After an urgent call for assistance to fellow North East Automotive Alliance members (NEAA), global logistics specialist, ThinkPrime, came to the aid of GT Group, by helping to expedite the release of urgently needed goods held up at Heathrow by HM customs.
The link came via the NEAA Trade Group, established to understand and support member needs in relation to trade activity.
The Trade Group is chaired by Chris Black, director of automotive business development at TR Fastenings and is led by Rohan Kohli, project manager at the NEAA.
As members of the NEAA, GT Group reached out to see if a fellow member company could help with the delays it was facing to a time-critical shipment that was urgently needed.
The Trade Group introduced GT Group to ThinkPrime to help evaluate where and what was causing the hold up within the supply chain. ThinkPrime, who are an active NEAA Trade Group participant, moved swiftly into action, contacting HM customs for an explanation as to why the goods were held at London Heathrow and when they would be cleared though customs.
As a result of its knowledge and experience of HM Customs’ operating procedures, ThinkPrime helped unlock the delay and ensured the goods reached GT Group.
Tim Jayes, managing director at GT Group, said: “We had a parts delivery from China which was delayed by customs in Heathrow and our carrier was struggling to get any information on when parts would be released. Via the NEAA Trade Group, we were advised to talk to ThinkPrime who immediately tried to support us in getting the parts released. They were very helpful and gave us many contact options. Eventually, we got the parts released and through this we gained ThinkPrime as another option for Speed Freight and have since used them again due to their excellent service and communication.”
Paul Knight, head of sales at ThinkPrime, said: “We were more than happy to provide specialist support to the GT Group when a recent time critical shipment stalled in transit and have since enjoyed working with them on other critical movements.
“ThinkPrime is always available to offer guidance on any global supply chain issues and want to be there to support all our customers and fellow NEAA members when needed.”
Rohan Kohli, project manager at the NEAA, said: “One of the key areas of the NEAA, not just the Trade Group, is to make those important member introductions. As ThinkPrime is an active member of the Trade Group, we have a full appreciation of its offering and capability, and we were therefore able to make this introduction, comfortably. We are delighted this was a success for both parties.
“The Trade Group want to continue to strengthen this engagement and momentum going forward. We have been very proactive in supporting members over the past year with regards to current challenges and the changing landscape. The strategy for 2021, following a Trade Group survey to gather updated intelligence, is to continue this momentum, share experiences and support members in growing their export business in key regions.”