A Northumberland haulage business that started almost a century ago with just four cattle trucks has been acquired with the new owners pledging to keep its hard-earned tradition of quality and reliability ongoing into the 21^st century.

 Emmex Freight Services in Morpeth is run by husband-and-wife team Raymond and Sandra Hare. Raymond's grandfather James started his haulage business in Felton in 1928 and the firm grew steadily despite a world war, recessions and increasing competition.

 At the age of 15, Raymond left school in Morpeth to start work in the family business as an apprentice mechanic. He worked his way through the business and in 1991 he started his own company with Sandra hence the name SanRay Haulage.  He started with just four trucks and built up a reputation amongst the haulage community equally as good as that of his grandfather's business.

 In 1997 he invested in new vehicles and formed Emmex Freight Services - named after his daughter Emma. He realised that many of his customers needed specialist wagons to transport their goods and now Emmex have 12 vehicles and 26 trailers including flat beds, hiab's and tautliners giving them the flexibility to do a wide range of haulage work.

 Raymond's passion for everything connected with lorries and his dedicated 12 staff have helped him build the business up to a £2.5 million per annum turnover but he has now decided to retire to spend more time with Sandra.

 Nearby contract services and skip hire company R Thornton & Co from Linton recognised the opportunity to increase their business provision and have now bought the company adding the Emmex Freight Services brand to their portfolio.

 Formed in 1957, the company is part of the M J Hickey Plant Hire and Contracts Ltd group of companies and specialises in major groundwork projects, demolition, site clearance, recycled aggregates, plant and skip hire.

 Directors of Thornton & Co, Nick Heads and Anthony Hickey are both delighted with the acquisition of Emmex Freight Services.

 "We recognise the value in adding Emmex to our family. We are now able to provide a one stop shop including the clearance of sites and groundwork projects moving on to the transportation of goods across the country and beyond. It's a good fit for our business model and can only help us grow even more," said Anthony.

 Indeed, R Thornton & Co are experiencing a period of positive growth with the firm soon to move to a new custom-built site in Lynemouth where they can accommodate all of their vehicles as well as their staff and administration facilities. Despite the brand-new facilities, Nick and Anthony are keen to retain elements of the past and keep history alive by ensuring that the hard work that Raymond and his family put into their haulage businesses is remembered.

 "Emmex has a very proud heritage and is an important part of Northumberland's transport history. We are keeping the Emmex brand alive and looking forward to taking Raymond's legacy on the road ahead," said Nick.