Business Excellence Award

Partnered with

Abe

ABE in Ledbury is a business that has stood the test of time. Its commitment to delivering excellence is clearly demonstrated across the operation, contributing to the company’s performance and raising the bar for the sector.

ABE continually assesses core areas of business along with its customers and the local area to research potential growth opportunities. This has led to a closer customer relationship, helping clients grow alongside ABE’s own development. The company credits its consistent performance to strong housekeeping efforts, enabling it to adopt a programme of investment, in turn creating a robust and sustainable operation.

“CSR and staff development is very good as well as the charity work that MD Clive Brooks has completed recently,” one of our judges said. “Turnover wasn’t too impacted by Covid and has generated a generous dividend to shareholders.”

Minclipper Logistics

Miniclipper Logistics is a flourishing 3PL offering tailored warehousing and distribution solutions for over 200 customers in the central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Staffordshire regions.

Starting with one man and a van back in 1971, it has matured into a successful SME with almost 200 employees and is now one of central Bedfordshire’s leading privately owned companies.

Miniclipper operates a 24-hour distribution centre from Dunstable and six warehouses with over 500,000sq ft of racked storage space for palletised goods and fulfilment services. It has over 50 vehicles in its delivery fleet, which range from 7.5-tonne rigid vehicles to double decker trailers for deliveries throughout the UK via its membership with three leading pallet networks – Palletline, UPN and The Hazchem Network.

“What a success story,” said one of our judges. “A great business that ticked every box.”

Palletforce

Palletforce can boast 20 years of profitable business, sustained growth, technological innovations and an extensive network of over 120 members delivering to over 15,000 SME customers every day.

The firm delivered unwavering support to members during Covid and

Brexit and bounced back to continually break volume records. During 2022, when the entire industry faced labour and cost challenges, swift and decisive action from its directors delivered the changes needed to secure service and business excellence across the network.

Palletforce’s business model and agility to make swift decisions has allowed it to be highly profitable and cash-generative. It is asset light, has a very conservative balance sheet, most debts are offset and it has more than adequate provision for employee pensions.

“Financially the company is doing well,” one judge commented. “They’ve shown agile reactions to increased costs and driver shortages.”

Stephen Sanderson Transport

As a family business celebrating its 50th year, Stephen Sanderson Transport says it has faced that most difficult challenge – taking business to the next level. Having experienced rapid growth and change, it has assessed how it continues to upscale its operations and innovate without compromising on the values that differentiate it.

The answer, it says, is in its people and processes. By helping staff to feel part of its journey, investing in training, welfare and new facilities, it has enjoyed what it describes as unprecedented engagement levels. By reviewing its entire operation, the firm has seen an uplift in quality, performance and agility.

“Excellent results from staff surveys and how these are benchmarked against performance,” said one judge. “The business also explains how it monitors corporate strategy in terms of emissions and carbon footprint. Investment in new facilities will help fuel growth.”

Willmotts Transport

A strategy of sustained growth over recent years has driven Willmotts Transport’s rapid development from a small family business into one of the South West’s leading BRCGS Certified warehousing and distribution companies, now employing close to 200 people.

Part of the Stotts Group, Willmotts’ core business is the operation of eight food-quality warehouses and a fleet of 150+ vehicles providing services from its Somerset site to over 300 active accounts.

Customers range from local manufacturers to national and international prestige brands and the company is winning significant new business.

“Willmotts’ profits and turnover are excellent and they have invested well in facilities, new vehicles and trailers,” said one judge. “There is evidence of a long-term customer base and how the business has provided solutions to issues it has faced. It also has very good apprenticeship and staff development schemes.”