Happy 1 year anniversary to Samphire France!

We’re celebrating the first anniversary of Samphire France.

Youcef Mahmoudi – Customs Manager of Samphire Customs SAS

“It’s unbelievable that it has already been a year. I still remember the early days, dealing with administrative delays. Those challenges, though frustrating, made us even more determined to succeed. Now, we’ve built something strong that will occupy a significant place in the industry in the years to come. I want to thank Gary who supported me, and the entire team—for their constant encouragement. There’s still much to achieve, this is only the beginning for us.”

Youcef’s journey in logistics began in 1999 as a courier. He soon transitioned to customs, where he worked his way up from Customs Clerk to Declarant Assistant, to Deputy Declarant, Declarant, and finally Customs Manager— a role he held for over 20 years at his previous company.

He will now be overseeing a significant drive for growth in the coming months with a management position already filled and 2 further declarant positions on offer.

Youcef shared his perspective on the industry:
“I really enjoy working with people and look forward to growing and supporting the new team. Seeing people learn and evolve is extremely rewarding. Of course, like all jobs, there are challenges. For me, it’s the occasional frustration of wanting to work faster but being dependent on external factors beyond our control.”

2025 is looking good for another year of growth, with the recent acquisition of ACT Forwarding & Logistics Limited presenting many more opportunities on both sides of the Channel.

Gary Smith-Watson, Managing Director of Samphire Customs
“Samphire France has been the highlight of 2024 and huge credit to the whole Samphire Team for how they’ve handled every step of its development. The Lesquin office has been a vital part of the group’s growth, delivering seamless customs clearance and logistics solutions on both sides of the Channel, and we’re determined to build on this throughout 2025.

Samphire France also featured in our entry into the BIFA Awards Specialist Services category, and we were recently delighted to hear that we’d been shortlisted for the award!