Wincanton to trim the fat

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The new chief executive of Wincanton set out his plans for turning around the haulage company yesterday after its losses topped £25m.

Eric Born will focus on strong growth areas and strip out underperforming operations, starting with the sale of three European units for £41.5m.

Wincanton employs 26,000 people across Europe and boasts Sainsbury's, WH Smith and Comet among its clients.

The group reported pre-tax losses of £25.9m in the year to 31 March, compared with a profits of £3m the year before. It is expected to take a hit this year after Focus DIY, one of its customers, went into administration.