North Essex-based company Delamode has carried off a top award at the inaugural Freight Transport Association (FTA) Logistics Awards.

The Braintree freight forwarding and logistics firm, which is part of Xpediator plc, picked up the Freight Carrier of the Year title, beating off competition from across the UK.

Delamode’s group marketing manager, Dave Gladen, said: “Awards like this are very important to celebrate our success collectively as a logistics industry and it’s great to see such a diverse range of companies brought together by FTA.

“I can’t wait to tell the team, they’ll be delighted like I am. This is our third award this year and it’s great to get this recognition.”

The FTA Logistics Awards have been launched to celebrate the industry’s role in delivering the raw materials and products required and made by businesses in a wide variety of sectors.

Other winners included the John Lewis Partnership (Retail Shipper of the Year), Freightliner (Most Innovative Company of the Year) and James Cooper of Associated British Ports (Logistics Lifetime Achievement Award).

The ceremony, hosted by entertainer Alistair McGowan, was attended by representatives of all modes of freight transport, including air, sea and road, as well as the industry’s buyers and support sectors.

FTA chief executive David Wells said: “The inaugural FTA Logistics Awards have proved a great success, celebrating outstanding performance in multimodal supply and logistics from organisations both big and small.”

He added: “The logistics sector often goes unrecognised and yet its work forms the backbone of British industry – without it, Britain simply would not keep trading.

“Our members supply everything from raw materials for our factories, to high-tech devices and medication for hospitals, along with food to every single supermarket and corner shop in the UK.”