Adaptability and precision are essential for success in the logistics industry. In our latest interview, Chris Porter speaks with Liam Jacobs, the dynamic leader of Kukla UK’s French team, who embodies these qualities. With an impressive portfolio, Kukla has refined the art of adjusting to a wide range of order sizes and values coming in from France to the UK.
Liam, thank you for taking the time to talk to Kukla News. How has Q1 been for you and the team?
Q1 has been very active for us, and the team has been very productive. Our orders are increasing by the month, and everything is building up for when the British sunshine decides to appear.
Was January any busier than normal, given the introduction of the duty increases from Feb 1st or had many clients decided to ship extra stocks before Christmas?
Indeed, January from France saw a very steady month on all fronts. I believe this was certainly down to increased activity prior to February.
“I am very proud of our adaptability and flexibility.”
Kukla now has over 300 clients. Our role is to adapt to the many varied sizes and values of orders that come over from France. How do we manage collections from perhaps the less regular regions such as Jura, the deep southern regions of France, or Alsace?
I am very proud of our adaptability and flexibility. Our ability to collect and manage in some rural areas comes hand in hand with our partnerships and resilience to achieve. We are always doing our utmost at any given time to ensure a smooth service is completed.
In the past we have featured our ability to now manage secure, refrigerated equipment for the “white glove” groupage aspect of our business. Do you see this as a growing requirement for clients?
As warmer weather becomes more apparent for various reasons, the need to keep the product at a suitable temperature is exactly why there is an ever-increasing need to use refrigerated service. We have all our equipment in place to handle such needs at any given time.
“Both our routing from France to the UK and our equipment are of paramount importance during our planning.”
Speed and security in transit are obviously prime considerations. What are the main routings and equipment options available to you and the team to achieve this?
Both our routing from France to the UK and our equipment are of paramount importance during our planning and can vary depending on how we see fit. The majority of our routing is from Calais to Dover, and all of those are fully safety and security approved.
“The speedy transit we offer and work towards requires our teamwork to be very thorough.”
You are housed in the same building in Folkestone as your colleagues in Kukla Customs Division. I expect this is very advantageous to have our “in house” team on hand to help with any issues as quickly as possible?
We work together very efficiently and to have them on hand is a huge advantage to us. The speedy transit we offer and work towards requires our teamwork to be very thorough. As clichéd as it sounds, we couldn’t offer the great service we do without them.
“The forefront of all things we action is to ensure RDDs are met, and customers are fully aware of the progress of their shipments.”
Tell us a bit about the other members of your team. How many of you manage our French operation? Everyone has a role, so tell us a bit about the day-to-day operations and how we fulfil and meet customer expectations.
We are a team of four: myself, Darren, Fabien and Leon. All of our operations are managed in-house in Folkestone, from supplier liaison to customer referral, including haulier/driver communication. The forefront of all our actions is to ensure RDDs are met, customers are fully aware of the progress of their shipments, and they have confidence throughout.
And finally, it’s very much a family affair, isn’t it?! With your dad, Martin, as Director of the Kukla Customs Division and your mum, Linda, working with our accounts team, tell us a bit about how you like to spend your “down time” when you have the chance for some time away from the desk.
I am sports guy, Arsenal fan being one. Along with my wife and 5-year-old son who is a big Lego fan, we spend much of our time with our families either eating and drinking out or relaxing together. I also enjoy some of my own recreational sports when I can.
Liam, thank you for taking the time to talk to Kukla News and updating us on the essential work being done by you and your team for our clients.
Chris Porter
March 2025