01 December 2009

Golden Year For Bakers Dolphin

West Country coach firm Bakers Dolphin has doubled profits in the last year after a complete overhaul of the business and has now restructured its core management team to reflect the success.

Max Fletcher, has become Managing Director after 9 years as Operations Director while Steve Hunt steps up from Financial Controller to Finance Director and along with Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Harrington they form the core management team.

Said Max Fletcher: “We are just completing our best year financially for six years and that has been achieved by looking at every aspect of the business and making changes over the last 18 months. We will see turnover increase and profits double from a difficult position last year.

It now means we have a sound business that will withstand the rigours of the challenging economic situation everyone faces.”

To achieve the success Bakers Dolphin has streamlined its vehicle fleet from 72 down to 55, selling older coaches that were costly to maintain and investing in newer vehicles.

The head office function has been concentrated on one site in Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare to improve communications across the company. An online booking system has been introduced so that customers can access coach tours and excursions easily over the internet with a shop opened in the Sovereign Centre, Weston-super-Mare to provide a face-to-face service for customers.

Said Max Fletcher: “We also took a fundamental look at what areas of the business were profitable and what were not. With two gold coaches costing over £250,000 each we have increased the top end coach tour service for our customers and that has been phenomenally successful.

“Cutting back in some areas has enabled us to successfully tender for some local bus services and we are now running Service 4 from South Road Weston via Weston Town Centre and Service 16 from West Wick to Weston Town Centre via Locking Castle Estate as well as Service 668 which links Street, Glastonbury, Meare, Westhay, Wedmore, Cocklake, Shipham, Churchill and Lower Langford on the Mendips.”

“But it is in our core business of coach tours that we have seen the greatest success and where we have increased our success by providing customers with a quality service. With the recession and rising fuel prices hitting us in 2008 there were tough times that needed action and a complete business overhaul.

“We will continue to invest in good quality vehicles so that passengers get the comfortable experience they expect in the 21st century when they travel with us.”

Bakers Dolphin has invested a further £700,000 by ordering three Scania Irizar Century coaches to be delivered for next year’s summer season. These 49-seater coaches are 12.4 metres long providing greater legroom for passengers and will replace older vehicles in the fleet.