AN Ayrshire supply chain management and logistics services group is aiming for annual turnover of more than £100 million within the next few years, after hiking revenues by 21 per cent to £35.6 million in 2022.

Troon-based CCL Logistics & Technology, which is majority-owned by founder and chief executive Callum Bastock, is targeting revenue of around £45m in its current financial year to December 31, 2023, in spite of what it describes as a “challenging industry backdrop”.

It plans to further increase its workforce, and expects to make an acquisition by the end of this year.

CCL’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased to more than £2.1m in the year to December 2022, topping £2m for the first time. EBITDA in 2021 was £1.8m.

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A spokesman for CCL said “the EBITDA level is likely to increase more rapidly over the next couple of years” and, asked if the group had been profitable at the pre-tax level in 2021 and 2022, he confirmed that it had.

The business now employs more than 120 people, having added to its headcount significantly, and further hires, including a head of sustainability, are planned. Headcount was 102 at the end of 2021, the spokesman said.

Explaining its formation in 1999, and its operating model, CCL says on its website: “It doesn’t get much bigger than the logistics sector, with global giants and local providers all doing their best to serve customers.

“We looked at several ways to enter the market - and add value - as a traditional logistics provider with wheels and assets. However, no amount of planning could square the circle and create that experience. So we approached selected carriers and asked if they would work with us to move parcels, pallets and freight on our customers' behalf, and thankfully many said ‘yes’.”

It adds: “This gave us the global logistics infrastructure we needed to build our value proposition. Fast forward to today, and we still work with many of the original carriers as part of the thousands of providers we use each month.”

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The group serves manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers.

CCL, which has sites in Bellshill, Derby and Aylesbury as well as at Troon and has registered the trademark “Delivering Happiness”, highlights growth in its customer base. It notes that more than 1,500 businesses now engage it to meet their “logistics and technology requirements”.

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The company noted that it “continues to invest in…people and technology development”.

It added that it had invested more than £2.5m at its Bellshill innovation centre in 2022.

Mr Bastock said: “Essentially, we help customers – manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers – simplify their supply chain, significantly improve productivity, reduce costs, and grow sustainably, and this approach has helped scale our business.

“In revenue terms, we are building on multiple years of double digit [percentage] growth, and increasing demand for our innovative technology from customers in the UK and Europe means we can be ambitious enough to target revenue in excess of £100 million over the next few years.”

He added: “The year-on-year investment we have made in our team, our technology, and an absolute focus on our target market has allowed CCL to grow strongly during the year. This is against an industry facing supply chain disruption due to changes in the behaviour of consumers, markets and the supplier base. The speed of change is forcing our customers to think differently.” CCL said it had, over the last 12 months, added features to its bespoke transport management system, myCCL. This platform has been designed to give customers complete supply chain visibility, managing each shipment from collection to delivery, and is supported by a customer service team. The group also flagged significant investment in its sea freight service, and a “greener routes” initiative which it said enables customers to measure, manage, and minimise carbon dioxide emissions.

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Mr Bastock said: “Sustainability is paramount for our larger UK and European customers, and the CO2 emissions calculator embedded in our transport management system provides customers with a CO2 statement at the click of a button.”

“We are helping to facilitate Scottish and UK export trade in a much more sustainable fashion, so we’re pleased to be playing a supporting role in terms of being a driver of economic impact. Exporting and importing is complex, and we simplify the whole process for our customer base.”

CCL noted it had, since the beginning of 2022, added more than 15 people to its Bellshill innovation centre technology team, which now totals more than 40.