Longstanding president of Bermuda Forwarders Toby Kempe is standing down in favour of his son Nick after 35 years in the top job.

Nick Kempe becomes the third generation of his family to head the 62-year-old island firm.

But Toby Kempe said he would keep an interest in the business, with a focus on relocation and export, where he started more than 40 years ago, as well as the America’s Cup project co-ordination.

He added: “It all comes full circle. I am thrilled to see my son Nick follow in my footsteps.

“This year is going to be an incredibly busy year for outbound relocations and exports in the aftermath of the America’s Cup and I will be redoubling my focus on this department to ensure that Bermuda is presented in the best possible light.

“We are well aware that we may be the last point of commercial contact for many of the athletes, teams and associated businesses.”

The company was founded in 1955 as a customs brokerage by Toby Kempe’s father, known as Winky.

Toby Kempe expanded the business by bringing off-site banker box storage to Bermuda in 1988 and adding container haulage.

The firm now offers a worldwide shipping service for local importers.

Nick Kempe said that he had “extremely big shoes to fill” but added that he had the support of an excellent team, as well as the family culture his father had fostered at the company.

He added that he had been working on an IT overhaul for the last 18 months.

Nick Kempe said: “Many repetitive tasks have now been automated and our team members are now able to dedicate more focus to delivering top-notch customer service.

“The new systems and processes have allowed us to clear and deliver freight to our clients more than one day faster on average.”

And he predicted that importers will increasingly look for more flexible shipping options and better access to information in a bid to compete against internet shopping.