MANAGING DIRECTOR

Gary Smith-Watson

You can contact Gary directly by calling 07958140067 or by emailing gary.smith-watson@samphirecargo.co.uk

Gary is responsible for the drive, growth, and leadership of Samphire Cargo, as well as the day to day running of the business.

Being amongst the newer members of the Team joining in December 2019 Gary admits it feels like he has always been part of it. Before that, he spent almost 20 years working for an Express Transport Operator predominantly within the live events, music tours, and exhibitions areas of the Special Dedicated Express world of road freight.

His career started back in 2001 as a warehouse Supervisor and grew over the years and after successfully studying and passing the OCR Certificates on Professional Competence in National and International Road Haulage became the Transport and Operations Manager, then followed a short break as a Transport Manager for a local Haulage firm to try something a little different but felt he belonged elsewhere. Returning to his strength as Business Development Manager in Express Transport he continued to grow until he was approached and offered the amazing opportunity to join Samphire within his current role leading his Team of professional, knowledgeable, hardworking, and all-round bunch of genuinely nice guys in the day to day overall operations.

Gary has achieved many things over time but says his biggest achievement was winning the heart of his wonderful wife to be Timi who gave him strength when it was needed most, and without her wouldn’t be who and where he is today.

In his spare time which Gary admits there isn’t much of usually, enjoys long walks across local fields and woodland with his sidekick Sandor the families beautiful young but large and excitable Golden Retriever, whilst also enjoying as much time as possible with his family and 3 amazing children.

Gary very much enjoys being able to work closely with his team continuing the great work accomplished so far by Samphire, he also shares and will encourage the strong working philosophy and company ethics offered to their client base pushing the company very much into the new era it faces over the coming years.

CUSTOMS DIRECTOR

Chris Grimes

You can contact Chris directly by emailing chris.grimes@samphirecargo.co.uk

Chris is overall responsible for all elements of Samphire Cargo’s Customs Clearance whilst providing day to day support to Gary and the Team.

Chris has been with Samphire since before its incorporation in 2001, working alongside its previous owners from day one. Before 1996 he spent 10 years with one of the largest global freight forwarding companies based in the UK, the last 2 years were served as branch manager based in Dover.

During his time at Samphire, Chris has undertaken all elements of the business with great expertise and knowledge which has enabled the growth of services offered to what they are today, he is eternally grateful for the opportunities given over the years which have led him to his current role of leadership of their small professional team.

Chris boasts of his happiness of being with his partner for the last 35 years and of being a very proud father of 3 children, devoting as much of his time as was possible to them and their early years whilst remaining dedicated and hardworking throughout. The days of partying hard are now long gone, for relaxation Chris enjoys the company of his dogs, patrolling the wonderful countryside surrounding Dover.

Chris enjoys the camaraderie of his team at Samphire whilst leading by example, offering his full support and vast wealth of knowledge to his colleagues to enable them to continually provide the very best service possible to their clients.

FREIGHT FORWARDING MANAGER

Dan Hallett

You can contact Dan directly by emailing dan.hallett@samphirecargo.co.uk

Having originally trained as a chef, he decided instead to take a job in Freight Forwarding and has amassed over 35 years’ experience in the business.

Dan has been with Samphire for the past seven years. Before this, he was responsible for the start-up and expansion of a multi-award-winning Online Freight Matching website and was the Operations Director of X4i for 5 years.

Dan has a detailed working knowledge of project managing national and international logistical services for events, exhibitions, and manufacturing facilities. From price negotiation & preparation of detailed quotes meeting the client’s specific requirements to sourcing and ensuring the correct equipment is available for the time scales instructed by the client.

Dan is focused and tenacious in ensuring his clients have the most cost-effective and efficient solution. He is proud to have been managing many high profile movements that involved meticulous planning, included oversize/overweight components, specific timings, and in one case ‘disguising’ the items being moved due to the competition, secrecy of technology and high profile of the sporting event. He relishes a challenge and gains great satisfaction from delivering the results – not just a satisfied customer but one who believes we have gone over and above for them.

He is married with 3 children and 2 stepchildren and this year was delighted to welcome into the world his first granddaughter. In his spare time, he competes in Triathlons, enjoys honing his DJ skills mixing music and family life.

DEEP-SEA MANAGER

Ralph Hart

You can contact Ralph directly by emailing ralph.hart@samphirecargo.co.uk

Ralph is largely responsible for the clearance of deep-sea cargo.

Ralph has held had various roles within the shipping industry since starting way back in 1985. Fresh from college, Ralph was offered two jobs: one a trainee estate agent and the other a trainee export clerk. In a moment of madness, I decided to take the trainee export clerk role with a local logistics company, spending the next four years working on their German export groupage department. Over the subsequent 31 years, Ralph has held many shipping roles from entry clerks with various freight agents to spells in various shipping departments. He did manage to squeeze two years of a film degree in but did not finish the course as he realised that much as he like playing with the toys, academia was not for him.

Professionally, Ralph’s proudest moment was achieving AEO Status on Samphire’s behalf following a two-year odyssey. On a personal level, he has three proud moments, his marriage to Sarah- Jayne in 1999, the birth of his eldest son, Arthur in 2015, and Alfred in 2018.

With the demands of two young sons, Ralph’s free time is at something of a premium, but when time permits, he enjoys cycling and photography.

Ralph has two favourite quotes both of which appear on the cover of Samphire Cargo’s Standard Operating Procedure, ‘Go to the book, thou Sluggard, consider it’s ways and be wise’ and RTFM.

Ralph has spent his entire career looking for ways of achieving goals and completing tasks more proficiently and he is driven by a desire to create solutions to any problem that may arise ensuring that customer expectations are always met.

SHORT SEA SUPERVISOR

Steve Nicholas

You can contact Steve directly by emailing steve.nicholas@samphirecargo.co.uk

Steve entered the world of customs clearance early on in 1976 as a trainee within the port office of a major Airfreight company, later moving on to the port clearance office of a large forwarding group as a senior clerk.

Some years later after much had been learned he achieved the position of Import Supervisor for one of the larger Italian Haulage companies.

In 1988 he became Manager of the wines and spirits department of another major company working with several blue-chip companies and well known High Street names, where he remained until the end of 1993 following the changes within the industry in 1992 and the need for custom’s clearance declarations had diminished and were no longer required for EU status goods.

Steve then went on to take a role working for a local Freight Forwarder up to 2002 after which he decided to semi-retire to build his own house complete with a smallholding of various animals, once he had achieved this and all was under control and looked after by his wife he decided on a return to the industry in 2007 taking an Import clearance role here at Samphire Cargo and admits he’s still not certain he made the right decision but enjoys the banter and Tea so had hung in there just to be social.

Steve spends most of his time outside of work helping out with the animals at home with early morning feeding and cleaning before work or taking the late shift once returning from a hard days work in the office, he has a passion for their horses and dogs but also can be found when time permits socialising with his group of fellow Harley Davison enthusiasts or occasionally taking to the river bank for a tranquil day of fishing.

CUSTOMS/FORWARDING OPERATOR

George Holmes

You can contact George directly by emailing george.holmes@samphirecargo.co.uk

George is the young blood and one of the newest members of the clearance team joining us in March 2019, he works on all areas of customs clearance for both Exports & Imports also road and deep-sea freight, he is now also playing an important role in our freight forwarding department to help him gain a wider knowledge of the industry, and to provide our customers with the best service available.

Before joining the Team George was a bicycle mechanic for the GB Triathlon Team on the Ironman circuit.

In his spare time, George enjoys riding and working on his mountain bike and motorbike. He also enjoys travelling and exploring new places and trying their local cuisine.

George is motivated by providing the best service possible and learning as much as he can about the industry whilst working closely with the experienced team at Samphire Cargo.

CUSTOMS IMPORT/EXPORT OPERATOR

Dean Kershaw

You can contact Dean directly by emailing dean.kershaw@samphirecargo.co.uk

Dean began his journey within the Import / Export world as a dock runner in 1988. After spending 4 years with a couple of companies he faced redundancy in 1992 with the birth of the EU.

After several years of working at sea with Hoverspeed and travelling throughout Southern Africa he was offered a shift clerk position at Frans Maas UK Ltd. For the last 20 years he has had various roles within the industry and gained a reputation of having a very methodical approach to his work, a broad range of industry-based knowledge, and always going that bit further for clients and employers.

On a personal level, Dean has been with his wife for 20 years & married for 17 years, and has 2 children, Matilda(12), and Ronnie(9). The family also has an absolute loon of a dog named Betty, when not at work he enjoys and is obsessed with Golf, weight training, fishing, and any sport that demands an almost impossible level of human endurance. His ultimate goal is to complete an Ultra Marathon of more than 50 miles.

Dean says, ‘I am very excited and incredibly honoured to be given a chance with such an up and coming company like Samphire Cargo. I cannot wait to become an integral member of such a great team’.

CUSTOMS/FORWARDING OPERATOR

Timi Nemet

You can contact Timi directly by emailing timi.nemet@samphirecargo.co.uk

Timi originally from Transilvania, moved to the United Kingdom in 2013 looking to grow into new areas and begin a career with better prospects than at home, speaking fluent English, Hungarian and Romanian she quickly found her way in the bustling transport industry growing into the hard working and focussed professional she is today.

Timi started her journey in the UK at a local transport company, as a transport administrator but soon realised she was able to offer more and following months of home studying along with managing her busy life as a mum passed her transport manager’s cpc and became the Transport Manager sitting on the company’s operators license.

With a vast knowledge of transport, good understanding of all business management Timi is always eager to study further and gain more knowledge, recently having diverted her career path to train in  customs clearance formalities bringing her to our Team.

Timi’s world was turned completely upside down in 2019 following early diagnosis of  cancer but being the strong person she is she didn’t allow it to get the better of her and dug in for the battle ahead ultimately winning the war upon finally being given the all clear from her consultant in September 2020 allowing her to get back to what she does best, being herself!

Timi is a loving mother of her daughter and two stepsons, and devoted to her soon to be husband Gary, they mean everything to her, she is also an addict animal lover caring for the families gorgeous golden retriever, beautiful birman cat and a handful of minilop rabbits and also hopes to bread the rabbits in her spare time.

Timi believes there is nothing in life that can’t be achieved if you work hard enough and everything can be fixed if you’re prepared to put in the effort.

Being Samphire Cargo’s first female Team member she hopes to bring a fresh new atmosphere to the office and path the way for more to follow.

CUSTOMS IMPORT/EXPORT OPERATOR

Ian Hughes

You can contact Ian directly by emailing ian.hughes@samphirecargo.co.uk

Ian started his working life as a junior clerk with Mat Transauto in 1988.  He was made redundant in 1992 when the EU was established. After this he spent 11 years on the Dover/Calais ferries as a steward, and had shorter spells working various jobs such as office clerk for his brother and various other positions.  He resurrected his import/export career in 2012 with a local company and has since taken positions with Motis and another agent in town before getting lucky and landing his current role within Samphire Cargo.

Ian is a devoted and a loyal/loving husband to his wife Kerry since 2003.  With no children they live with and are tolerated by their cat.

He is an avid camper, wasting thousands on his beloved VW since 2016.  He is also a novice Kayaker, trial biker and golfer.  Collecting vinyl is Ians biggest vice and now he boasts he is the proud owner of quite some collection which he hopes will sell for a good price once he has expired.

Ian is so exited to be joining the team at Samphire and is determined to make the most of the opportunity given to him.

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Melissa White

You can contact Melissa directly by emailing melissa.white@samphirecargo.co.uk

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Elizabeth Carraher

You can contact Elizabeth directly by emailing elizabeth.carraher@samphirecargo.co.uk

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Freya Emmerson

You can contact Freya directly by emailing freya.emmerson@samphirecargo.co.uk

Just before Freya joining the Team she had recently graduated from University with a first class degree in Media Production.

In her spare time she loves to cook and also has a passion for travelling around the world and hopes in the future to take a year out to  explore south East Asia.

IMPORT CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Angelika Ciesielska

You can contact Angelika directly by emailing angelika.ciesielska@samphirecargo.co.uk

Originally from Poland Angelika moved to England in 2015. Making the decision to move to this country for a better future for herself and her  family. Her two children are the biggest love of her life and she believes children always want to see their mum happy and satisfied, and admits, finally she has found a place which makes her happy,  starting to work at Samphire Cargo in December 2020 and that was a jackpot!

Her entire life is ruled by her three passions: music, basketball and fashion. Ex-model, ex-basketball player who became a referee of Professional Basketball League-men and women and was a forerunner- having made it to a level no other women in Poland had ever made before, a profession that had previously only been occupied by men.

She always believes that ‘she can fly’ and as her sporting hero Michael Jordan, the best basketball player ever, once said:

“Some people want it to happen,

Some wish it would happen,

Others make it happen”.

Music is equally important to Angelika and playing the clarinet (which she is madly in love with ) and the piano, her beloved composer is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and confesses that she is absolutely obsessed with him.

Also being a member of semi-professional orchestra White Cliffs Symphonic Winds in Dover, returning to music 3 years ago after 24 years of not playing now has almost completed her degree in Music Performance-clarinet recital.

In Poland she also worked at a Travel Agency, the job which she really enjoyed having an interest in foreign languages and being fluent in Polish, English, Russian and German (although admits hasn’t spoken the last two languages for 20 years but hopes with her new role will get the opportunity to work on them).  along with now learning Italian as well.

Towards the end of 2020 Angelika took a risk and decided to change her whole career to work within an area of business she’d never worked in before but admits she is thoroughly delighted it turned out that working as customs operator within the Import Deep Sea Department at Samphire is absolutely her cup of tea!

Again to quote the great Michael Jordan  “I can accept the failure, Everyone fails at something but I cannot accept not trying”.

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Bradley Bowman

You can contact Bradley directly by emailing bradley.bowman@samphirecargo.co.uk

Bradley joins the Samphire Cargo team after just under 4 years within the lettings industry where for the past 18 months he has been managing a team of individuals to help them achieve their daily KPI’s.

Before this Bradley worked in retail and the hospitality sector so has managed to develop a high level of customer service which he will be bringing with him into his new job role.

Outside of work, Bradley is a big sports fan and avidly follows his local football team, Dover Athletic. When Bradley isn’t watching football he can be found playing and plays for teams on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Bradley’s other hobbies includes cycling, gaming & socialising with his friends”.

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Jackie Beeks

You can contact Jackie directly by emailing jackie.beeks@samphirecargo.co.uk

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Cheyenne Buchan

You can contact Cheyenne directly by emailing cheyenne.buchan@samphirecargo.co.uk

Cheyenne joins the Samphire Cargo team after previous experience in the freight forwarding & import industry.

Prior to this Cheyenne worked onboard cross channel ferries for DFDS & P&O after studying at the Duke Of York’s Royal Military School.

Outside of work, Cheyenne likes to be productive with her time by keeping up with her hockey sessions that she did in school and her personal fitness training as she loves her sport.

She also confesses to being the world’s worst driver as seems to love crashing her car at every given opportunity.

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Ioana Farkas

You can contact Ioana directly by emailing ioana.farkas@samphirecargo.co.uk

Ioana is one of the newest members of the team joining us in January 2021, she works on areas of customs clearance for road Imports.

Before joining the Team, Ioana has achieved her bachelor’s degree in accountancy in 2009 being originally from Romania and has worked in accountancy since 2007.

Being an ambitious person and wanting a better life for her family and especially for her son, she relocated her family to the UK in March 2020.

On a personal level Ioana has been with her partner for 10 years & married in 2017, and has one feisty toddler named Erik who makes life so much more interesting. The family also have brought their dog from Romania – a beagle named Sansa, which they’ve had since 2016 and is considered a member of the family and Erik’s best friend.

In the very limited spare time she has, Ioana enjoys long walks in nature and discovering the Kent area and would love to travel more when the time permits.

Ioana is very motivated to learn as much as she can about the industry whilst working closely with the experienced team at Samphire Cargo.

JUNIOR CUSTOMS OPERATOR

Rebecca Heron

You can contact Rebecca directly by emailing rebecca.heron@samphirecargo.co.uk