Family-run company Wallis Shipping is celebrating its long history and heritage in the freight forwarding industry this Family Business Day (Friday 23rd September 2022).
This year, the transport and logistics company is celebrating its 35th year of operation after it was formed by husband and wife team Stuart and Sue Gregory. Their daughter Jenna Morgan also works at Wallis Shipping, as Commercial Director.
Wallis Shipping employs over 30 people across four locations in the UK and has recently committed to a new environmental manifesto to ensure it is on track to become net zero by 2050.
The firm, which has its headquarters in Langham near Colchester in Essex, has stood the test of time and ridden out multiple recessions, Covid-19, port strikes and Brexit with its family values leading the way.
According to data from Oxford Economics, family-owned firms made up the majority of private sector businesses in the UK. There were 5.2 million businesses that were family-owned in 2019, which was 86.2% of the total. They contributed £637 billion to UK GDP. Family firms employed over 14.2 million people and paid £205 billion in tax receipts.
This year, Wallis Shipping joined Family Business United, the global membership body bringing together and advocating for the family business sector.
Jenna Morgan, Commercial Director of Wallis Shipping, said: “What I love about being part of a family business is being able to make valuable choices; we can help smaller SME clients and charities when the larger multi-nationals don’t want to. We offer a bespoke, reliable service and have always truly put our clients first.”
“Family businesses are part of the backbone of British business, and we are delighted to celebrate Family Business Day. I myself will always try to support family businesses as my first choice for goods and services where I can.”
Established in 1987, Wallis Shipping has managed over 250,000 shipments across the world, including transporting Easter eggs, a James Bond submarine to a film set, parts sent to NASA for the international space station and shipping windfarm equipment to Australia.
Wallis Shipping looks after exports, imports, and cross trades all around the world across sea, air, and road and offers specialisms in global events and exhibitions. The company works with a range of customers in industries such as food and drink, humanitarian aid, energy and renewables, machinery and specialist vehicles, construction and engineering.
