5 minute read
BUSINESS PROFILE
Delivering excellence
Delsol investment helps to fuel growth
Delsol MD Dave Phillips © 2020 Eye Imagery
Delsol’s ever growing fleet of vehicles is a regular sight for commuters on the roads of North Wales and further afield. The company has come a long way since it was established by long-time friends Tony Parry and Simon Walker as a small courier business. e
The pair had known each other for many years, mainly through their shared passion for motorbikes.
Despite having built Delsol (full name Delivery Solutions) into one of North Wales’ most successful companies with a fleet of over 120 vehicles, Tony and Simon remain, in their own words, “two of the country’s biggest petrolheads”.
The Delsol of today is very different to the one the founders started in 1999.
Within four years, the company had opened a purpose-built delivery depot and warehouse facility in Caernarfon. By 2009, Delsol had expanded to include a second depot in Sandycroft.
Continual investment has been key to the company’s sustained growth. Two years ago, it opened a major new storage facility at Sandycroft which now offers over 120,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space.
From a handful of early employees, the business now boasts a 170-strong workforce across its two sites and is firmly established as the leading transport, logistics and storage company in the region.
Inside Delsol’s storage facility
Delsol directors Dave Phillips, Simon Walker, Tony Parry and Kevin Jones © 2020 Eye Imagery
Delsol offers parcel delivery, haulage, storage, pallet distribution, air and sea freight and transport of hazardous chemicals. It operates within the UK and internationally. It is a member of The Pallet Network, The Alternative Parcel Network (APC Overnight) and The Hazchem Network.
The company has further consolidated its market position with the recent acquisition of Caernarfon-based haulier HF Owen Transport and Storage. Delsol purchased the company, which has been trading since 1972, from the retiring owner Harry Owen.
Delsol will continue to run the company under the HF Owen name and three members of the founder’s family, including daughter Helen and son Harry junior, will continue with the business.
During last year, Delsol added 30 extra staff to its workforce. The recruitment drive coincided with a 20 per cent increase in revenues.
The company achieved several other notable milestones. These included: J The roll-out of a direct haulage service which now comprises 15 44-tonne trucks and a total fleet of over 120 vehicles J An increase in the number of deliveries per day from 1500 to 1650 J The expansion of the company’s storage operation now comprising over 120,000 sq. ft. J The introduction of a new warehouse management system J The securing of the prestigious British Retail Consortium (BRC) Certification for Storage and Distribution
It was also selected for the Welsh Government’s Accelerated Growth Programme which provides support to businesses which can demonstrate sustained growth and job creation.
“We are committed to the continual investment in our business to ensure that it is able to meet the aspirations of our clients and our staff,” said Dave Phillips, Delsol’s managing director. “There is quite a bit of consolidation in the logistics industry which means it is vital that we are forward-thinking and always on the lookout for ways in which we can continue to build our business.
This includes continuing to invest in our people, their training and development and integrating the latest technology to further enhance the service we provide our customers. The warehousing and haulage sides of our company grew significantly during 2019 and we have further growth plans for the next couple of years.”
The opening of the new storage facility at Sandycroft is a key part of the company’s growth strategy.
“We initially took on 40,000 sq. ft., which offered us 2,500 racking spaces,” continued Dave. “However, it was clear that there was a big demand in the area for warehousing, fulfilment and pick-and-pack, so we decided to take on a further 80,000 sq. ft. We now have a total of 8,000 racking spaces, plus some further bulk storage space. We have also invested in a new pallet tracking and storage system.
“Essentially, this is a cradle-to-grave solution for companies, as we pick orders and pack them, with either full containers or partloads as necessary, and distribute the items through our pallet network or directly to their customers in the UK, Europe and overseas, on our vehicles.
“For the customer, this is a real a cost-saving, as it removes the issues of storage and order fulfilment, allowing them to concentrate on their own core business and expand their manufacturing operations as needed, rather than tying up valuable space for storage.
“My background is warehousing and order fulfilment and when I was brought in as managing director three years ago my brief was to expand the company into new areas. There is also space in the warehouse for further expansion so we are talking to more companies to take on the same role for them, of storage through to pick-and-pack.”
Dave added: “Achieving the BRC certification was also hugely important because it recognises that we have the best systems, processes and documentation in place, something that our customers expect.
“Our continued expansion plans will include further recruitment across a wide range of roles including office support and drivers.”
Tony Parry added: “We are hugely proud of how the company has grown during the last 20 years. We recognise the importance of not standing still and continuing to invest in the business, whether this is recruiting and training the best people, investing in the quality of our fleet or integrating the latest industry technology.
“Customer service has been key, providing a flexible and friendly service. Our customers are our greatest advocates and our best referrers of new business.
“Without our dedicated staff and loyal customers, we would not be where we are today.” n
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