ONE of Ireland's leading refrigerated haulage and logistics companies Hannon Transport has reported a marked upturn in its turnover and profits.
The Aghalee company, which specialises in the delivery of cut flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy and general goods all over Ireland and Britain as well as the Benelux countries, saw its sales rise from £20.4m to £21.4m in the year to January past.
Profit for the year after depreciation and tax came in at £685,462 - up from £634,075 a year earlier.
And the company - which earlier this year set up a steel distribution business - also revealed that its staff numbers during the trading period had jumped from 119 to 143, which includes more than 100 drivers (in turn the wages bill leapt from £3.8m to £4.6m).
Hannon Transport - whose two directors are Aodh and Teresa Hannon - has evolved from being a modest haulage business in the early 1990s to one of the most successful in Ireland, operating from bases in Aghalee, Dublin, Rotterdam and Poeldijk near Amsterdam.
The company's ongoing investment in its 150-strong fleet of Schmitz Cargobull lorries and IT-led transport management systems keeps it at the top of the efficiency curve.
In notes accompanying the figures filed at Companies House, managing director Aodh Hannon said: "Though 2015 we have steadily increased our customer offering to and from Germany and are building a groupage service to this highly significant market to allow Irish producers to build their markets there.
"We have secured significant relationships with German processors importing into Ireland, which completes the circle."
He added: "Hannon's business and reputation was built on the transportation and returns management of cut flowers and plants from the Netherlands to Ireland.
"The import market is highly specialised and still very significant for it, and is run using a dedicated fleet of specialist vehicles and drivers.
"Our growth over the last three years is down to consolidating our reputation and widening our markets to include the importing of fruit, vegetables and meat as the Irish consumer is demanding a wider choice."
