Air freight firm sets course for pounds 20m turnover after merger; in association with RBS.

Byline: Christopher Knox

AN air freight company expects to grow its turnover from pounds 1.5m to pounds 20m in the next five years after merging with a rival.

Camair Limited, which is based at Newcastle International Airport, has joined forces with BS Freight at Durham Tees Valley Airport to help it tap into the rapidly expanding Middle East oil and gas market.

The two firms, which will now be known as Camair Freight Solutions, will increase the amount of equipment they export to foreign oil companies to help speed up plans to launch freight operations at other airports, including Heathrow.

Both firms were bought last year by parent group Casper Shipping, based in Middlesbrough, before the 136-year-old raw materials carrier decided to bring them together to break new markets.

Paul Bramley, managing director at Camair, said: "With the ownership of a parent company and a newly-merged entity, we are now in a position to expand rapidly and see the Middle East oil and gas market as a huge growth area.

"Our clients are now benefiting from the flexibility of a lean organisation yet the muscle of a large, well connected parent."

The firm now expects to grow its staff from 12 to as many as 100 over the next five years as it acquires other businesses and works at more airports.

It also hopes to open new offices at sites owned by Casper, including Port of Blyth and Saltend Hedon, near Hull.

It recently invested pounds 30,000 in upgrading its IT facilities and improving its freight management system.

And now management believe it can better compete with some its larger international rivals, including DHL.

"As we are a smaller operation, we are able to keep our overheads down and can remain competitive," said Mr Bramley.