Annatrans’ origins
In 1970, Luc Gobyn and his wife, Marie-Anne, opened a garage for cars of all makes and a gas station. Two years later, they expanded their business with a local towing service for cars and heavy trucks.
In 1982, they went international by expanding their towing activities throughout Europe. But it was in 1986 that the real adventure began, with the acquisition of Annatrans, a company active in national and international sheeted transport. Result? Luc Gobyn and Marie-Anne launched their business of car repatriation and transportation. Seven years later, the company expanded further by integrating Vamatrans, which also specialised in sheeted transport.
Car transport all over Europe
In 1996, the company definitely specialised in the transport of vehicles. Today, Annatrans focuses on international car transport, which accounts for 85% of its business. The company did not, however, abandon the field of sheeted vehicles, since it still operates several of them.
The most frequent destinations? Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and many other countries (Sweden, Denmark…).
Top-level partners
Annatrans works with all big names in the field of assistance, major suppliers of new and second-hand cars in Belgium, contractors (car dealers) and major distributors in France.
Top-quality service
The vehicles for international transport are all equipped with large cabins, which offers drivers better comfort. They’re also regularly checked to ensure their safety and that of their freight. Better still: the trucks are tracked by satellite with permanent connections, allowing drivers, who all have mobile phones, to receive and send messages to keep in touch with the headquarters. All vehicles are also registered in Belgium and operated by Belgian or French drivers, each with their own assigned truck to avoid any problems. So Annatrans doesn’t use any subcontractors or rental vehicles.
To protect the environment, 90% of Annatrans' vehicles are "green", i.e. Euro-class V. They are all covered by a CMR all-in insurance policy, and an insurance policy for the transported vehicles. They also hold the administrative documents necessary for a legal transport activity.
The vehicles are maintained in Annatrans’ workshops for routine maintenance and minor breakdowns. Annatrans collaborates with Spillier - De Cock, in Harelbeke, for more important breakdowns and problems.
A top-tier enterprise
Today, the family business has become a small holding of 42 people, including Luc Gobyn and Marie-Anne Fermantel, their children, Alexandre Gobyn and Charlotte Gobyn, who are picking up the torch, 4 employees, and 34 drivers.
The group, named LAMAC, is composed of:
- Widego, specialised in towing and repatriation of vehicles;
- Annatrans, specialised in car repatriation and transportation;
- Vamatrans, sheeted vehicles and car transportation;
- GL Car, truck and car maintenance.