Iefs Has Rebranded As Ketra Logistics
IEFS Logistics is now known as Ketra, part of the Linked Logistics family. After being acquired by Ketra five years ago, IEFS rebranded as of 1 October 2022.
Ketra and IEFS were neighbouring members of the Palletways UK express palletised freight network. As part of the Palletways network, the two companies were already closely partnered.
Martyn Young, Ketra’s Managing Director, always appreciated the operational synergy between the organisations.
“We of course worked together,” Young says, describing their relationship before the acquisition. “Working with Palletways presented a great opportunity to expand our coverage within London.”
Young bought IEFS in 2017 as the previous owner moved into retirement after 20 years at the helm. More than 50 jobs were transitioned from IEDF into the broader Ketra organization. Each company brings a rich history of logistics expertise to the partnership.
Both Ketra and IEF have grown stronger in the past five years. Ketra has invested more than £1 million into the IEFS infrastructure. New customer-branded double-decker trailers and other upgrades have allowed IEFS to provide even better customer service.
Rebranding is merely one step in a broader plan to enhance services. Both companies maintained independent operations when the acquisition was fresh. However, Young soon saw that pooling their efforts would deliver more rewards.
“We quickly started to realise the benefits of combining our resources and knowledge,” Young says. “The same values and management philosophy have been instilled across both sites. Our teams have worked increasingly closer together to achieve aligned objectives.”
Industry challenges including COVID-19 delayed the rebrand, which had initially been planned for earlier than 2022. The Ketra company now provides robust logistics services on each side of the River Thames and throughout the South and East London.
Warwick Trimble, the Palletways UK network director, knows that London businesses will appreciate this development.
“The ongoing growth and development of both businesses since Ketra’s acquisition is a fantastic achievement,” Trimble says. “Customers will continue to receive the excellent service they have come to expect, the only difference being that they’ll be represented by one consistent brand and company.”
“Now feels the right time to develop our values, engrain them across the entire business, and better communicate our offerings,” agrees Young. Ketra looks forward to providing customers with the consistent service they deserve, now supported by a unified, inclusive, and highly experienced company.