Graduated with a 2.1 in history from Sheffield University in 1987 following three years of dedicated study intermingled with a small amount of wine, women and song. At this point Nat West insisted that Paul should undertake some less enjoyable but more gainful employment!
Paul joined the Margaret Thatcher Privatisation Wonder Child NFC as a Graduate Trainee in 1987. This was followed by periods as a warehouse shift supervisor and shift manager with the NFC group company that became known as Exel Logistics, working in RDC’s at Rotherham, Didcot and Birmingham for Sainsbury, Tesco and Safeway. After this Paul moved within the group to join BRS, and spent a period as Ford Contract Manager based in Coventry.
In 1993 Paul moved into Head Office as a logistics solutions manager, using his operational skills to provide the business development team with practical support and know-how. This lead to Paul next becoming a Key Account Manager responsible for a number of Exel’s packaging sector clients plus the development of new business.
In 1995 Paul left Exel to join Nightfreight – a recently floated industrial parcel carrier that was launching a contract logistics product – undertaking a role that combined solutions design, account management and development responsibilities. Following a change of strategic direction in 1997 Paul moved on to McGregor Cory, part of the MSAS group, where he spent two years heading their transport new business team, before being asked to become General Manager of the Wells Soft Drinks operation in Northampton, where he spent a further 18 months working with the administrators and banks while the ill-fated Wells business was broken up and sold.
In 2000 Paul launched Labyrinth, initially as a specialist transport consultancy, and was quickly joined by Harvey then later by Ruth. In 2002, recognising a gap within the UK transport market, Paul and Harvey launched Jigsaw Solutions, an innovative transport solutions provider that took the industry by storm. So successful was this new venture, that Paul joined it as full time MD in January 2004, and together with Harvey grew the company to £20 million turnover within three years. By late 2007 they had decided that the time had come to realise their investment within Jigsaw, and to allow new management to take over, a deal that finally completed in March 2008.
Paul has now made his wide experience available again to the benefit of Labyrinth clients – especially those interested in the newly launched Commercial Services division.
Paul Smith
Director
Career Timeline
1987
Graduated from Sheffield University
1987
NFC Graduate Trainee
1988
NFC Contract Distribution
1990
BRS
1992
Exel Logistics
1995
Nightfreight
1997
McGregor Cory
2000
Established Labyrinth Logistics Consulting Ltd
2002
Established Jigsaw Solutions Ltd
2008
Labyrinth Logistics