Celebrating 30 years
Steer Davies Gleave was founded in 1978 by three friends, Jim Steer, John Davies and Graham Gleave, during a time in the UK when some may have thought it foolhardy to start a transport consultancy. Thirty years later, the company has grown into a large international business over 350 staff working at 16 offices around the world. Here, Jim Steer, who ran the company for 24 years, and his two successors, Peter Twelftree and Stephen Crouch, reflect on the past and look forward to the challenges and opportunities of the future.
Stephen Crouch - CEO, 2007-present
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What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the industry in the next 30 years?
A central challenge for the transport industry is to ensure that, whatever may come in carbon allowances or taxes or future high energy costs driven by peak oil, it conceives, funds and delivers transport that is seamless for the consumer. It must also increasingly charge a commercially rewarding price with a minimum of subsidy. Read on...
Peter Twelftree - Managing Director, 2002-2007
What has Steer Davies Gleave’s greatest achievement been so far?
The growth of the company is certainly one of Steer Davies Gleave’s greatest achievements. Since the early 1990s we have doubled in size every five years, achieving this growth organically without any acquisitions or external funding – we are very proud of our independence – almost all our staff are shareholders. Read on...
Jim Steer - Founder & Managing Director 1978-2002
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What was the industry like 30 years ago and what was your vision ?
While the 1970s as a decade has been, in Britain at least, somewhat demonised (industrial unrest, the first oil price shocks, the loss of the heady idealism of the ‘anything is possible’ 60s), for some of us it was wonderfully exciting, and a chance to set up a new business. Read on...