A key logistics business at Manchester Airport’s World Freight Terminal has tripled the size of its operation at the cargo hub, to almost 12,000 sq ft, after posting year on year growth of 42% in the year to March 2017, weathering political uncertainty over Brexit.
Manchester businessman Marc Waterfield’s logistics business, Select Transport, has made the landmark announcement after starting from humble beginnings in Marc’s mother’s garage in Wythenshawe 23 years ago.
Now taking pride of place at the World Freight Terminal, Manchester Airport, Marc is leading his Select Transport business on a journey of continued expansion, using the airport’s global route connections as his platform for growth.
The news comes as the World Freight Terminal celebrates its 30th anniversary. By providing the facilities, experience and expertise to handle all types of air cargo 24/7, the World Freight Terminal has continued to expand to meet the needs of importers, exporters and logistics firms from across the UK.
Select Transport specialises in road collections and deliveries for the air cargo industry’s “freight forwarding” community. Freight forwarding firms arrange shipping and storage on behalf of companies needing to send goods by air. The prime location at the World Freight Terminal is seen by Marc as key to his business’ success.
Select Transport has built a reputation based on trust and reliability around Manchester and the North West. Building on this reputation, it has recently diversified into “off airport” contracts, providing freight and delivery services for large global businesses. Marc Waterfield is proud of the new warehouse operation at Manchester Airport as well as his fleet of vehicles that has also increased almost fourfold in recent months.
Marc recently re-branded the business, formally known as Select Euro Express, to “Select Transport”, with the new image designed to represent a clearly defined goal of continued growth in the region.
Select Transport is a powerful example of a strong family business, with Marc as Managing Director and his father, John Waterfield, still running the warehouse some 23 years after they first set up Select. The family theme continues within the operation with father and son Gary and Matthew Morris running the daily operations and keeping the freight moving around the North West 24 hours a day.
The plans for future growth continue as Marc explains:
“We now plan to invest further into security screening, with specialist X-ray equipment and a new security screening team to ensure we can offer a one stop shop for our customers. Cargo security screening is the next step for Select to ensure we can maintain the level of growth and continue to invest in Manchester’s freight forwarding community.
“Growing up in Wythenshawe, I’ve always had connections to Manchester Airport through friends and family and it’s fantastic now to be expanding my business here in this location.”
In 2017/18, Select Transport have budgeted to continue to expand on and off airport, keep renewing its modern fleet of vehicles and invest in local recruitment.
Matthew Bird, Property Manager, at MAG Property said: “It is pleasing that more companies are seeing the advantage of locating at Manchester Airport. Our focus at MAG Property is to identify the most appropriate property solution to suit the individual needs of businesses and, in particular, those in industry sectors that benefit from airport locations. We’re proud to be supporting Select Transport in the expansion of their business”
