| Knowles Transport is the
largest employer in the village. Founded in 1932
by 17 year old Gerald Knowles with a secondhand Model
T Ford they transported agricultural produce wholesale
to London Markets including Covent Garden. Within
a year he had traded this vehicle in for a heavier A-type
Ford, a year later to a secondhand four-ton Bedford but
this was soon changed for a ten-tonner.
The 1940`s were expensive years which nearly cost
Gerald Knowles his business which by this time had grown
to be a substantial fleet. He had to hold on tight
when the law makers came down on transporters with the
compulsory purchase of the fleet in nationalisation.
After a stint of moving bricks for the Whittlesey Brick
Company, Gerald converted his Doddington bungalow into
a petrol station.
By 1954, after many dealings he had a fleet of 50 vehicles
to his name, and moved to a custom built premises in Wimblington.
Gerald has two sons, Gerald junior and Tony, who entered
the business and set up another company called Wisbech
Roadways in 1958.
Sadly Gerald senior died in 1988 but the business lives
on and today there are 75 ultra modern vehicles and 180
trailers of all types transporting and delivering to all
parts of the U.K.
The state of the art warehouse totals 1,000,000 square
feet, fully shelved and serviced by modern warehouse equipment.
It is bonded, has fully computerised stock control system
plus quality control laboratories. It offers a contract
packaging facility, an on-site labeling and shrink wrapping
facility.
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