HISTORY

Founded in 1870, Davies Turner has evolved into one of the UK’s leading logistics providers, offering multimodal transport, warehousing, and supply chain solutions. With over 23 branches and 850 staff nationwide, the company combines a rich heritage with modern expertise, ensuring quality, security, and compliance.

1870

Davies Turner Founded

In April 1870, Alfred Davies established the company in partnership with his father-in-law.

In April 1870, after he left the Inman line, Davies Turner was established by Alfred Davies in partnership with his work colleague, Turner, and with financial input from his father-in-law.

Realising the high minimum charges raised by most shipping lines at the time were becoming excessive for shippers with small and even medium-sized consignments, Davies introduced his innovative groupage service which consolidated several small shipments from different customers onto one bill of lading. After devoting much of his career to setting up and developing the company with branches on both sides of the Atlantic, Alfred Davies later became a Greater London Councillor and then went on to become an independent-minded MP in South Wales. Meanwhile, he remained chairman of Davies Turner until his death in 1907.

1895

Standard Reusable Lift-Vans

Davies Turner were the very first company to implement standard reusable lift-vans, a precursor to modern logistics facilities.

Davies Turner was one of the first British companies to be incorporated under the new limited liability legislation. Around the same time the company also introduced its own standard reusable lift-vans, a precursor of modern unit loads and the container revolution.

1920

Motorised Goods Vehicles

In another example of our innovation and forward-thinking attitude, Davies Turner switched from horse driven carts to motorised goods vehicles in the 1910s. We are proud to look back on a time when our company embraced the future of logistics and haulage and defined the path of the industry.

In the 1920s, a further innovation was brought in by the new chairman, Harold Davies, when he returned from working in New York at the end of the War. He made the switch from horse driven carts to motorised (Dennis) goods vehicles in the first two decades of the new century, pioneering a new approach in the industry and placing Davies Turner at the forefront of freight forwarding and logistics.

Times became more difficult during the Great Depression. However, our flexibility and readiness to adapt enabled us to overcome the protectionist climate and tariff walls which threatened world trade, by instead offering specialist services such as fine art packing and household removals for the American and European markets.

1945

Supply Chain Security

Throughout the 1940’s, Davies Turner contributed to the war effort by providing safe warehousing for furniture and other personal effects saved from the Blitz. The company also worked closely with transnational organisations like the Red Cross, sometimes using our distribution network and connections through neutral countries to get goods to British prisoners of war.

With the opening and rapid expansion of London’s Heathrow Airport, Davies Turner developed a new airfreight division. Soon afterwards and starting in 1959, the company began to build its multimodal H.Q at Battersea Wharf, just South of Chelsea Bridge.

The company was again at the forefront of innovation when we launched our TIR (customs-sealed) trailer services to continental Europe, and began using ISO maritime containers. Working closely with the Port of New York Authority, we operated one of the first transatlantic LCL and FCL services in 1968.

1970

Queens Award for Export

Davies Turner has always pushed for greater technological advances within the industry. Our early computerisation and development of new markets were recognised with a Queens Award for services to British exporters in 1978.

Even before the oil-price boom, we were already specialising in the Middle and Far East, giving us a clear advantage over our competitors.

In 1990, Davies Turner Air Cargo Ltd was formed as a separate entity allowing DT Group to support and focus on developments in this key market – with outstanding results which continue to this day.

1995

Dawn of the millennium

By the dawn of the new millennium, Davies Turner was already providing one million square feet of purpose-built warehousing space in regional and national hubs throughout the UK.

Since then we have continued to develop new warehouses and D.C’s , usually on our own freehold sites.

In 2008, Davies Turner became one of the first freight forwarders within the UK to achieve and retain AEO accreditation from HMRC. This accreditation recognises the company’s enhanced customs compliance capability and trade facilitation strengths combined with security in the supply chain. The latest in a long list of achievements and industry awards, this shows once again how Davies Turner continues to push forward and innovate.

2000 +

150 Years

As of 2020, Davies Turner will have been providing world-class international freight forwarding services for 150 years.
To this day, we are still adding to our freehold & leasehold property portfolio with further developments in the pipeline.

During 2017, Davies Turner Properties Ltd completed an expansion of our Cumbernauld warehouse in Central Scotland, more than doubling its former capacity to over 4,000sqm. Autumn 2017 also saw the completion of our largest logistics building to date in Avonmouth, near Bristol. There is still enough extra land with planning consent on our site to develop a phase 2 building, taking overall capacity to at least 260,000sqft (25,000 sqm) plus our large multi-storey mezzanines.

We recently launched our new interactive website and continue to recruit the annual intake of A-level school-leavers and graduates for our apprenticeship scheme.

As we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary under independent ownership in 2020, all of us at Davies Turner look forward to maintaining and improving on the same high service standards developed since the company was first established in 1870.

2020 +

Saw the introduction of our 7th Logistics site

Located in Atherstone in the English Midlands, the new hub further enhances the company’s capacity to deliver logistics fulfilment services to businesses seeking to outsource their supply chain management requirements.

The new multi-user hub is a fully Customs-bonded facility, with 140,000 sq ft of warehousing, incorporating a high bay fully racked area, with a top location level of 15 m and eaves height of 17 m, suitable for VNA forklift operations, as well as 20,000 pallet locations.