford – CEO, Headford Group

Your strategic growth partner

Short of actually moving things around, we as a group cover quite a few bases in the freight industry. We’re no one-stop shop though, no ‘jack of all trades, master of none’. Each division is 100% specialist in what they do. We are experts in every stage of the ownership of a freight company, from initial purchase, to organic growth and team expansion, to marketing the business, to growth through mergers & acquisitions, to the final sale of your company.

If you are passionate about growth and would like some assistance, please contact one of the offices or divisions above.

ForwardingJobs recruitment consultancy has recently celebrated its 1st birthday and, being part of the Headford Group, we had big shoes to fill.

We have met and exceeded our goals and continue to grow even more, working together as a team and helping our candidates and clients the best way we can: by being ethical and putting their needs first

As specialists in the freight forwarding industry we have been working effortlessly, putting our clients’ and candidates’ needs first. Therefore we are receiving more business through referrals and repeat business, and becoming the go-to agency for our clients as well as achieving personal targets and internal promotions.

As a start-up, to make it successful it is never an easy ride but hard work and consistency, backed with a driven and motivated team, will always be a recipe for success.

The ForwardingJobs team signed up new clients consistently, found candidates their perfect roles and created a revenue stream within a short period and is not stopping there.

The goal is to build the team and reach the £1m mark!

Daniella Goodwin – Chief Growth Officer, Headford Group

Global service for a global industry

ForwardingJobs, the new-look recruitment agency, has developed into a leading brand within the freight and logistics industry. Dominating in territories across the US & Europe, achieving unprecedented success.

The team of experienced search consultants use revolutionary ways to attract and represent the best talent in the industry. This results in record revenues, enabling growth at a fast pace.

Luke Hatt – Principal Consultant, ForwardingJobs USA

staff

work

M&A Freight Mergers

Recruitment Mergers

Department summary

Following on from 2020 and 2021 where we were in the thick of the pandemic, we are in the process of rebuilding the team and onboarding clients. Entering 2022 proved to be extremely busy, but successful; Freight Mergers and Recruitment Mergers have developed not only as brands, but in size.

Over the course of 2023 the team has grown to four M&A consultants, spread across Freight and Recruitment Mergers. This is due to an increase in clients, which has evolved from social media marketing, business development and deal completions.

Richard Booth – M&A Consultant, Freight Mergers

M&A in freight

Freight Mergers have and are working with a range of clients across the UK and internationally.

We have completed a transaction with a Heathrow-based freight forwarder that was acquired by a large, US-based logistics company seeking a base in the UK. At the time of writing we are currently dealing with twelve sell-side mandates, three at sales purchase agreement stage and two due to complete very soon. Moving into 2024, we are expecting to continue growing and to see further success.

(0)1454 628 772

(0)1454 628 797

(0)1454 275 939

Department summary

Recruitment Mergers has grown over the past couple of years, with Oliver Thornhill and Alex Reading joining the team. We have completed transactions on both buy side and sell side. We sourced the platform asset for a fund’s buy-and-build strategy; this was a healthcare agency on frameworks.

As the year has developed we have been working with a range of clients, from £5m-revenue agencies to multimillion pound private equity funds based in Europe. Recruitment Mergers is on a positive trajectory for 2023, with transactions looking to complete across the blue-collar temporary industry to white-collar tech and IT. Craig

Department summary

Key achievements throughout the year.

I joined Freight Solutions in May 2022 as Media Executive and within a few months managed to set new milestones, securing new business worldwide also helping planning the future of the department with our CEO and COO.

The team has grown and we are covering a lot more events and exhibitions in Europe to ensure full visibility of our brand in relevant markets and environments.

Tower Cold Chain, London Freight Club, Multimodal, FORWARDER events, Antwerp XL Belgium, Logistics and Transportation Conference Poland are the events on our agenda or recently attended/hosted. We secured a media partnership with all mentioned, setting new standards whilst improving the quantity and quality of our client base.

We managed to organise our own event called the ‘FORWARDER event’ first of its kind, that initially started as an idea in August, leaving us with less than 2 months to complete.

It has been a fantastic journey for me and I am super excited about what the future brings.

Antoniu Serb – Media Executive

Growing up in Cornwall, I craved the bright lights of the big city and moved to Bristol 20 years ago, before moving on to London in 2008. Moved back to Bristol in 2012 and now live in Clevedon with my wife and 5-year-old boy.

Big football fan, I have recently started coaching Clevedon United under 5’s. Prior to joining Forwarder, I worked in Contact Centre and Sales Management for 10 years before moving in to Corporate Events Management in 2018.

Really excited to be working on the Forwarder Brand and growing the event & Magazine business to a global audience..

Interests Football, Real Ale.

Fav Animal

Not a massive animal lover – maybe a Tasmanian Devil. Paul Stoneman – Co-ordinator, FORWARDER events

Introducing FORWARDER events

Having spent so many memorable evenings (and inevitably subsequent nights) in London at events such as London Freight Club, we decided that we would be proud to host one of our own.

FORWARDER events sits within FORWARDER magazine’s family of products, and is another platform and forum for existing and new friends in the industry to come together, hear each other’s stories and make some connections.

And the beat goes on...line

FORWARDER events are delighted to announce the launch of our new website forwarder.events

We launched this website to provide everything you need to know about FORWARDER events. Tickets to our next event, which will be held in Windsor on 5 October 2023, will be available to purchase via the website. Guests will also have the opportunity to book accommodation for the night at a reduced rate via our website.

Designed and created by our in-house web design expert, Mohit Jitendra, our new website has an easy to navigate interface, enabling visitors to find all the information they need about our past and future events.

The site features testimonials from our attendees as well as the agenda for our next event so prospective attendees can get an idea of what to expect at our networking events.

After the success of our first event in 2022 with Martin Johnson as guest speaker, we’re now planning our fourth event in Windsor in October. Maybe we’ll see you there!

‘FORWARDER events’ will be a regular sight in the freight & logistics business/social calendar.

Tim Headford – Head of Design, Headford Group

Visitors to the site can view photographs and videos from our past event. There are links to our Sponsors' websites and you can see some of the companies who have attended.

Please take a look at forwarder.events and do let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions of how we can improve our website.

If you or your company would like a new or updated website please contact Mark Jury on 01454 275 946 or email paul@forwarder.events

Paul Stoneman – Co-ordinator, FORWARDER events

Department summary

FORWARDER events is a welcome change to traditional networking events!

We hosted our first event on October 13th 2022 to coincide with Headford Group’s 20 year anniversary. Our clients have praised us for bringing the fun element to networking. We are busy planning our fourth work-hard, play-hard event so be sure to follow us to stay up to date.

Paul Stoneman – Events Co-ordinator, FORWARDER events

Forwarder Events: Expanding Horizons...

...in Heathrow, Windsor, Manchester and beyond. A thriving platform for networking, learning, and growth in the logistics and freight forwarding industry

The logistics and freight forwarding industry has witnessed a surge of innovation and growth in recent years. One of the key catalysts behind this progress is the emergence of events like Forwarder, a series of impactful gatherings that bring together professionals from across the sector. Hosted by renowned industry expert Jamie Breese, Forwarder events have become a must-attend for professionals seeking to expand their network, gain valuable insights, and enjoy some fantastic social experiences.

Taking place in strategic locations such as Heathrow, Windsor, and Manchester, Forwarder events offer a unique blend of networking opportunities, keynote speeches, and panel discussions. These forums enable attendees to engage with thought leaders, share best practices, and stay updated on the latest trends and developments in the industry. As an added bonus, the events also feature delicious lunches and socials, providing ample opportunity for informal conversations and relationship-building.

One of the key strengths of Forwarder events is the quality of its speakers and panelists. These experts come from diverse backgrounds, offering a wealth of experience and knowledge across various aspects of logistics and freight forwarding. Attendees can expect to learn from the best, gaining insights that can help them enhance their own operations and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

As the reputation and impact of Forwarder events have grown, so too has the support from sponsors. Companies such as Seetec Outsource, Toll Group, CDN Consular, and Gaston Schul have lent their backing to these gatherings, seeing the benefits of increased brand awareness and engagement with industry professionals. The ongoing support from these sponsors is a testament to the value and effectiveness of Forwarder events in fostering business growth and collaboration.

The next event on the Forwarder calendar is the full launch of our October event, back at Heathrow. There will be a grand Social Media Launch of the event, with announcements of Speakers, Sponsors and much more! Tickets are available now! This highly anticipated gathering promises to be bigger and better than ever, with several new sponsors joining the ranks of ongoing supporters. The event launch is expected to generate significant buzz in the industry, and attendees can look forward to an enriching experience featuring expert speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and excellent networking opportunities.

In conclusion, Forwarder events are playing an increasingly important role in driving innovation, collaboration, and progress in the logistics and freight forwarding industry. With a focus on networking, learning, and growth, these gatherings are helping professionals stay ahead of the curve and adapt to the challenges of a rapidly changing landscape. As Forwarder continues to expand its reach and influence, the future looks bright for all those involved in this dynamic and exciting sector.

Paul Stoneman – Co-ordinator, FORWARDER events

Department summary

FORWARDER magazine reached its 80-issue milestone this year and we’re very proud to have not missed a beat, even during the pandemic.

We also launched FORWARDER USA last year. The pilot went out before COVID hit, so that put the brakes on it for a while. We’re on issue 5 and it’s been well received so far.

Tim Headford – Designer, FORWARDER magazine

Born (again) in the USA

Craig Headford – Editor-in-Chief, FORWARDER USA

Back office

The back office has enjoyed the group’s growth, and 2022 was a fantastic year overall. The Headford Group’s expansion has resulted in the addition of a large number of new workers, new job responsibilities and opportunities for internal advancement.

We bolstered our support team in the areas of social media management, events co-ordination, data administration, sales support and accounts management. The back office has successfully implemented new software and tools to make the whole group run more smoothly, including payroll, HR and sales platforms.

The back office has played a significant role in the group’s performance and expansion, providing analytical reporting to support management plans, streamline group operations, boost leads for the sales team and support new initiatives such as FORWARDER events.

I’m immensely proud of the back-office team’s effort, passion and hard work over the past year. The back office has been an integral part of last year’s success, continuing into 2023.

Chris Tissier – Senior Operations Manager, Headford Group

headfordgroup.com +44 (0)1454 275 957

info@headfordgroup.com

Work for Headford website relaunch

WorkforHeadford has been rebuilt from the ground up, following recent evolution of the company structure and goals. The original version of the site was always well regarded and directly resulted in some very successful hires. The new website is slicker, more modern and allows for the later addition of all sorts of content, from staff intro videos to polls on preferred work perks. It was designed and built by Headford’s in-house creatives.

Headford Group is engaged in an ongoing recruitment drive, with plans to grow by two members of staff per month until they reach their goal of 250 staff before founder and CEO Craig Headford retires around the close of the decade.

The redesigned and rebuilt internal recruitment website is just one tool in their expansion toolbox, accompanying the recent appointment of Daniella as Chief Growth officer.

If you would like to talk to me about any of our roles (or would just like some more information about the group) please don’t hesitate to email us at careers@workforheadford.com or call us on +44 (0)1454 275 940

A word from the team

Headford Group is further strengthening their accounts team by hiring Deborah.

Deborah has taken on the role of bookkeeping within the accounts department, and is learning all aspects of keeping the accounts accurate and in good order. Having a background of many years in the banking industry and being close friends with the CEO Craig Headford, Deborah was a great fit for the role due to the rapport with the CEO and her skills. Headford Group

needed someone that was trustworthy and could be relied on, but who also had a keen eye for detail and a strong mathematical aptitude.

Deborah has settled into her new role exceptionally well and is a lovely person to have in the office. She has a kind personality and enjoys travelling, cooking and spending time with her children. We are excited to have expanded our accounts team and are optimistic and looking forward to the future.

Daniella Joins as Chief Growth Officer

Congratulations on the appointment of Chief Growth Officer for the Headford Group. Daniella has exceptional management skills, a strategic mindset with visionary leadership, She is well poised to spearhead the company’s expansion and drive its success to unprecedented heights. As the Chief Growth Officer, Daniella is responsible for developing and implementing innovative growth strategies, identifying new market opportunities, and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders. Her ability to analyse market trends and inspire cross-functional teams will undoubtedly propel the company towards achieving its ambitious goals.

A little about Daniella:

About me: I live in Bristol but am originally from Berkshire, I live in the suburbs with my partner and two mainecoon cats. I look after the recruitment businesses at the Headford Group (Forwarding Jobs, Headford RPO and and Headford USA) looking after the P&L’s. I build and implement business & tech strategies for our strategic roadmaps across the brands.

Beyond my experience with Headhunting, leading teams and running my own businesses I possess a genuine warmth and a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. In my free time I can be found networking, trying out new Indian restaurants across the country and spending time with friends. I have a unwavering drive and commitment to excellence. Now working for the Headford Group I will continue to make significant contributions and inspire those around me to reach their full potential.

Relevant experience: A passionate Entrepreneur with 15 years building business ecosystems globally through Headhunting and Coaching within, Freight, Tech and SaaS Sales.

Hobbies/Interests: Food and Wine Lover, Gym Addict, scaling businesses and travelling.

Interesting fact: Big petrol head! I drive a Mustang and attend many car festivals throughout the year.

Forwarder Magazine supports the Ukraine Crisis

The intense and bloody conflict in Ukraine is threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of civilians across the country. Thousands are fleeing. People have been injured. Many lives have been lost.

Staff at FORWARDER magazine have created a positive channel for financial support to help those who need it most in this crisis. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) charities and their local partners in Ukraine are working to meet the immediate needs of all people fleeing with food, water, medical assistance, protection and trauma care. Every pound donated by the UK public will be matched by the Government up to £20 million. Our big-hearted FORWARDER magazine readers can rest assured that their donations could help millions through our JustGiving page.

▪ £30 could provide essential hygiene supplies for three people for one month

▪ £50 could provide blankets for four families

▪ £100 could provide emergency food for two families for one monthVisit our Just Giving Page to make a donation: justgiving.com/fundraising/forwardermagazine-ukraine-aid

THE UKRAINE CRISIS