As one of the UK’s leading transportation and logistics firms, CS Ellis is no stranger to long journeys. For nearly a century, the company has provided transport, warehousing, and freight forwarding solutions across Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, and the wider UK. United by family values, the organisation has become a trusted partner for a wide range of customers with which it shares close, long-term relationships. In fact, CS Ellis is often too focused on its customers to volunteer its own story – a remarkable journey, even by the transportation expert’s own high standards.
Founded in 1933, CS Ellis launched as a family-owned haulage contractor, and has evolved, over time, into a trusted logistics and 3PL supply chain specialist. Though its service offering has developed significantly, the company is still family-run, with Trevor (Chairman), Hayley (HR Director), and Charles (CEO) Ellis all holding key positions. Shaped by its rich history, family values and relationship-building remain instrumental in how CS Ellis operates today.
“Our Chairman, Trevor Ellis, sums up our work quite nicely,” explains Managing Director Steve Gray. “He says, ‘what we do isn’t about trucks and warehouses – it’s about trust. If you say you’ll do something, you do it’.
“What we try to do here is create trust – not just with customers, but within ourselves and within the business. We’re a close, supportive, hard-working group that all have the same objectives and share the same belief in what we do.”
A Legacy of Trust
As Steve suggests, a central driver behind the longevity of CS Ellis has been its dedication to building a strong team with common goals. From this foundation, the organisation has managed to diversify and expand over the years without ever losing track of its core purpose.
“A cohesive approach with a clear objective, supported by a good structure and strong communication – that is how we have managed to move forward without abandoning the values of our past,” Steve declares. “We’ve found that this approach helps to create trust, and in turn, makes for lighter work within the business because more people are pulling in the same direction.”
Whether it’s the result of an increased feeling of empowerment, or financial perks like the company’s profit-share scheme, CS Ellis is known for its long-tenured employees, with many a part of the workforce for multiple decades. The company is also determined to create a sense of belonging, which is aided by The Buzz – a quarterly newsletter providing updates and celebrating achievements across the entire CS Ellis organisation.
“We produce our newsletter in colour and it’s something people can take home and share with their families,” Steve says. “We’ve got a few sister businesses, including an events logistics firm, a garden centre, and a gin company, so The Buzz keeps our workforce involved with everything that’s going on.”
Humble and Grounded
Later this year, CS Ellis will be hoping that The Buzz can report on success at the 2025 Motor Transport Awards. The company has made several submissions for this year’s ceremony, which Steve sees as a rare opportunity to shout about the firm’s successes.
“We’re pretty humble as a business and I think we undersell ourselves a little bit,” Steve remarks. “Just because we’re grounded doesn’t mean we shouldn’t acknowledge the good things we’re doing here. Sensible heads are important, and we don’t get over-ambitious, but events like the MT Awards can create a real feel-good factor around the business.”
The Partnership Award is one accolade CS Ellis hopes to challenge for at this year’s MT Awards. Coles Nurseries is the partner in question – a cultivator of trees and shrubs that has worked closely with CS Ellis for over fifty years. It is one example of the long-term value CS Ellis provides to its clients, and the trust it has earned in return.
“We sat down with Coles Nurseries recently and realised that we’d worked together for more than five decades,” Steve confirms. “It just shows the depth of relationship we have with our clients. Yes, they’re a customer, and yes, we’re providing a service, but it’s more than that – we’ve shared the highs and lows of half a century in business together.
“CS Ellis is a company built on relationships and reliability – both as an employer and a service provider. That legacy not only serves to strengthen our existing bonds, but it has helped us win new business over the last few years too. Clients yearn for that kind of proven track record.”
Centenary Celebrations
Looking ahead, CS Ellis is set to build on its notable standing in the industry, while finding new ways to evolve. For instance, the company recently overhauled its transport management system (TMS).
“Off the back of our new TMS, we’re now working with business analysts to explore AI and analytical tools,” Steve reveals. “It’s our first move into this space, but our TMS has already started reading orders intuitively and it’s saving our team three hours a day. We’re not only seeing benefits for ourselves, but also gaining data that we can feed back to our clients, which only helps to strengthen those vital relationships.”
In 2033, CS Ellis will celebrate its centenary. The milestone is a momentous achievement for any organisation, but extra special for a company that has never lost sight of its values. Family-led and relationships-focused, just as it was in the 1930s, CS Ellis now aims to further its reputation as a trusted partner that can be relied upon to deliver results – a potent formula for any business, in this century or the next.
“I think a lot in logistics gets over-complicated, so people appreciate the simplicity we bring to the industry,” Steve says in conclusion. “Our immediate goal is to successfully take this business on to its 100th birthday. It’s a milestone built on relationships, and we look forward to celebrating with everyone who’s been a part of it.”
