We spoke to Sid Hill Transport about their business, the benefits of Hillhouse Enterprise Zone, their upcoming plans for growth and more
Tell us about your company and your role?
Sid Hill Transport is an international transport specialist based at the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone in Blackpool. My husband, Simon, and I started Sid Hill Transport four years ago during the COVID pandemic. When the opportunity arose we both decided to grab it with open arms.
Simon brought years of experience in transport, having previously managed a fleet in West Bromwich, while I drew on my background in finance to support the operational side of the business.
We never expected it to take off quite the way it did, but with starting the business during COVID there was a real need for transport specialists. More people were using online shopping and we also worked closely with the NHS as PPE needed to be shipped around the country.
Each year that we have been operating has been very different in terms of the challenges that we’ve had, for example the war in the Ukraine impacted energy and fuel prices. But we’ve still managed to do lots in these four years, we’ve invested in our team/staff by offering training, invested in our fleet. We make sure our drivers have the best kit and make them look the best they can, which has also brought us a good following of truck enthusiasts on social media.
We’ve also received several awards in recent years. Most recently winning the Boost Business Growth Award and Best Business of the Year Award at the Wyre Business Awards 2024. Last year, Simon won Business Person of the Year, and I won an EVA award in 2022.
Where are you based in Blackpool, Fylde or Wyre and what made you decide to locate there?
We’re based on Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone in Thornton-Cleveleys. As a location it works well as we have space to have both the office and space to store trucks when needed. It has good transport links to the rest of the country, being right next to the M55.
It’s also Simon and my hometown. We initially started trading from our home but as Sid Hill Transport has grown we needed more space and Blackpool offered that.
How big is the company?
We’ve grown quite quickly in these four years and we now have 23 full-time and one part-time member of staff. Of those, 16 of them are drivers.
How has the business grown and what are your growth plans for the next few years?
As we’ve grown every year we now want to look at how we can keep improving. We’ve been looking at always making sure we have the best kit, so replacing vehicles so they are all Euro 6 and fuel efficient. We have also just bought some land so that we can build a workshop. This will allow us to carry out maintenance on our entire fleet here in Blackpool.
We’ve also been looking at how we can work on building even more of a local customer base, as currently 40% of business in the last 12 months has been internationally. We’ve hired a new business development manager in order to help with that.
Do you have international connections?
We do! We’ve travelled all over, doing exhibition work in France, Germany, Austria and as far as Morocco. We also do general haulage, but at the moment the focus has been on exhibition work.
Our vehicles all have Blackpool livery on the outside, meaning we’re spreading the word of our hometown far and wide.
What are the benefits for you of being based at Hillhouse Enterprise Zone? Why should other companies consider moving to Hillhouse and the Fylde Coast?
There are lots of benefits being on Hillhouse, there is good security, transport links and connections with other transport companies. We’ve partnered and collaborated with other companies that are also based on the Enterprise Zone.
What workforce skills do you require and how did the region supply that labour to you; how local is your workforce? How do you keep training your employees and is that training locally sourced?
All the office staff are local and are from Blackpool, then four of our drivers are also from Blackpool originally. In the transport industry it is also good to have people dotted all over the country, as it means we have drivers ready to work or deliver in any area.
In terms of training we are always looking at courses for the whole team. Currently I’m doing a course called Boost to Thrive, a council initiative that offers courses and webinars to help train company directors, and through the course I’ve built a local network of business directors.
What makes Blackpool, Fylde or Wyre so unique? What is the unique benefit of the Blackpool area?
We’re Blackpool born and bred and think it’s a great place to live, it has a tight knit community. We also love to do our bit and support the community around us, we sponsor a number of local football teams, we support the Jordan Banks Memorial Tournament that is held every year and work with local schools.
It is also a town that offers lots in terms of tourism. People are able to visit our seaside town and see things they can’t see anywhere else, like the Illuminations or Pleasure Beach.
