www.truckandtrack.com Summer 2026 Truck and Track 69 PORTS Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s largest port operator, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rupert Joseland as its new Group Head of Property. Rupert will lead the Property team of one of the UK’s biggest commercial landowners with a portfolio of over 8,600 acres across a range of strategic locations providing unrivalled development options and multimodal logistics links. He will also directly head the Property team for ABP Southampton. Rupert is an accomplished property development leader with over 30 years of experience in delivering largescale industrial and logistics development, including as Managing Director at St Modwen. He has established high-performing regional teams, delivering major schemes like Swansea University Bay Campus, and creating a more than 10 million square foot logistics portfolio. He is experienced in delivering complex schemes requiring productive partnerships with private and public sector entities. Julian Walker, Chief Commercial Officer for ABP, said: “I’m delighted that Rupert Joseland is joining ABP to take our sectorleading Property function on the next phase of its growth. Rupert brings a wealth of experience and a track record of delivering large scale property development and portfolio optimisation. Rupert’s appointment also strengthens our Property activities in Southampton where we are bringing forward a number of significant development opportunities. This appointment represents an important step for us as we continue to develop and grow ABP’s property offering to the market across the UK.” Rupert Joseland, incoming Group Head of Property for ABP and Head of Property for ABP Southampton, said: “The sector leading scope of the ABP property portfolio and the range of development opportunities is clear. What has particularly struck me from my initial conversations with ABP is their ambitious vision for developing and growing their estate. I’m excited to be joining ABP to lead the team in realising this ambition.” Associated British Ports appoints new Group Head of Property TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk ABP’s new Group Head of Property and Head of Property for ABP Southampton, Rupert Joseland Scotland’s largest port, Grangemouth is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first container vessel to call into the UK with a further £8 million investment boost in the port’s infrastructure and equipment. On the 7th May 1996, the Sea-land freight service called into Grangemouth as part of the Europe and American shipping route transporting mostly Scotch whisky for onward travel to the USA [see historic image with this release]. Grangemouth was the only UK port in the rotation making Grangemouth’s container terminal the first port in the UK to handle goods in this way, with the subsequent development of containerisation changing the way cargo was transported around the world. Sea-land launched the transatlantic container ship route in April 1966 with four ships in service, each carrying 226 containers with cargoes of cameras, safety razors and pre-fab housing complements. The weekly route was the first transatlantic ship carrying only containers and called at Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland, in the US, then Rotterdam, Bremen and Grangemouth. Over the past 60 years, the port has developed through significant investment and is now Scotland’s largest container port and logistics hub covering an area of 402 acres employing 280 people and is home to 32 businesses within the port. The port is a multimodal facility and is primarily an export port moving Scottish goods to global locations. Since 1966, the container terminal has handled in excess of 4.2million containers and today its operations manage more than £6 billion worth of goods each year including food and drink, construction products and renewables. To mark the anniversary, the port is planning to hold a port open day for the community and are working with schools on a project involving the local young people helping the port to name their new harbour crane. Commenting on the diamond anniversary, Derek Knox, Regional Director, Scotland said: “This is a significant milestone in the history of the port of Grangemouth. Over the past 60 years the port has changed and adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers and markets through investment in not only our infrastructure and equipment, but in our skills. Grangemouth has grown to become Scotland’s largest container port and logistics hub and makes a major contribution to the economy of Scotland. We look forward to continuing to play our part in Scotland’s success for the next 60 years!” Craig Torrance, Asset Manager for the Port of Grangemouth said: “Grangemouth has changed significantly over the past 60 years from the size of vessels, a move to more sustainable handling equipment, health & safety priorities and people skills. A stevedore from 60 years ago would not recognise the port of today although some things have not changed, we still maintain the same customer focus that we did all those years ago and we still export a lot of whisky from Grangemouth!” Also happening 60 years ago in 1966: ■ The BBC began to broadcast in colour ■ Harold Wilson was the UK Prime Minister ■ The first credit card was launched in the UK ■ The last UK concert by the Beatles ■ James Bond’s Thunderball was the number one box office f ilm ■ Manfred Man’s Pretty Flamingo was number one (on 7th May 1966) ■ And England won the football world cup! Port of Grangemouth celebrates diamond anniversary with investment boost
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