Addison Lee acquires Premier Transport Group
Addison Lee is pleased to announce that on 18th February 2009 we completed the acquisition of The Premier Transport Group consisting of Premier Despatch Ltd, Premier First Ltd and Purple Courier Ltd.
The acquisition of Premier Transport Group creates a combined operation with an annual turnover in excess of £118 million. Premier’s 400 vehicles will be added to Addison Lee’s 2,200-strong fleet and together the two companies will provide premium minicab, chauffeur and international courier services to more than 12,200 London corporate account customers. It is Addison Lee’s fourth major company acquisition in as many years.
In a time of economic uncertainty, it would be easy for Addison Lee to sit back and simply consolidate our position as clear market leader in the ground transportation market .However, Addison Lee has revolutionised the private hire industry through acquisition, ground breaking technology and constant reinvestment of profits and it is the absolute belief of the company that this latest acquisition will enable Addison Lee to further strengthen our position as clear market leader and enhance our status as a genuine competitor to the black taxi trade, whilst continuing to improve the image and service offering of the minicab trade in general.
Liam Griffin, managing director of Addison Lee clarified; "This acquisition forms part of our ongoing strategy to consolidate our pole position in the competitive London market. Addison Lee has grown rapidly over the last five years thanks to our professional service and advanced booking technology that offers minicabs within 15 minutes in Central London. We look forward to providing Premier’s customers with the same 'on demand' taxi service our existing clients enjoy."
Fuel for thought
It hopefully hasn't gone unnoticed that Addison Lee's effort to reduce the negative effect of our business on the environment has been fairly relentless. In addition to the recognition we have received in the shape of prestigious awards from the Energy Savings Trust and the accolades bestowed upon us by the London Green 500, there is constant behind the scenes efforts made by our Corporate Social Responsibility team. The environmental issue is clearly not going to go away in a hurry. Companies such as Addison Lee have a definite obligation to source the 'greenest' methods of transport and fuel, which leads nicely on to one of the most contentious subjects of all - hybrid vehicles.
The private hire industry has undoubtedly seen an upsurge of smaller firms adding hybrid vehicles to their fleet, with some companies opting only to have non-diesel cars. The concept appears to be very noble, but what it is not often reported is the methodology involved in creating these battery operated 'runarounds.'
It is a popular misconception that the Toyota Prius is the greenest vehicle on the road. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
The Prius is powered by not one, but two engines: a standard 76 horsepower, 1.5-litre gas engine found in most cars today and an additional battery powered engine that deals out 67 horsepower and 295ft/lbs of torque below 2000 revolutions per minute. Essentially, the Toyota Synergy Drive System, as it is so called, propels the car from a dead stop to up to 30mph. This is where the largest percent of gas is consumed. The battery is recharged through the braking system and when the gasoline engine takes over anywhere above 30mph.
Building a Toyota Prius causes considerably more environmental damage than a standard diesel car. As previously mentioned, the Prius is partly driven by a battery, which contains nickel. The nickel is mined and smelted at a plant in Sudbury, Ontario. The plant produces 1,000 tons of nickel annually and has caused so much environmental damage to the surrounding landscape that NASA has used the ‘dead zone’ around the plant to test moon rovers. The surrounding area is devoid of any life for miles.
It was reported by the Canadian Greenpeace energy coordinator, David Martin, that the acid rain around Sudbury was so severe that all plant life was destroyed and the soil slid off the hillside.
However, the environmental damage does not stop at the plant. The nickel is subsequently transported via massive container ships to the largest nickel refinery in Europe. From there, the nickel is flown to China to produce ‘nickel foam.’ From China, it is then sent to Japan and finally, the completed batteries are shipped to the country of sale, completing a multi-continent journey required to produce a single Prius battery.
Addison Lee has given considerable thought to adding hybrid vehicles into our fleet. As London's largest minicab company and with a proud history of reinvesting profits into innovation and technological advancements, if we considered it to be both environmentally friendly and better for our clients, we wouldn't hesitate to do so. However, it is our absolute belief that this simply isn't the case.
Energy Saving Trust Award
Addison Lee is delighted to have won another prestigious environmental award, The Energy Saving Trust’s Fleet Hero award for large fleets.
The Fleet Hero awards aim to highlight best practice in fleet management. The awards aim to acknowledge organisations that are addressing climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. Best practice will be recognised as these organisations demonstrate the way forward in green fleet management. This includes reducing the total mileage travelled, reduced emissions from private cars used on business, used technology innovatively, leading by example, or simply taking a series of sound steps that together have made a big difference.
Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust commented: “The winners and runners up in the Fleet Hero Awards have taken simple, practical steps which not only help the environment but also help to save money and resources. My congratulations go to them all. They provide an example to any business or organisation that operates a fleet - no matter what size.”
This award is further confirmation of Addison Lee’s unwavering commitment to improving the environment in which we operate. Since 2002, Addison Lee has employed a full-time Corporate Social Responsibility Manager and we have made subsequent reductions in emissions of 17.6%.
Liam Griffin, Managing Director of Addison Lee commented: “Environmental awareness will continue to remain at the forefront of our business plans and we are delighted to have received further recognition of our efforts in this field”
Fares fair?
Fares fair?
Let’s get something straight. Black taxis are part of London life and here at Addison Lee, you will never hear us saying anything different. Historically, industry regulations leaned heavily in the favour of the Hackney carriage, making it difficult for private hire minicab companies such as Addison Lee to compete in a fiercely competitive market place. However, in recent years things have changed. Tougher legislation has forced many of the smaller and less professionally run minicab companies out of business and allowed Addison Lee to flourish and grow to a point where we are seen as a genuine alternative to the black taxi. Last year, Addison Lee carried out over 45 million pounds worth of cash bookings. Effectively, these are journeys that are our equivalent to hailing a black taxi. So what’s the difference? Well firstly, the price. On average, an Addison Lee minicab journey will be 35% cheaper than a black cab. Now that’s fine. We live in an open market and would never try to advocate restrictions of trade. Frankly, people can charge what they want. However, the point of interest here is that last year, the Public Carriage Office approved an astonishing 3 tariff increases for black cab companies, in a financial environment that saw most companies across other industry sectors desperately struggling to keep their heads above water.
Still, the days of our black taxi friends monopolising the streets of London are long gone. Addison Lee has over 2000 vehicles on the road and will arrive within 15 minutes of being booked. Our cars are all less than 3 years old, have satellite navigation, air conditioning and, what’s more, you wont see a meter clocking up astronomic fares for the crime of being stuck in traffic. What we quote you is what you pay. End of story.
As I said, black taxis definitely have a part to play in London life. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to work out what that role is.
Jeremy Butler - Addison Lee
