In this issue of Packaging, Warehouse & Logistics, we are pleased to feature Countrywide Freight Group as our Freight Specialists Company of the Month.
In December 2026, Countrywide Freight Group will mark a significant milestone: 50 years in business. What began in 1976 as a single depot operation in Belfast, founded by John Forsyth, has developed into a specialist supply chain and logistics business serving customers throughout the UK and Ireland. The company’s own history records the opening of its Manchester depot in 1979, followed by a period of expansion through acquisition that steadily broadened its geographic reach and service offering.
Forsyth remained at the heart of the business for four decades, based in Manchester and building Countrywide Freight Group’s presence in Irish Sea freight and parcel distribution. Today, the group operates four sites across Great Britain – Gateshead, Manchester, Leicestershire and London – alongside its Belfast and Dublin depots. Its parcel distribution operation also has a network of depots across Wales and Northern Ireland.
At the centre of the business remains the movement of freight between Great Britain and Ireland. Countrywide describes itself as a groupage carrier, allowing customers to move anything from a single carton to a half-load on a shared vehicle. For businesses that do not have sufficient volume to justify a full trailer, that model offers a practical way of controlling transport costs while retaining direct links between the two markets.
The company also handles part and full loads and has experience with out-of-gauge freight – a particularly relevant capability for the packaging sector, where oversized or bespoke pallets can present challenges for conventional distribution networks. Countrywide additionally covers the Isle of Man and Channel Islands, providing what it describes as a one-stop solution for offshore deliveries.
Packaging and associated products account for a significant proportion of the freight moving through the business, alongside sectors including home and household products, ambient food, construction and electrical goods. The company delivers daily into high volume sites such as major FMCG manufacturers and retail multiples, while its core target market is mid-sized manufacturers and distributors with regular groupage requirements to Ireland.
The company’s proposition is deliberately differentiated from a conventional pallet-network model. Countrywide says it is not part of a pallet network and does not operate a hub-and-spoke structure; instead, multiple groupage trailers run directly between its depots each night. Fewer handling points and shorter lead times, it says, can translate into a more predictable service for customers.
That focus on direct connectivity is backed by technology. Countrywide’s website highlights real-time tracking, scanning at collection, during warehouse movements and at delivery, alongside customised reporting. Its current operation is substantial, with the company reporting 21,000 daily consignments, 2,000 customs entries and 630 vehicles on the road.
As cross-border trading has become more complex, customs has also become an increasingly important part of the proposition. In 2023, Countrywide established Clearline Customs as an independent customs brokerage within the group, designed to help customers navigate the changing requirements involved in shipping between Great Britain and Ireland. The group says its customs operation can manage declarations through integrations with HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service and Ireland’s Revenue systems.
Fifty years after its Belfast beginnings, Countrywide’s proposition is therefore less about simply moving freight from A to B and more about providing a connected GB–Ireland logistics solution – combining groupage, transport, warehousing, technology and customs expertise around the needs of manufacturers and distributors.
“Our structure means that our customer service is depot-specific, so no call centres, no wait time, just a local team who get to know our customers,” says Diane Carroll, Group Sales Director. “We believe in the power of conversation; it’s our personal and friendly service that differentiates us. However, we don’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ solution. With a tremendous amount of experience within our company, we like to find workable and optimised solutions for our customers, no matter how challenging their freight or delivery requirements.”
That customer-centric approach is encapsulated in the company’s guiding philosophy: ‘Delivering your promises.’ For Countrywide, this means putting customers at the centre of its operation and helping them meet – and exceed – the service expectations of their own Irish customers.
While the business has expanded into Europe over the past 18 months, the Irish Sea remains firmly at the heart of its future strategy. Countrywide is continuing to develop its specialist GB–Ireland proposition, including a new solution linking Scotland with Ireland, with its Gateshead depot emerging as a hub for freight from across the M8 corridor.
The company is also responding to evolving customer demand, with its two-person home delivery service growing organically from existing relationships.
Following a successful appearance at Packaging Expo Manchester in 2025, Countrywide is looking forward to returning to the event in Liverpool on 10th-11th November, continuing the development of its presence within the packaging sector as it enters its next chapter.
For more information, please see below:
T +44 (0)330 383 0032
www.countrywide-freight.co.uk