Sam Judah MBE receives the Grimsby & Scunthorpe Telegraphs’ Lifetime Achievement award

Captain Sam Judah MBE, Managing Director of the GBA Group of Companies, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a continuing successful career in business, having brought a wealth of benefit to both the local and nationwide economy.

The Managing Director of the GBA Group of Companies was recently honoured with the top accolade at the Northern Lincolnshire Business Awards 2018.

Capt Sam Judah MBE won the individual honour at the annual business calendar highlight.

Capt Judah, named the Grimsby & Scunthorpe Telegraphs’ Lifetime Achievement award winner, used to sail vessels laden with cars into Grimsby, and the past 12 months have seen the business he joined to move them throughout the supply chain – from factory to showroom – clock up 30 years.

He has been at the helm of GBA Group of Companies for the vast majority of that time, and has worked across the shipping, ports and logistics industry for his entire career.

It has been a journey split across sea and land, spanning the decks of ocean-crossing ships, the bridge of car carriers, terminal management and culminating in leading one of the most successful stories to emerge from the ports in recent times. He was awarded an MBE in 2009, and has received several industry awards for service, innovation and excellence.

Born and educated in Bombay, India, he first came to the UK to launch his maritime career, and while at sea completed a degree in business studies.

He first took command of a vessel at the age of 31, bringing Volkswagens across the North Sea – to Grimsby’s Alexandra Dock – and worked from third officer to master.

Coming ashore, he worked as operations manager in Immingham, then as a port manager in Teesport, returning to the Humber as Hull Container Terminal manager, before joining GBA in the early Nineties. 

It was a move made as Toyota looked to the Humber to export their UK-built cars. As a result, in 1997 the company opened its head office in Grimsby, while going on to operate in all major car-handling locations around the UK, and selected global roles. More recently GBA played an integral role in future-proofing Grimsby’s specialist car handling capabilities, as one of three parties with Associated British Ports and Volkswagen Group, to enable the £25-million riverside terminal to be built.

GBA now handles more than two million cars a year, with a quarter of those through Grimsby and Immingham, employing more than 900 people across the UK.

A devoted family man, two of his four boys, Cale and Yaniv, work with him, and in accepting this award tonight he has underlined how it is on behalf of all the directors and staff who have delivered successes over the past three decades.

After receiving a standing ovation from the 500-strong audience, Capt Judah said: “You cannot do this by yourself. I have got a whole company to back me up, together with directors and staff – this is not a one man show, although I recognise the award and am honoured and humbled to receive it. 

“I have a couple of people to thank; my two sons who have been in the business for 17 years between them and my very good friend Stephen Bland, who has been one of my best friends since the age of 16. We have sailed together, we work together and we socialise together. That’s 48 years, he is my deputy managing director, so to him and the rest of the staff I say thank you.”

Of the awards, now in their 17th year, he added: “We have to celebrate success because it gives encouragement to achieve, and that’s what gives this area the economic growth and entrepreneurship, and the rest follows.”

Amended text and media courtesy of : © Copyright Humber Business 2015-2018. All rights reserved.

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