Founder and owner of Merseyside logistics firm Trinity Logistics travels the world to encourage more shipping lines to come to the Port of Liverpool
Global outreach led by the founder and sole owner of Merseyside supply chain management firm, Trinity Logistics, is seeking to drive international use of Liverpool Ports and bring jobs and wealth to the region.
Working with Peel Ports Group, Amanda Unsworth, managing director of Trinity Logistics, has spent the past 15 years travelling in China, India and Thailand, to promote the Port of Liverpool Port.
Amanda, which was winner of this year’s ‘Entrepreneur’ category at the Merseyside Women of the Year Awards, aims to secure the commitment of shipping lines to bring goods directly into the North West.
According to research from Port of Liverpool owner Peel Ports Group, 90% of deep-sea containers are imported through ports in the south. However, 60% of all imports are destined for areas closer to Liverpool than its southern competitors.
Amanda said: “We have a world-class port in Liverpool that is closer to a huge share of the market, compared to southern ports like Felixstowe, where most imports come in.
“While there are a few days extra travel to reach Liverpool, which adds an extra cost in terms of fuel, when goods reach us here, they are closer to their end delivery point, which means a reduction in cost in terms of haulage.
“One outweighs the other and we can be extremely competitive for importers and exporters.
“It’s important that those of us working in the sector in the city region go out and educate our customers on these benefits, to get their buy-in to bring their goods through Liverpool.”
This year alone Amanda has been to Turkey, Morocco, Thailand and in China, talking directly to ports, shipping lines and port authorities and getting their commitment to ship their goods through Liverpool.
While the issue is not education alone – some ports in the south are able to take larger ships – Amanda believes that it is vital, alongside increased visibility of Liverpool Ports on a local level, to encourage a new and diverse talent pool to the shipping and maritime sector.
As one of the only UK firms of its kind with a sole female leader, and one with a team that is more than 80% women, Amanda is particularly focused on encouraging more women into the sector.
Starting her own career at Liverpool Port at the age of 17 when she worked as a docker, Amanda has spent 27 years in the industry and experienced the challenges faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry.
She explained: “After being overlooked for a promotion in favour of a man more than once, I decided to set up the business that I wanted to lead myself. So, in 2017 I left my job, just after having my second child and set up Trinity Logistics.”
For the first year Amanda ran the business by herself, before recruiting a small team to support her. By 2022 she had taken the company to a turnover of £42m and opened a sister office in Shenzhen, China.
Now, in 2024 Trinity employs a team of 12 to meet growth and increased demand and was recently named International Business of the Year at the Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards 2024.
Amanda added: “The port is a huge employer, but it’s not visible enough to young people making decisions about their careers. Even if it is seen, maritime and shipping isn’t considered to be a sexy or exciting industry to be in.
“As well as trying to get the rest of the world to see Liverpool Port as a viable destination, we work to try and make young people see it as a career destination too.
“We’re working with Liverpool John Moores University to develop its supply chain curriculum, and we run career days in primary and secondary schools.
“We tell them about all the different roles you can get into, from supply chain and IT infrastructure, to tug masters and chief officers, and relate the industry to things they’ll relate to.
“Not many of the children we speak to know that lots of their trendy trainers come from Turkey via ship, but they’re interested after we tell them.
“I really can’t imagine a more exciting sector to be in. It’s different every day, you get to travel and although people are mostly oblivious to it, the world can’t turn without us.”
Celebrating MWOTY 2024’s Entrepreneur category winner, the awards’ founding director, Ellie Kerr, said: “It’s inspiring to witness a business powerhouse thrive under the leadership of a woman in a very male originated realm.
“By fostering economic growth and opportunities in the region, Amanda has set a precedent for female CEOs across sectors, and she is an incredible role model for future generations of women who will break into maritime and shipping.”
READ MORE: Mersey maritime sector ‘critical’ to UK economy
As well as encouraging the next generation into the industry, Amanda and Trinity Logistics are fierce supporters of the local community.
Earlier this year its Delivering the Power of Women event raised almost £29,000 for secondary breast cancer support charity, Fighting to Be Heard.
A recent row-a-thon in the firm’s offices raised more than £3,000 for Zoe’s Place. Its next fundraising event will take place on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Anfield Stadium, to raise funds for With Love From Steph.