Acquisition, growth & subsequent sale

In 2005 the company's founding group, The Keswick Enterprises Group, made an initial investment in a privately owned European international forwarding and logistics company – which we also supported with business development and management services. Ultimately our shareholding grew to 28%.

In late 2010, after a change in strategy, we bought-out this business's Romanian contract logistics activities and exited our original investment. At the same time we acquired all the shares in another contract logistics service provider – a Romanian joint venture with DHL – when the latter withdrew from the contract logistics sector in that country.

These two businesses, now wholly owned by Keswick Enterprises, were brought together and rebranded as Tibbett Logistics. This enterprise was then managed as a single entity, focused on providing contract logistics services in Romania.

Although initial progress was slow in the aftermath of the 2008-09 financial crisis, the business came through and soon entered a period of sustained and profitable growth – culminating in it becoming the leading business in its sector in Romania. The staff complement grew to 1400, while the number of distribution centres rose to 15 nationwide.

The business continued to provide contract logistics services for a variety of international companies – from retailers to automotive parts suppliers. There were also significant road transport operations – it owned over 100 trailers, curtainsider and reefer – for retail and FMCG customers.

In addition, Tibbett Logistics provided intermodal support services, and operated what was, at that time, Bucharest's only private rail terminal in a busy industrial park. This involved transferring shipments from truck to railway wagon and vice versa on regular rail services between the Port of Constanta on the Black Sea and the nation's capital, along with all related activities – including transport, customs, container management, de-stuffing, etc.

Profitable growth was achieved through the close relationship between Keswick Enterprises' directors and the strong local management team, combined with a focus on following through on a clear expansion strategy. Much of the resulting success was derived from the combination of Keswick's unrivalled industry experience and global best-practice know-how, and the talents of a very able Romanian management team.

At the end of 2017 Tibbett Logistics was sold to Yusen Logistics, and the business continues to expand and develop.

Acquisition & growth

In 2008 The Keswick Enterprises Group acquired a small, privately owned contract packing/co-packing business based in Nelson, Lancashire, in north west England – called Strategy Group. Rebranded as SGL Co-packing Limited, the business focuses on packing confectionery and other dry food products – predominantly for FMCG manufacturers.

After an initially challenging period when a major customer decided to relocate its volumes abroad to be closer to its new factory, we invested substantially in new specialist packing equipment – adding a variety of new lines, and handling everything from bagging to cartoning. This helped the company attract new business.

A programme designed to improve production controls was implemented in 2014, yielding many benefits. After running at close to full-capacity, in 2017, the business expanded into another site adjacent to the first. With this extra space came additional production lines and new volumes. By this stage the business had almost doubled in size.

Today, SGL Co-packing continues as a Keswick Enterprises company, and there are plans in place to further develop and expand its service offering, including e-commerce fulfilment from the end of 2021.

More information: www.sglco-packing.co.uk

Joint venture

In 2014 The Keswick Enterprises Group entered into a new joint venture when it acquired equity in Food Search Worldwide (FSW) in conjunction with the Elbar Group.  The company was renamed Food Services World Wide in 2021, having expanded its customer base and service offerings to more fully reflect its range and geographical spread of activities.

Food Services World Wide is a UK-based international procurement, co-packing and supply chain business, with additional branches in the Netherlands, Turkey and the USA. It specialises in sourcing and purchasing commodities, ingredients and packaging for the food service/QSR sector – importing and warehousing these items in the United Kingdom. It also provides logistical services, including handling, preparation and distribution to customers.

Later the business developed international support operations for franchisees – in markets extending from Nigeria and South Africa to Russia.

A purpose-designed multi-temperature warehouse has recently been built at the company's head office at Foston in Derbyshire, and the added capacity came on stream in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Food Services World Wide's customer base includes the UK & Ireland operations of a well-known international donut chain, together with supplies to its international franchises in a number of territories on behalf of the US-based parent. The business also supported the UK launch and development of a leading international pizza group.

The Keswick Group's management team has extensive experience in joint venture operations. Apart from Food Services World Wide, we have successful joint ventures in the UK and mainland Europe. Many of these continue, while some have been sold to partners or disposed of in trade sales.

Between 2004 and 2010 we operated a joint venture – and had active involvement – with Delamode. During this period, freight forwarding offices were set-up in Central Europe and the Baltic States, and intermodal operations plus a container terminal were opened in Bucharest in Romania. A secondary joint venture was then established in that country with DHL.

At the end of 2010 these joint ventures ceased when Delamode retained the European freight forwarding interests and fuel card operations, while Keswick Enterprises bought-out the contract logistics and intermodal side of the business from both Delamode and DHL in Romania – creating Tibbett Logistics SRL.

In 2006 Keswick Enterprises set up Delamode Proprietati as a joint venture with Delamode to develop property in Romania, and we were bought-out of this operation in 2017 – prior to Delamode's IPO on the London Stock Exchange as Xpediator.

In 2008 we invested loan capital in the UK-based logistics services provider Lane Group. A senior Keswick director joined the main Board, and we subsequently assisted in its sale to Wincanton plc in 2010.

From its earliest days, The Keswick Group had an active supply chain consultancy business – Keswick Management Services (KMS) – which operated in the UK, Middle East, Ukraine and the Balkans. From 2010 KMS entered a collaborative partnership with Graphene, a Warsaw, Poland-based consultancy operating across Europe and in Russia, and the relationship continues.

In 2011