Page 20 - Real Rochdale Issue 20 Winter 2023
P. 20

Graham Poole Road Transport                                                                                 there, the business grew from two vehicles to

                                                                                                                                over 20 vehicles over the next four or five years.
                                                                                                                                This was partly due to winning the contract with
                                                                                                                                Mauser UK shortly after they moved into
                                                                                                                                Littleborough in 2007. It was also due to the fact
                                                                                                                                that the business had expanded with both Apex
                                                                                                                                Logistics and TJ Morris.


                                                                                                                                In 2009, Graham was asked to join The Pallet
                                                                                                                                Network. A separate business was started with
                                                                                                                                three other people, running alongside GPRT for
                                                                                                                                the first 12 months.


                                                                                                                                It was then decided to give the new company            Mick Talks, Steve Schofield, Mick Connelly, Graham Poole,
                                                                                                                                a name and run it independently, giving rise to          Rachel Poole, Angela Metcalfe and Wayne Pilkington
                                                                                                                                GPT Logistics in 2010, with Graham and three                        at the anniversary event
                                                                                                                                other people as directors and shareholders.
                                                                                                                                                                                     Graham Poole Road Transport is run by
                                                                                                                                By 2012, GPRT had outgrown its operating             Graham’s daughter Rachel, who joined the
                                                                                                                                centre on Fishwick Street, and in January 2013       company in 2011.
                                                                                                                                moved onto the Klondike on Chichester Street,
                                                                                                                                where the company still operates from today.         In March 2020, Graham opened a new
                                                                                                                                GPT Logistics and Apex Logistics also both           warehouse facility at Belfield Hall Farm in
                                                                                                                                operate from the same site.                          Rochdale: a 44,000 square foot warehouse, with
          Littleborough haulage company Graham Poole                                                                            The company has capability to transport              over 4,000 racked pallet spaces and 11,000
                                                                                                                                                                                     square feet of bulk stacking space. The facility
          Road Transport celebrated its 25th anniversary                                                                        anything from a small envelope right up to a 44t     also has four dock levellers giving the ability to
                                                                                                                                load.
                                                                                                                                                                                     decant and reload shipping containers.
          in September.                                                                                                         However, the Klondike’s capacity was too big         Currently GPRT and GPT Logistics operate over

                                                                                                                                for what they needed – and the Rochdale LGV          50 vehicles and 60 trailers between them, from
          The company was founded in 1998 by Graham            pay, which at the time was unheard of. That offer                Driver Training was born in February 2013,           the Chichester Street site, and they currently
          Poole, of Littleborough, after working for           saw the continuation of Graham Poole Road                        which currently has three instructors, two rigid     employ more than 100 people locally.
          Wincanton out of the Tesco Distribution Centre       Transport (GPRT) and provided a much-needed                      and two artic training vehicles.
          in Middleton for nine years.                         lifeline for Graham.                                                                                                  Graham decided to semi-retire from his active
                                                                                                                                                                                     role within the company on 3 January 2023, with
          Graham started by getting permission from his        Shortly after starting the night trunk for Apex,                                                                      then-operations manager Wayne Pilkington
          good friend Barry Lang to use his land in            Graham received another phone call from Alan                                                                          being promoted to position of managing
          Littleborough as his operating centre.               Beech, someone whom he worked with for many                                                                           director. Graham still owns the business and
                                                               years at Tesco.                                                                                                       remains present and on hand when needed.
          There were lots of ups and downs during the
          early years. One Sunday afternoon, Graham had        Alan was now working as Transport Manager for                                                                         Over the years, he has supported local charities
          work which would keep him away until                 TJ Morris (Home Bargains) and wanted a route                                                                          including Springhill Hospice, Jolly Josh, Fund
          Wednesday; Graham said to his wife, Andrea:          covering at short notice; Graham managed to                                                                           Polly, Reuben’s Retreat, Littleborough Boxing
          “This is my last load - after this, I am calling it a   find a driver for his truck and covered the route.                                                                 Club, Littleborough Rugby Club. He also does
          day.”                                                This became the foundation of a long-working                                                                          the Santa truck each year handing over 1,500
                                                               relationship between TJ Morris, Apex Logistics                                                                        selection boxes out to local children.
          On that very trip, Graham received a phone call      and GPRT, which has continued since 2005.
          from Steve Ashworth whom he had known for                                                                                                                                  A celebratory event was held on 9 September to
          many years. Steve was looking for someone to         In 2006, GPRT moved to a new operating                            Graham Poole, Allan Chadwick and Terry Britton pictured at   mark the company’s 25th anniversary.
          cover his night trunk and offered Graham weekly      centre on Fishwick Street in Rochdale. From                          Tesco on Stakehill Industrial Park in September 1999


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