ISSUE 8 - SPRING/SUMMER 2013
10 MILLION & COUNTING
10 MILLION PALLETS THROUGH THE WOLVERHAMPTON HUB IN UNDER A DECADE
PW GATES & PALLET-TRACK
HEAD TO WESTMINSTER
THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH AND WE STILL HAVE CAPACITY TO INCREASE
10 MILLION & COUNTING AND YET STILL NO LOSSES! RECORD-BREAKING PALLET-TRACK HAS ANNOUNCED ANOTHER MILESTONE BY MOVING 10 MILLION PALLETS THROUGH ITS WOLVERHAMPTON HUB IN LESS THAN A DECADE – WITHOUT LOSING A SINGLE PALLET
PALLET-TRACK WILL CELEBRATE ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2014. ITS GIANT 267,000 SQ FT DISTRIBUTION CENTRE ON MILLFIELD ROAD HAS SEEN DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. IT HAS ALSO CONSISTENTLY BREAKING MOVEMENT FIGURES, INCLUDING BEATING ITS OWN SHIPMENT OF 9000 PALLETS IN A SINGLE EVENING The activity of its forklift truck drivers forms a finelychoreographed display of high volume movement, ensuring the next day delivery of a broad range of household and industrial goods, on behalf of some of the biggest brands in the world. But, its major record is the fact that despite the higher volumes of pallets, it has never lost a single consignment. This is a major achievement, helping to reduce operational costs, such as insurance. “The 10 million mark is a major milestone ahead of our 10 year anniversary and it is something we can all be proud of. This is particularly true since we have not lost a single pallet in all of that time,” said founder and managing director, Nigel Parkes. “We win business because we offer a great service at a
reasonable rate. We pride ourselves on working hard to get the products safely and securely to where they need to be. That means investing in tracking technology which helps us to maintain this record. It is important for the Pallet-Track brand to have a ‘get it right first time’ and no-loss policy - a fact that brings not only repeat business but new business partners, promoting expansion and pallet volume. Pallet-Track works with a broad range of manufacturers, producers, retailers, suppliers and stockists, supplying many household name consumer, business and industrial brands. This is in addition to transporting anything from building and construction materials, through to sporting goods, clothing and accessories. At a time of sky-high fuel costs its national hub-and-spoke operation reduces operator’s costs and their impact upon the environment. It does this by reducing delivery distances and making sure that no trucks run empty on any leg of their journeys. With a combined turnover in excess of £60 million, the PalletTrack network currently boasts more than 74 depots across the country employing 1,800 staff. “This represents a significant breakthrough in terms of the volume and capacity at the hub and is testament to the highly efficient administrative systems and management processes we have put in place. This achievement further underlines our ambitions to become the UK’s leading palletised freight network. We are still only operating at about 80%, so there is still capacity to increase volumes further,” added Parkes.
As part of the 10 year anniversary on the 30th January 2014, Pallet-Track has commissioned a new celebratory curtain design. If you are interested in adding a set of celebratory curtains to your fleet - or want to find out more about the Pallet-Tracks 10 year anniversary celebration contact ElaineAndersen@pallet-track.com or call 0870 385 0055.
PALLET-TRACK GOES TO WESTMINSTER PALLET-TRACK AND ONE OF ITS NETWORK SHAREHOLDER MEMBERS - PW GATES SHOWED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE FAIRFUEL UK CAMPAIGN, BY HITTING THE STREETS OF LONDON WITH THE FAIRFUEL UK TRUCK TO HIGHLIGHT THE EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE AT PORTCULLIS HOUSE
The event on Monday 4th March was something of a ‘first’. A lot of lobbying of MPs is generally done either by organising numerous 1 to 1 meetings or by holding an event (lunch/reception). Such events can suffer from a number of problems. There are lots of events on a wealth of issues and MPs need to juggle their time by picking and choosing which to attend. On Monday, FairFuel UK decided to do their lobbying a bit differently! They went into room T of Portcullis House, from 1pm to 6pm, asking MPs to literally ‘drop in’ to register their interest and support in FairFuelUK. The Portcullis house event offered MP’s the opportunity to meet Quentin Wilson and the team, as well as some of the FairFuel UK supporters. As a drop in event, it was easier for MPs to ‘fit in’ a visit.
Peter Carroll commented - “We are all thrilled that the liveried vehicle was in Westminster. I’m absolutely delighted to be able to report that over 100 MPs attended. This far exceeded our expectations. They came from all across the House and I don’t think I’m exaggerating in saying that there was a huge degree of support and ‘warmth’.” Lasting five hours, it was considered by the team to be extremely worthwhile. Forty of the MPs felt able to sign a ‘Letter to the Editor’, which had been drafted for The Times, calling for a cut in fuel duty! I think some of them would have felt some ‘heat’ from their respective Partys when the letter did get printed two days later.
The FairFuel UK truck, supported by Pallet-Track and PW Gates, drove around Westminster to reinforce the message and increase awareness, about the event and the campaign. Pallet-Track and PW Gates came up with this brilliant collaboration for the truck after Peter Carroll’s impassioned presentation at the Pallet-Track annual summit. Nigel Parkes, managing director of Pallet-Track, says it is important to increase awareness that since the creation of the organisation, fuel increases have been postponed. This is not a coincidence. They presented a comprehensive report to Government, which clearly
shows how fuel duty increases seriously damage our economy. To that end, we have agreed to be a sponsor via the Association of Pallet Networks. I encourage everyone to support them whenever they can. Peter Gates, from PW Gates, was onsite at Portcullis House, to talk to MP’s from a haulier’s point of view. Peter feels that the continued rise in fuel costs are the one thing that a business like ours has little control over, we can shop around for other products to try and stop the squeeze on our profitability, but fuel costs are always lowering the margins. I believe that a cut in fuel duty will help to improve the UK Economy as has been evidenced by FairFuelUK’s Fuel Duty report carried out by the CEBR in March 2012.
NEWS STORIES FROM OUR SHAREHOLDER MEMBERS
A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF CURTAIN TRANSLINK EXPRESS LOGISTICS Translink Express Logistics are bucking the trend with their new curtain design, by introducing a new curtain that looks like it has already been pulled back. Greg Barnes and the team decided to come up with the design as part of their 25th year anniversary celebrations. Translink Express Logistics Limited are a long established independent carrier. Founded in 1987 and based in Narborough, south of Leicester city centre and in close proximity to all major motorway networks, Translink Express is one of the County’s leading independent carriers. The company is a shareholder member of Pallet-Track, Chris Hobbis, Sales and Marketing Director said: “The curtains were a unique way of having collaborative branding to mark our 25th year and our association with Pallet-Track”.
PRESTIGE DISTRIBUTION The alternative curtain is a trend that is growing amongst the shareholder members at Pallet-Track. Prestige Distribution had the livery on these curtains made for one of their major customers - ITW Construction Products. ITW Construction Products is a leading manufacturer of fixing, fastening and drilling systems for wood, steel and concrete applications. Through a number of brands, the Construction Products division of the global organisation, ITW Inc. offers the construction industry a wide range of products, primarily aimed at professional users, such as electricians, carpenters and dry liners. Worldwide, the Construction Products division generates an annual revenue of around $2bn. ITW Construction Products said that they are extremely pleased with the liveried vehicle and the photographs have appeared in their company magazine, Prestige Distribution are currently working on another liveried vehicle for ITW Construction Products, in order to promote the ITW name across the UK.
COURIER CONNECTIONS HITS THE TRACK Courier Connections hit the track this year with the Courier Connections Fiesta and a classic Subaru Impreza Sti. The team of four drivers took the two cars down to Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife which has been operated by current owner, Derek Butcher, since 1983. A fast moving and dynamic business, Knockhill prides itself on a reputation as a friendly circuit with an open and inclusive attitude towards motorsport.
To see Martin and the Impreza in action and to check out the Knockhill racing circuit, follow the link below
Martin McGeough and the team took part in the hot hatch and open track day events held at Knockhill racing circuit - an all-day event, which normally runs from 9am till 5pm. This is apart from in the winter months, where the times have to be amended, with daylight saving becoming an issue.
As well as amazing racing action and Trackdays, Knockhill operates Driving Experiences, Corporate Entertainment and Team Building Events, Driver Training and Karting.
The Courier Connections team are planning to host some entertainment days this year at the Knockhill racing circuit. The track day events are held monthly throughout the year. They expect the first entertainment day will be held around April/ May, when hopefully the weather will be better. The first outing was planned for the 10th Feb, but was delayed because of the bad weather. The Courier Connections team eventually went out for the first time on the 9th March.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQi2py78SS Knockhill is also famous for hosting top motorsport events in the UK; British Touring Cars, British Superbikes and The Scottish Motorshow.
THE COURIER CONNECTIONS TEAM ARE PLANNING TO HOST SOME ENTERTAINMENT DAYS THIS YEAR AT KNOCKHILL RACING CIRCUIT
NEWS STORIES FROM OUR SHAREHOLDER MEMBERS
KEITH GRAYDON FROM FRESH FREIGHT SCORES THE WINNING GOAL
KEITH GRAYDON FROM FRESH FREIGHT PLAYED IN THE FA CARLSBERG VASE FINAL AT WEMBLEY STADIUM ON SATURDAY 4 MAY 2013. SPENNYMOOR TOWN, KEITH GRAYDON’S TEAM, BEAT TUNBRIDGE WELLS 2-1, WITH KEITH SCORING THE WINNING GOAL!! The FA Vase final was introduced in 1974 after the association abolished the FA Amateur Cup. Over 200 clubs entered in the first season and the finalists in that year played to a 9,000 strong crowd at Wembley Stadium. Hoddesdon Town of the Spartan League beat Epsom & Ewell of the Surrey Senior League 2-1 in the final. Keith started at Fresh Freight 5 years ago, as a van driver, and then went on to become an FLT driver 2 years ago. Keith is now a warehouse supervisor, working the tough 5-2 morning shift. With the pallets they shift in the northeast, it’s really tough going, made even harder if Keith has an evening game. It doesn’t seem to have impacted on his performance,
however, and the distinct lack of sleep seems to have enhanced his game, with a spectacular goal scored with only eight minutes left in the game. Keith also went onto receive the man of the match awards and, whilst receiving his Carlsberg man-of-the-match champagne, commented - “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime achievement to play at Wembley for anybody. There are professional footballers who will never play here. So for us to go out as non-League players is amazing. Now The Vase is heading back to the north-east for a fifth year in succession. Hopefully, Spennymoor Town, with the help of Keith, can come back to Wembley next year and try to retain the trophy.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FA CARLSBERG VASE FINAL AND SPENNYMOOR TOWN VISIT THE LINKS BELOW WWW.THEFA.COM/NEWS/COMPETITIONS/FA-VASE/2013/MAY/ FINAL-SPENNYMOOR-TUNBRIDGE-GRAYDON-REACTION.ASPX WWW.SPENNYMOORTOWNFC.CO.UK/CLUB-NEWS/ PLAYERS-GET-EARLY-LOOK-AT-WEMBLEYHTTP:// PMANNSPORTSWRITER.WORDPRESS.COM/2013/05/03/ LUCK-OF-THE-IRISH-FOR-MOORS-AT-WEMBLEY/
FULL MAN RANGE FOR INTERHAUL PALLET SERVICES INTERHAUL PALLET SERVICES HAS TAKEN DELIVERY OF SIX MAN TRUCKS – WITH VEHICLES FROM EACH OF THE MUNICH MANUFACTURER’S LIGHTWEIGHT TGL, MIDDLEWEIGHT TGM AND TGX TRACTOR UNIT RANGES
The five replacements and one addition means that Interhaul now has a 100% MAN commercial vehicle fleet. The new vehicles have been fitted with MAN EcoStyle - the driver performance monitoring tool - as part of the MAN fleet management package. Additionally, Interhaul’s three MAN EfficientLine TGX 26.480 6x2 tractor units, have air pressure management systems, road speed limiters set to 85km/h and energy tyres. Bodywork-wise, the 26-tonne TGM 6x2 rigid has a rear-cabmounted crane with a Dhollandia slide-under tail lift, while the TGM 18-tonner and TGL 7.5-tonner both came with Lawrence David curtain-side bodies and Dhollandia tail lifts. Interhaul began its replacement process with a mixed-marque fleet in mind, but switched to a MAN-only purchase policy. “It became apparent that the MAN vehicles were more reliable, driver friendly and boasted excellent local support,” explains Julian Larking, transport and procurement manager. “MAN and our bodybuilder partners have always been willing to work with us. We often require unusual specifications and, with MAN’s help, we come up with exacting results,” he adds.
INTERHAUL HAVE ALSO FEATURED ON THE TRANSPORT NEWS SITE. FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY: WWW.TRANSPORTNEWSBRIEF.CO.UK/CV-SECTOR/FULL-MANRANGE-FOR-INTERHAUL/
AZTEK CELEBRATES
10 YEARS
HERTFORDSHIRE-BASED AZTEK LOGISTICS LTD MARKS ITS TENTH YEAR OF TRADING, IN APRIL 2013. THE COMPANY, WHICH IS OWNED AND MANAGED BY ITS FOUNDER, STUART CHARTER, IS BASED IN LETCHWORTH ON A SEVEN ACRE SITE FROM WHERE IT OPERATES A RANGE OF PALLET STORAGE, TRANSPORT, ONLINE FULFILMENT AND SELF STORAGE SERVICES “Given the difficult economic climate of the past few years, we feel particularly proud to have reached this milestone,” says Stuart. He continues: “The rising cost of fuel continues to put everyone operating in the distribution industry under pressure, but we have built a strong business by keeping a close eye on operating costs and by carefully managing our resources. “Aztek Logistics has grown year on year throughout the recession and we feel we have every cause to be optimistic about the outlook for the business for the next 10 years and beyond.” Indeed, Stuart Charter contends that independently-owned companies such as his have plenty of reasons to be upbeat. “It is true that the third party logistics (3PL) industry has seen a period of consolidation and the big companies are getting bigger, but our customers tell us that they prefer the personal touch that companies such as Aztek bring to a 3PL/ client relationship. “In fact, several of our current clients have moved away from bigger providers because they felt that their previous 3PL service provider lacked commitment to their business.” Aztek has a broad client base and stores everything from food stuffs to building products. The company has been a member of the Pallet-Track Network since 2010 and its vehicle fleet – a mix of 7.5-44 tonne Mercedes and DAF artics – offers full and part load express services throughout the UK and into various European destinations. Within its 70,000 square foot, secure warehouse, Aztek operates a mixed fleet of reach and counterbalanced forklifts and a significant recent investment in warehouse management systems technology ensures the highest levels of picking accuracy. Stuart Charter’s aim is to establish Aztek as one of Europe’s Top 100 logistics services companies.
AZTEK LOGISTICS HAS GROWN YEAR ON YEAR THROUGHOUT THE RECESSION AND WE FEEL WE HAVE EVERY CAUSE TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BUSINESS FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND BEYOND “We’re celebrating 10 years of success in a notoriously difficult industry, but we’re looking ahead to what the next 10 years will bring. “Our guiding principal has always been to treat everyone – clients, employees, suppliers – with respect and to offer the highest levels of service. It’s a philosophy that has served us well and will continue to drive us as we strive to grow our business in the years ahead,” he says.
YOU’RE HIRED!! APPRENTICESHIPS - THE WAY FORWARD IN FREIGHT LOGISTICS GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A 26-TONNE ARTICULATED TRUCK IS JUST ONE OF THE VOCATIONAL SCHEMES ADOPTED BY THINK LOGISTICS, AN INDUSTRY INITIATIVE TO GET SCHOOL LEAVERS TO SEE THE CAREER ROAD AHEAD AS LOGISTICIANS AND SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERTS Matthew Kibble Transport of Lancashire, a shareholder member of Pallet-Track, is blazing a trail for young people to consider the broad scope of apprenticeships in logistics, distribution and the road haulage industry. It offers an eclectic mix of venues, supply chain experts and education specialists. The award-winning haulier has hosted a series of events for students and young job-seekers including a steering group held at the Pallet-Track hub in Wolverhampton and career academies at Nelson and Colne College in Lancashire, near to Kibble’s own depot. “The worlds of logistics and education are very different and employers are trying to forge links with a local schools and colleges to ensure that the right approach is taken. This means calling within school hours and asking to speak to the heads of department, rather than the admin team,” said Justin Thatcher, head of business studies at Nelson and Colne College. “As a result, the college has had a positive response to the young people seminars and will be looking to work with the Matthew Kibble Transport again on similar initiatives,” he added. Founder Matthew Kibble said the college event was one of a number of schemes the firm was running in order to get ‘young blood’ into logistics. “These were a series of vocational sessions, which included getting behind the wheel of our vehicles. This was in addition to marketing exercises and student challenges such as working out profit margins in a practical assignment,” explained Matthew.
NIGEL PARKES, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PALLET-TRACK, ADDED “THE INITIATIVES THAT MATTHEW KIBBLE IS TAKING EPITOMISE THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF OUR PALLET NETWORK. THE BUSINESS IS PROACTIVELY CREATING INTEREST IN THE SECTOR AND ENCOURAGING JOB SEEKERS TO CONSIDER LOGISTICS AS A CAREER WHERE THERE ARE REAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR DRIVEN AND HARD-WORKING YOUNG PEOPLE “Helping young people to understand the breadth of careers that are available in this sector is part of the challenge, because this is not traditionally the kind of work that people leave school to go into. Logistics is very important and without it, the UK would simply grind to a halt. As an industry, we cannot sit back and wait for people to find us. We face an uncertain future with an aging workforce who are retiring and taking their experience and knowledge with them. We have to find new blood and explain the variety of roles that are available within the supply chain”. “Logistics is not a soft option, but the rewards are there. Our business offers good terms and conditions for the right candidates who show the right attitude and aptitude to the variety of roles within the industry and help take the sector forward in a commercial and sustainable way.” “This kind of initiative also explodes myths about the nature of the business – it is no longer the preserve of men, as more women are actively blazing a trail in key roles and taking their rightful place on the boards of companies. This includes our own company, with the recent appointment of Lisa Burrows as our operations director. Lisa forged her own path into the role she now holds, but modern apprenticeships are a more formal gateway to a career of real variety and choice. “We are happy to support Matthew Kibble and the Think Logistics team in a fantastic initiative for young people,” he added.
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Celtic Manor Resort Hotel
JOIN US FOR OUR ANNUAL SUMMIT AND GALA AT THE GLORIOUS CELTIC MANOR RESORT IN SOUTH WALES
The 30th January 2014 celebrates 10 years of freight logistics for Pallet-Track and we will be kicking off the celebrations with a very special summit and gala evening at Celtic Manor. This five-star Resort Hotel with its soaring atrium, distinctive design and beautiful but informal traditional luxury is just the place to start our 10 year celebration. We are hoping that all of our shareholder members and friends will be able to joins us. We have booked a fantastic band and a very special comedian to make it a night to remember, worthy of the ten years.
8TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF DAY Morley Hayes welcomed Pallet-Track members and sponsors back to their championship golf course in Derbyshire for its eighth annual golf day. 16 four-ball teams played off two tees under Stableford rules on the PGA championship course and this year also included a putting competition. The winners this year were The Mockney Cockneys. The team was made up of 2 shareholder members and included Peter Eason, Russell Newman, Rodney Jenkin and our very own chairman, John Allen. They won with a very impressive score of 107!! The other winners on the day were James Ward, who won nearest the pin - James who plays off 1 would like to become a professional player one day - and Dave Willis, from the iDM team, who won the longest drive by a very big margin; no one could touch him. Harry Knight, who won the putting competition, was considered by most to be the rising star on the day, Harry played some very impressive shots and, at 14 playing and off 6, he is one to watch. The runners up were the Interhaul team, which incuded Mark Waite, Richard Williams, Dean Sargeant and Stan Devonish.
“£6000 WAS RAISED AND DONATED TO THIS YEARS CHARITY PARTNER MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT”
The Mockney Cockneys - from left to right Rodney Jenkin, Peter Eason, Nigel Parkes, Russell Newman and John Allen
The golf day was supported by Towergate, Vigo and Deker. Towergate sponsored the ninth hole, supplying refreshments for all of the players, in addition to donating some raffle prizes, Deker sponsored the tables and Vigo supplied a raffle prize. Once more, support from the shareholder members who were unable to come on the day was very good indeed. We managed to sponsor every hole on the course and match last year’s sum for monies raised - making a total of £6000 for our chosen charity.
The runners up were the Interhaul team pictured left to right Mark Waite, Stan Devonish, Richard Williams, Dean Sargeant and John Allen
PALLET-TRACK WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE PLAYERS AND THE SPONSORS. IT WAS A GREAT DAY PLAYED IN A GREAT PLACE AND, EVEN THOUGH THE RAIN CAME DOWN, IT DID NOT DETER THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE PLAYERS OR THE STAFF AT MORLEY HAYES
From left to right: Winner of the Putting Contest prize Harry Knight, Winner of the Nearest the Pin trophy James Ward and Winner of the Longest Drive trophy Dave Willis
THE HOLE SPONSORSHIP ON THE DAY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DAY FOR OUR CHARITY AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR ALL OF OUR MEMBERS FOR THEIR CONTINUED HOLE SPONSORSHIP
Pallet-Tracks charity partner this year is Macmillan Cancer Support. We chose to support Macmillan Cancer Support because we believe they are a force for change. Their localised infrastructure supporting people affected by cancer really makes a difference. We are happy to be part of a fantastic team, working towards improving people’s lives. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT, YOU CAN GO TO WWW.MACMILLAN.ORG.UK/HOME.ASPX
PALLET-TRACKS CHARITY PARTNER FOR 2013
AROUND 8,550 PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN BIRMINGHAM, SANDWELL AND THE BLACK COUNTRY EVERY YEAR AND THEY NEED MACMILLAN’S HELP TO PROVIDE TREATMENT AND SUPPORT Cancer is becoming a part of more and more people’s daily lives, which means the support they need is changing. Macmillan is a source of support, helping with all the things that people affected by cancer want and need. It’s not only patients who live with cancer, Macmillan helps carers, families and communities, guiding people through the system, supporting them every step of the way. Macmillan funds nurses and other specialist health care professionals and builds cancer care centres giving so much more than medical help.
People need practical support at home and Macmillan provides anything from some precious time off for a carer, to a lift to hospital. People need emotional support, to be listened too, be given advice and share information though cancer support specialists, the website and trained professionals. People need financial help to cope with the extra costs cancer can bring, Macmillan is able to give benefits, advice and grants for anything from heating bills to travel costs. Together Macmillan listens, learns and acts to help people living with cancer. Macmillan is a force for change, listening to people affected by cancer and working together to improve cancer care. People who live with cancer are experts by experience. Macmillan uses this knowledge to make a positive difference to the lives of people affected by cancer. This could be anything from getting a coffee machine installed in a waiting room, to bringing about changes in the law. We are all affected. We can all help; PalletTrack has chosen Macmillan Cancer Support as their charity partner for 2013.
If you would like to find out more about the Macmillan Cancer Support, you can go to - www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx
MACMILLAN IS A FORCE FOR CHANGE, LISTENING TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CANCER AND WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE CANCER CARE
COURIER LOGISTICS SUCCESS THROUGH RECESSION COURIER LOGISTICS IS BUILDING ON ITS SUCCESS WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW DIVISION. THEY HAVE A FANTASTIC LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE AND HAVE BUILT AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION FOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION For almost 20 years, Courier Logistics has been collecting and delivering parcels and pallets across the UK. Now based in Rotherham on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, they are ready to increase their pallet sales and establish their haulage division. The new division will be headed up by Paul Johnson, Director of Sameday Logistics. The new service will offer full & part loads that are delivered nationwide. Paul, who has been with Courier Logistics since 1994, is really looking forward to the new challenge, which is all part of the growth strategy within the company. Employee retention and customer service have always been at the heart of the Courier Logistics ethos and this has meant that most of the initial customers are still using the company and remain loyal to them. The customer retention level is maintained through a combination of very reliable same day and overnight delivery services and the efficient processes and procedures that are implemented by the Courier Logistics staff. Managing director Nick Cusworth says - “We already have a very active same day division, but recognised the time was right
to grow organically and establish a haulage division. This enables us to reach a wider customer base. We have many long-standing loyal customers who have trusted us to move their parcels and pallets around for years, so it’s a natural choice for them to place further trust in us with our new haulage division.” Courier Logistics is a shareholder of APC Overnight Parcels - a parcel delivery company offering unrivalled national coverage - and a shareholder member of Pallet Track, the UK’s fastest growing overnight palletised freight distribution network. This association, with both a parcel and pallet network, enables Courier Logistics to provide the very best level of service across the UK to their existing customers. The growth within the business also means they can offer the same reliable service to new customers. “We use APC and Pallet Track because they are the best in their field without question,” said Nick. “APC are the best at moving parcels and Pallet Track are the best at moving pallets. We’re determined to see that our clients are well looked after and that’s why we are committed to using only the best service providers.” Looking after customers is the number one priority at Courier Logistics, although equally important is looking after our staff. Nick says that a happy workforce equals happy customers - “Our company is very friendly; our business managers go above and beyond for our employees, which in turn, encourages them to go above and beyond for customers. “I am very keen to promote a happy, enjoyable atmosphere within the company, which I strongly believe is the key to our
success. The company is run as a team, with no dictatorships. It is an open forum where anybody can have a say and let us know what they think. This is whether they are an apprentice who started last week or a manager who’s been here for years.” Apprenticeships are important to Nick, with Courier Logistics having been running apprenticeship schemes for years. Headed up by Ingrid Kirkby, but fully supported by Nick, five apprentices have recently moved onto the next stage of the process by being placed in full time employment within the company.
“WE LIKE TO NURTURE YOUNGSTERS THAT ARE TALENTED AND MENTOR THEM THROUGH THEIR CAREERS. THIS NURTURING APPROACH IS ALSO APPLIED TO OUR CUSTOMERS. WE HAVE BEEN WITH A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS FROM THEIR FIRST DAY OF TRADING, BUT CONTINUE TO FULFIL THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND WORK CLOSELY ALONGSIDE THEM AS THEY ESTABLISH BUSINESS GROWTH” Mentoring is also one of the policies adopted by Courier Logistics and one of the employees who has benefited from this is 27-year-old Daniel Franey. For the past four years, Daniel has been the IT manager. Daniel joined the company in 2007 as a trainee and has seen his career go from strength to strength. “I think the best aspect of working here is that there is no sense of intimidation,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, everyone has as much right as the next person to express their opinion.
WE PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE; OUR CUSTOMERS STAY WITH US BECAUSE THEY TRUST US. WITH THE ADDITION OF OUR NEW HAULAGE DIVISION, WE CAN NOW PROVIDE A ONESTOP-SHOP, BENEFITING OUR CUSTOMERS AND MAKING DELIVERY CHOICES MUCH EASIER
“The managers here are all highly respected and their capacity to listen and learn from other staff members encourages personal growth and fantastic career prospects.”
“Ultimately, it comes down to keeping customers happy,” he said.
Daniel has been keen to keep Courier Logistics at the forefront of technological developments. This is important to the company, as the benefits from such investments are ultimately passed on to the customers in improved services.
The Courier Logistics business model is developed using a long term strategy and the person standing alongside Nick and the rest of the team implementing this is Peter North, their General Manager.
Daniel recently installed a VOIP telephone system, which is improving efficiency through the use of easy to understand KPIs. The VOIP system also makes it easier for Courier Logistics to monitor call efficiency, logging call volumes and call answer rate.
Peter says - “Every element of what we do in the business with our people, our ethos and our strategy going forward, enables us to grow on a year by year basis. We have a long term strategy that encourages commitment from our employees and loyalty from our customers, proving to both that we are here to stay. The way we do that is to maintain and improve our standards and run a very successful well established company.”
These advancements have seen their turnover grow from £6.4m, five years ago, to a prediction of £11m for 2013. Even in turbulent times, they have maintained high standards by working smarter and increasing efficiencies. This has seen Courier Logistics achieve year on year growth. Nick believes there is just one reason for this achievement.
For more information, contact Courier Logistics Ltd at their website www.courierlogistics.co.uk or you can call the customer services team on 0800 1701994
WELL GROUNDED FAMILY BUSINESS WITH AIRBORNE CONNECTIONS JOINS PALLET-TRACK
MARSHALLS TRANSPORT - A TRADITIONAL FAMILY-RUN DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE BUSINESS, BASED AT A FORMER SECOND WORLD WAR AIR TRAINING CENTRE, HAS JOINED THE PALLET-TRACK NETWORK
director, Brian Simpson said - “We see this as a very positive step. Like Pallet-Track, we are a dynamic company with a strong customer focus, so we’re ideally suited.
The 25-year-old company, located on a 75-acre former airfield site at Pershore, Worcestershire, employs 50 people and has a long-established reputation for its attention to detail in handling and transporting loads of all sizes, ranging from food products and printed matter to hazardous materials and heavy machinery.
The Pallet-Track member network benefits from the ‘hub-and-spoke’ overnight distribution service, which reduces fuel costs and the supply-chain carbon footprint created by empty running.
Commenting on his company’s decision to join Pallet-Track’s UK network - a move which is set to provide further strategic growth opportunities for Marshalls, both locally and regionally - operations
“Joining the network will enable us to offer a high quality and efficient pallet pick-up and delivery service to businesses in our area, whilst also giving them the opportunity to benefit from our wider storage and haulage solutions,” he added.
Nigel Parkes, managing director of Wolverhamptonbased Pallet-Track, said - “The addition of Marshalls to the network brings another skill set and an attention to detail that is all too lacking in much of corporate life today. It is a complementary business to the network, which will continue to grow through the rest of 2012 and into 2013.”
RAWLINGS TRANSPORT
JOINS PALLET-TRACK
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY-RUN FREIGHT TRANSPORT COMPANY RAWLINGS TRANSPORT WAS LAUNCHED IN 1972 BY EDWARD TERRY RAWLINGS. INITIALLY JUST DELIVERING LOCALLY & NATIONWIDE FOR ONE PARTICULAR BASINGSTOKE MANUFACTURER Today Rawlings Transport remains an independent family run freight transportation and fuels delivery business continuing to offer personalised, uniquely tailored and cost effective transportation solutions for a varied and demanding client base. They have a constantly updated modern fleet in excess of 70 vehicles, offering an extensive range of services.
From the delivery of a single pallet, through to multiple timed groupage deliveries and full load shipments, Rawlings Transport fulfils all of the haulage requirements, whilst working to and constantly achieving Key Performance Indicators. Rawlings have the experience and knowledge that you can count on, with a reputation for reliability and excellent service.
RAWLINGS HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON WITH REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY AND AN EXCELLENT SERVICE
AND FINALLY... BOOSTING ENTERPRISES
RIGHT MESSAGE, WRONG SENTIMENT? NIGEL PARKES, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PALLET-TRACK ARGUES THAT BOOSTING THE UK ECONOMY WILL RESOLVE A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES FACING THE NATION He received criticism because he said that in the current climate labour is cheap. Which whether he was quoted in or out of context, it resulted in a negative come back on this experienced parliamentarian, who, frankly, should have known better. It was a text book case of why politicians should always be aware of not only what they say, but also how they say it! People reading his report could be forgiven for thinking he was saying – “lt’s a good time to exploit vulnerable people”, which, coming from a party that has made recent proclamations about curing the so-called ‘something for nothing culture’, could appear slightly hypocritical. Where he is right, however, is in his mention of the need to grow the economy. This not only creates jobs, but also impacts other measurable, yet intangible areas, such as reduction in benefit payments, less dependence upon the state and a greater sense of self-esteem as a nation.
MONEY ISSUES
Lord Young, the Prime Minister’s adviser on enterprise, recently caused consternation when he told his cabinet colleagues that the economic downturn is an excellent time for new businesses to boost profits and grow, because labour is cheap. ‘Shooting from the lip’ always gets politicians into trouble and, while I completely disagree with his sentiment, the message has some merit. Lord Young has form as a controversial figure, having been forced to resign from the Cabinet in 2010 for down-playing the recession. In his latest outpouring, the cabinet minister, who also served under the late Baroness Thatcher and who is the only aide with his own office in Downing Street, has advised ministers that the low wage levels in a recession made larger financial returns easier to achieve.
Getting people back to work also reduces the nation’s health and crime bill as people are less stressed about money issues and are less likely to commit offences if they are holding down full time jobs. People want jobs and businesses such as ours are looking for good people that we can pay competitively, in order to have a long-term succession strategy for the business. In our own industry, the logisticians of tomorrow are few and far between. We have an aging workforce and, when they retire, who is going to provide the experience to drive the sector forward? I applaud the efforts of companies like Matthew Kibble Transport - one of our shareholder member companies - who have engaged with the school-leavers of tomorrow as part of the Think Logistics initiative to get ‘young blood’ into logistics.
Logistics is very important and without it the UK would simply grind to a halt. This is why, as an industry, we cannot simply sit back and wait for people to find us. We have to find them and explain the variety of roles that are available within the supply chain - from drivers and engineers to operators and traffic controllers, for example. This kind of initiative also explodes myths about the nature of the business. It is no longer the preserve of men, as more women are actively blazing a trail in key roles and taking their rightful place on the boards of many companies. This includes our own company, with the recent appointment of Lisa Burrows as our operations director. Lisa forged her own path into the role she now holds, but modern apprenticeships are a more formal gateway to a career of real variety and choice.
REWARDING At Pallet-Track, we believe in paying people well and rewarding those who go the extra mile. Lord Young’s comments are misguided in terms of seeming to treat workers as cheap cannon fodder, but he is right about the need to create enterprise and jobs.
In our own business, another way to boost confidence is investing in people and processes. This investment reduces damage and waste. This is the ‘get it right first time’ model. For example, in 10 years we have never lost a single pallet. We follow strict processes to minimise cost, which means the quid pro quo of low insurance premiums and high customer and staff satisfaction rates.
LOGISTICS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WITHOUT IT THE UK WOULD SIMPLY GRIND TO A HALT. THIS IS WHY, AS AN INDUSTRY, WE CANNOT SIMPLY SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO FIND US
WE WELCOME
MARK PULFORD TO THE PALLET-TRACK TEAM Pallet-Track has appointed Mark Pulford, who has 14 years’ experience in the pallet network market, to head up a number of special projects. Pulford, who left his role as operations director at rival, Palletline, in February, was previously director of operations at Pall-Ex. He joins Pallet-Track Services - a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pallet-Track group of companies - as a director to work on a number of undisclosed projects Pallet-Track Services sits alongside Pallet-Track Logistics - the pallet network division of the business - and was set up almost eight years ago as a corporate services provider. Nigel Parkes, MD of Pallet-Track, said the key appointment would give a number of important projects the focus they deserved, allowing them to be bought to fruition in the coming months.
overnight pallet distribution The Pallet-Track service portfolio is extensive and highly competitive, offering our customers a choice of service options. With greater demands being placed on independent road haulage operators to provide quality services at home and abroad for their customers, Pallet-Track can provide a flexible link to cater for every delivery requirement. From our modern and impressive Titan Distribution Centre, Pallet-Track members are able to offer an unparalleled level of service. Through investment in people, information technology and state-of-the-art materials handling, our network enjoys a fully structured service that is second to none in our industry. Our operation is equipped to cater to our rapidly increasing volumes of palletised freight, all of which is electronically scanned and tracked.
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