For our next Atlas member interview, we talked to Steve Horton from Dover, United Kingdom. We discussed building a business from scratch, the industry’s slow transition to going paperless and the continuous improvement of their customer service.

How did you get started in the logistics industry and what has your journey been like so far?

The lure of riding a motorcycle got me involved in the logistic industry with my first job at the age of 16 being a dock runner who delivered the paperwork to Customs and other government departments. I progressed through the ranks until the UK joined the EU in 1992 and the need for paperwork disappeared overnight.

I continued my logistics journey working for transport companies, ferry companies before returning back to the Customs Clearance world in 2001, here I learned my trade as a freight forwarder until the opportunity came along to start my own business in 2017. From a desk in the spare room at my home until where we are now in a commercial warehouse with almost 50 staff and 60 trucks, split between 5 UK locations to ensure we have good coverage.

If there is one thing that you could change to the logistics industry, what would it be and why?

The removal of physical paperwork. With everything heading electronic and with the technology we have, the removal of paperwork which has been on the cards for some time is still not quite as advanced as it should be.

What do you like most about the industry and your job in particular?

I love that every day is different in logistics and after almost 40 years in the business that I am still learning new things all the time. Likewise, I enjoy developing my team members to carry on the legacy that we have built so we are around for many more years to come.

How do you set yourself apart from your competitors?

We always strive to improve our services and like to keep our eye on future technology, implementing anything which improves our current offerings to give a better customer experience overall.

What is the most important lesson working in logistics has taught you?

Never to make assumptions.

What was the most exciting shipment you have been working on lately?

We handle most commodities on a weekly basis. However, the most unusual one lately was the import of some Malaysian centipedes along with our regular imports of tropical fish handled professionally by our Manchester branch.

What do you like the most about being a member of our logistics network?

We have been with Alfa since our beginnings over 6 years ago and recently also joined the Atlas network to further develop. We love attending the annual conferences which are superbly organized by the Atlas/Alfa team and love meeting our partners in more relaxed surroundings. We are members of other networks but love the family feeling that Atlas and Alfa give us and have made many friends and many a good memory over the years.

How do you relax in your free time?

As a big football fan I attend most Tottenham Hotspur home games each season (we have a couple of seats should anyone from the network care to join us for a game next season). Otherwise I love spending time with my 4 kids and watching them develop into adults. I also have a great passion for music (listening and watching bands play), fun fairs, sightseeing and white water rafting.

Thank you, Steve!