Driving sustainable logistics growth through strategic support and smarter operational systems

Tomsetts Distribution Ltd is a long-established, family‑run transport and logistics business based in Newhaven, East Sussex. Founded in the 1970s and led by the Tucknott family, the company has grown from a small haulage operator into a trusted freight solutions provider serving UK, Ireland, European and international markets.

Today, Tomsetts specialises in road haulage, palletised distribution, and integrated freight services across air and sea while maintaining the personal touch and reliability of an independent family business.

Tomsetts also stands out for its commitment to environmental responsibility. The company has set ambitious sustainability goals, including achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, reducing emissions across all operations, and investing in lower‑emission vehicles as well as energy‑efficient infrastructure at its headquarters and depots.

Challenge Diagnostic

As the business evolved in a rapidly changing logistics market, Tomsetts faced key challenges common within the transport sector:

• Difficulty converting ongoing sales activity into profitable new business
• Pressure operational costs impacting margins
• Articulating a value proposition in a crowded market
• Managing complex operational processes in logistics
• Improving cash‑flow management alongside business growth
• External challenges in recruitment and resourcing within the logistics sector

Seeking structured support, Tomsetts Managing Director,  Andrew Tucknott, engaged with Ambition to Action to gain clarity on growth priorities, commercial strategy, and operational improvement opportunities.

Through this engagement, the company has been working closely with Business Advisers Kerry Byott who introduced the programmes structured diagnostic tools, Growth Canvas and GROWTHmapper. This has enabled the identification of the root causes of challenges faced and to explore growth opportunities.

Specialist support

Working with Kerry A tailored programme of support was developed to strengthen Tomsetts’ commercial operations foundations. These were:

• Development of a clear marketing and sales system, which includes a refined value proposition.
• Research into identify tools capable of  automation to improve operational processes.
• Cash-flow management review to improve financial resilience
• Sales and marketing support, including guidance on targeting, conversion strategy, and competitor positioning.
• Recruitment support in a challenging logistics labour market.
• Use of Grant Finder to explore opportunities for funding

This has provided the director with structured approaches to solving growth challenges, supported by systems and tools aimed at enabling smooth operations.

On the support Kerry has provided for the business, Andrews says;

“Running a family haulage business in today’s market isn’t just about moving freight, it’s about building something to last. Working with Kerry through the Ambition to Action programme gave us the space to step back from the day-to-day and look honestly at where we were losing ground commercially. The support helped us sharpen our sales and marketing approach, focus our sustainability journey, and make better decisions faster. For a business like ours – one that’s been part of East Sussex for over 50 years – getting that kind of structured outside perspective made a significant difference.”

Benefits of the Support

Through this combination of strategic diagnostics, marketing refinement, and operations insight, Tomsetts is on the road to achieving:

• Clearer commercial direction with a consistent sales messaging
• Undertaking training aimed at identification of automation opportunities to streamline processes
• Greater confidence in financial planning and management
• Improved readiness to progressing toward its 2040 net zero goal
• Stronger foundations for profitable growth, not just increased activity

Wider Benefit for the East Sussex Economy

As a long‑standing logistics provider, Tomsetts plays a crucial role in serving regional businesses across East Sussex and beyond. A strengthening Tomsetts’ will contribute positively to local supply chains, providing employment opportunities within transport sector as well as enhancing the environmental progress agenda in East Sussex

“Working with Andrew at Tomsetts Distribution has been a real privilege. We have worked together to identify growth opportunities, streamline operations, and support their ambition to become the UK’s first carbon-neutral SME haulage company by 2030.

Through structured guidance and targeted marketing support, we helped the business attract the right customers, improve lead quality and supported profitable growth.

What stands out is how the Tomsetts team embraced the process, turning complex sustainability and operational challenges into actionable changes while keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly.

It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the business build strong foundations for sustainable growth and genuine environmental credentials”.

Kerry Byott, Business Adviser.