AN award-winning Scottish-based haulage firm has recently completed a six-figure contract with stricken cruise vessel, the Costa Concordia.
Grampian Continental, headquartered in Kinellar, Aberdeenshire, has been working as part of the salvage project of the Costa Concordia, which sank in January 2012 off the coast of Tuscany, Italy.
The haulage firm, which was launched in 2009 by directors Gavin Murray, Neil Bremner and Michael Lacey, utilised its bases in Europe to help transport the specialist equipment that was used to raise the vessel out of the water, at the start of this year.
Grampian Continental, which has another four bases in Newcastle, Great Yarmouth, Holland and Italy, used 15 trucks, driving the equipment from the dock in Italy to storage units in Holland.
The firm, which has a modern fleet of trucks and trailers with the capability of transporting a diverse range of loads, transported the large equipment over three weeks, with a police escort due to the size and arranged all the specialist permits required.
Business development manager at Grampian Continental, Ben Gracie, said: “Working with the salvaging operation of the Concordia, has provided Grampian Continental with a great deal of experience, due to the size of the project and all the permits and legal requirements that we had to adhere to.
“As we have facilities across Europe, we already had the fleet to complete the job, but we had to overcome the challenges of Italian authorities and, of course, respect the sensitive issues surrounding the vessel salvage operation.
“We used our knowledge and experience of working in Europe to ensure the project ran smooth from start to finish.”
The haulage firm, named Scotland’s European Haulier of the Year 2012, has shown significant growth in the last year with an £400,000 expansion to its premises in Aberdeen, and £300,000 investment to bolster its fleet of vehicles to support its European bases, as well as £70,000 invest in its Northumberland base.
The firm works with more than 550 clients in the UK and 300 in Holland, with a fleet of 120 trucks and trailers, delivering a large percentage of work for the oil and gas sector to support exploration projects with logistical requirements.
Issued by Frasermedia Ltd on behalf of Grampian Continental Ltd.
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