TST Group, the Ballymena and Birmingham-headquartered logistics and supply chain group, has acquired GCS Logistics.
Heathrow-based GCS Logistics are specialists in UK-Ireland express distribution, white-glove services and complex technical logistics.
GCS Logistics generates annual turnover of approximately £10 million and employs 60 people.
The acquisition gives TST Group a strategic operational base at the heart of global trade at Heathrow and completes a genuinely end-to-end offering spanning freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, distribution and specialist technical handling.
It builds on the Midlands footprint established through TST Group’s 2021 acquisition of Warley Carriers, and brings together two businesses that have collaborated closely for many years.
Founded in Ballymena, Co. Antrim in 2013, TST Group has grown from a family transport operation into an integrated third-party logistics provider employing more than 400 people, with a fleet of over 300 trucks and 500 trailers and 1.5 million square feet of warehousing. The group’s integrated model gives customers one trusted partner for transport, warehousing, customs and distribution, removing the complexity of managing multiple suppliers. The GCS Logistics acquisition adds a Heathrow hub and brings specialist express distribution and white-glove capability that extends what TST Group can offer its manufacturing, retail and FMCG customers alongside its existing transport, warehousing and customs services.
The deal also strengthens TST Group’s international freight capability at a time when the group is expanding into Ireland, with Dublin marking the first step in a long-term ambition to establish a presence across the island. GCS Logistics’ Heathrow base and technical handling expertise are expected to support that expansion by giving TST Group a stronger platform for moving freight across borders for customers on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Record two-year growth
The GCS Logistics deal comes on the back of a period of sustained growth for TST Group, delivering 32% organic growth over two years. With further acquisitions currently underway, TST Group is positioned to surpass £50 million in annual revenue in FYE27, with GCS Logistics expected to be a significant contributor to that growth.
Maire Claire Reid, Managing Director of TST Group, said:
“This acquisition is the natural progression of a relationship we have valued for many years, and it reflects the disciplined and considered approach we take to growth. Bringing GCS Logistics into the group gives us a genuinely end-to-end offering, specialist technical and white-glove capability, and a strategic base at the heart of global trade at Heathrow. It also strengthens our platform as we grow our presence in Ireland, and puts us in a strong position to build towards £50 million in revenue next
