South Lakes coach firm KT on road to success (From The Westmorland Gazette)

South Lakes coach firm KT on road to success

11:30am Friday 27th January 2012 in Cumbria news By Steven Bell , Reporter

A BUSINESS which has risen from the ashes of what was Kendal's most famous coach company is on the road to success.

Yvette Wheeler and Chris Stainton set up KT’s Coaches last year and have a busy order book for 2012 as word spreads of their connections.

Both were transport managers at Stainton Coaches, which ceased trading in 2010 due to financial difficulties and the collapse of a major client.

Four generations of the Burton Road firm served Kendal for 90 years.

And 18 months on, an offshoot of the long-established company is going from strength-to-strength as former customers return.

Mr Stainton said he was surprised the family name still ‘meant a lot’ in the town.

“The closure devastated us but we are all better for it and under a lot less pressure,” said Mr Stainton.

“I have been involved in business since I was 18 and, having done nothing other than coaches, I have made an awful lot of contacts in the industry and Kendal.”

The 32-year-old struggled to find employment after Stainton’s closure so decided to go into business with his partner.

They obtained the necessary licences and leased a fleet of four coaches from a company in Leyland, Lancashire, instead of buying their own.

“I knew we could do it by staying smaller and staying local,” said Mr Stainton. “Why waste 90 years of contacts?

“We haven’t bought £300,000 worth of coaches — we lease and pay for them every month, which means we constantly owe nothing. If you can get into a position where you aren’t relying on banks and you’re reducing your overheads, it can work.”

KT’s Coaches, based at Crooklands, employs three people full-time with 12 part-time drivers.

Schools, community groups and Cumbria County Council are some of the firm’s regular customers.

Although its main catchment area is Kendal, the company makes regular runs to Furness, Lancaster and Morecambe.

It also provides day trips to towns and cities further afield and group holidays.

Mr Stainton said the business had been asked to organise a trip to Paris in April by Kendal’s WI Federation — a former Stainton’s customer.

He added: “My name means a lot in this town, which I didn’t think it did. When people ring up for a quote and hear the name Stainton, it means something and it’s mainly because of the loyalty of Kendal folk.”

Visit www.ktscoaches.co.uk for more information or call 01539 721570.