Firstpoint Logistics is a courier company that lives and breathes service. To customers it’s a first-class, end-to-end network that can be relied on to deliver anything from the smallest parcel to Yeovil to a full lorry-load of goods to Kazakhstan (and everything in between).
To the logistics sector, it is a shining example of agility, high standards and an ability to introduce and operate the kind of cutting-edge technology that can give an SME the advantage against its competitors.
To the environment, it is kind and Firstpoint has a mission to on the planet. It is partnered with Ecologi and, impressively for the sector, has made its entire Ƶ operation carbon neutral.
To its 12-strong team, it is training and development focused. So much so that Firstpoint is one of the smallest companies ever to be awarded the Investors in People standard. And that’s just the way Chris Standeven imagined it would be when he founded the company six years ago.
“I saw there was a niche in the market for a quality logistics service that actually covered the whole spectrum of transport, from a small parcel going to Yeovil right up to a full load to Kazakhstan and back - logistics made simple,” he explained.
“There wasn’t one place where you’d get all of these services and be looked after by a competitive company and also a knowledgeable team. You’d have to go to four or five different places to recreate that service, with four or five different invoices and four or five different people to chase for tracking and updates.”
So, armed with a wealth of experience (Chris has a 25-year pedigree in the transport sector, working with major networks and left a well-paid job in a successful franchise he had set up) he built up Firstpoint to give the kind of service that SMEs, in particular, rightly demand.
“I wanted to do things better than some of our larger competitors,” said Chris “As an SME ourselves you don’t have time to be talking to five different people for one particular job, you just want to get that job covered, you want to get it done, completed transactionally and competitively.
“So the big thing for us was to build a service which delivered for our customers and their customers, meaning they have repeat business over and over.”
Here’s what makes Firstpoint unique
With a nationwide network of more than 4,000 professional couriers, delivery to 220 countries by air, road or sea, access to over 75,000 European wide vehicles which range from a small van to an articulated lorry, and real-time GPS tracking,offers SMEs an excellent personalised service.
- Firstpoint has dedicated account managers which means no pressing three different numbers and speaking to 10 different people to get the answer to one question.
- The company has ISO accreditations including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001, with more on its hit list for the near future.
- It is highly rated and has excellent reviews on .
- has its own internet protocol (IP) system, giving customers a proactive performance and delivery scale - all of which can be booked online regardless of whether it is midnight or midday.
- Secure and reliable delivery options make it the perfect choice for an urgent delivery. The team is fully security checked and follows an electronic chain of custody to ensure that speed and safety are prioritised. For customers in less of a hurry, there’s a sliding scale of options to suit their needs
- Firstpoint looks after the HMRC side of things for its clients, taking care of customs documentation and ensuring all taxes and duties are paid correctly and deliveries are made.
Professional and committed team
A huge part of Firstpoint’s “USP” is training and development, as Chris explained: “That is key to ensuring you can deliver a service that is outstanding and especially with everything that’s changed after Brexit. The changes have been so huge and challenging for a lot of clients, so we’ve developed and trained our team of 12 into a very understanding and experienced group of people who know what to do for our clients and what is best for them.
“We were one of the smallest companies ever to be awarded the Investors in People standard. We want our staff to feel valued, that we are doing something for them and working together as a team to achieve our goals.
“We continuously improve what we do and how we do things. Because we are part of the ISO system, because we are an investor in people we are held to account. Accountability, responsibility and ownership are three key areas of direction that are really important to us.
It’s a commitment to emerging talent, too, asis training and developing the skills of an apprentice as well as supporting three team members through foundation degrees.
Green credentials
Firstpoint has partnered up with climate change warriors Ecologi on some exciting initiatives, offsetting carbon emissions from its entire road transport operation in the Ƶ, becoming a climate positive workforce and growing its very own forest. So far, Firstpoint has offset over 600 tonnes of carbon and planted more than 70,000 trees.
The company is looking at electrifying a lot more of its vehicles and reducing the number that are high CO2 producers.
Giving back to the community
Firstpoint does a lot of community outreach work, working with charities and community initiatives. It recently sponsored a Community of Purpose minibus which was desperately needed to transport food, equipment, and children in support of two key charitable projects.
- To find out more about Firstpoint Logistics
Bristol Live Business Awards 22
Firstpoint is a proud sponsor of the Local Business Hero category at the Bristol Live Business Awards 22, which is run in association with BusinessLive and celebrates Bristol’s most successful firms and the people who lead them.
Firstpoint was one of last year’s nominees and Chris said: “We got a lot of recognition for being up for that award and it made us realise how important it is for all businesses, especially after the last few years we have all been through. There are some fantastic stories out there of companies that have survived and become bigger and better through dark times and it’s great that all the hard work and creativity is recognised. We are honoured to be part of that and able to support the local business community.”
Entries for the awards are open until 5pm, Friday September 16. To find out more information about the awards or to enter, visit.
