Freight and haulage company Northwards has announced a £1.5 million investment in new vehicles to service Northern Isles ferry connections in Aberdeen.
The Shetland-based company said its latest new trucks would “predominantly” link ferry arrivals and departures in the Granite City with delivery points across central Scotland.
They are replacing vehicles which are being redeployed to Lerwick and Cumbernauld to service “an increasing volume of daily freight handled through our pallet network into Scotland”.
Some of the displaced trucks will support clients in the renewable energy and aquaculture sectors.
Investment planned for later in 2021 will be directed towards our services from central Scotland to Inverness and onwards to Caithness and Orkney.”
Mike Porter, managing director, Northwards
It comes just months after Northwards, which has bases in Shetland, Orkney, Aberdeen, Inverness, Scrabster and central Scotland, invested an undisclosed sum in new vehicles and containers to fulfil a new contract with Orkney Islands Council.
That followed the firm moving its Inverness operation to a new, larger depot. The relocation to Harbour Road from Carsegate Road created four new jobs in the Highland capital.
Managing director Michael Porter said the latest investment marked a “significant and strategic expansion” for Northwards.
He added: “Investment planned for later in 2021 will be directed towards our services from central Scotland to Inverness and onwards to Caithness and Orkney.”
New brand identity
It also coincides with a major rebranding of the company. Northwards said its new brand identity, which has already started to appear across depots, vehicles, signage and workwear, reflected and supported its “ambitious and constantly developing plans for the future”.
Mr Porter added: “Like most businesses, Northwards has, since it was first established in 2002, been quietly going about its business, listening to feedback from the market sectors that it supports and gradually moving forward.
“In recent years we have opened new depots in Aberdeen, Inverness and Cumbernauld, and entered into strategic partnerships to provide pallet delivery services throughout the UK and also further afield through the vessels and European terminals of our parent company, Sea Cargo.
“As our growth plans were being realised, so our branding had to reflect our position as a leader in the freight sector in the north of Scotland.
“Success brings with it a need to evolve, so this brand development programme has been initiated to highlight to our customers and to our own people the status and the principles of the company.”
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