Investing to tackle new challenges

The investment includes the launch of new hubs in the UK, Lyon and Montpelier, France, the expansion of regional facilities in Spain and Italy and the development of a new hub in Germany.

Palletways recently announced the launch of a new central hub in Lichfield, based near our existing headquarters in Fradley. The new facility, which is already fully operational, increases our capacity by 8,000 pallets per day and enables faster turnaround of customers’ goods for onward distribution to delivery destinations. 

Group chief executive James Wilson says: "In addition, we’ve extended our regional operations in London, Oxford and Scotland increasing their capacity by 40%.

"We also continue to strengthen our European hub operations. Last year, we invested €10m in the creation of a new hub in Germany which will triple the capacity of its nearby existing hub in Homberg and we’ve also reserved space on another plot which will be used to accommodate future growth and create storage capacity for fulfilment services. 

"We have also improved our services in southern Europe with the implementation of three new hubs in France, Italy and Spain. We’ve launched two regional hubs in Montpellier and Lyon, in the South of France, upgrading services from the existing hub in Paris, and have invested in the expansion of our regional facilities in Zaragoza, Spain, and Milan, Italy, to handle international consignments."

The firm's UK and European networks have experienced significant and continuous growth over the last decade, which has enabled it to grow organically. These latest developments are a key element of the pallet network's strategy to provide the best service possible for our customers wherever they are based and the significant investment in this new infrastructure is said to reinforce the position of Palletways as 'Europe’s pallet network of natural choice'. 

"We are Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised freight network and our operation comprises 400 depots and 13 hubs across 20 European countries. Our network is getting stronger and bigger and in the last year we’ve added six new countries to our network, including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltics," concludes Wilson.

Palletways has also strengthened its UK network with the appointment of new members. 

Craig Hibbert, Palletways group member development director adds: “We have expanded our network with the addition of new members in the UK and are now the largest palletised freight network in operation in the UK and in Europe.

“Members recognise the benefits of being in our network, especially the opportunity it gives them to concentrate on an area tailored to their capabilities and the access to shared resources, support and industry-leading communications platforms. The group has a strong, stable and growing membership and this has been key to our sustained growth over recent years.”

E-commerce

E-commerce is the fastest growing retail market in Europe. Sales in the UK and Europe are expected to grow from £132.05bn in 2014 to £185.44bn in 2016. 

Luis Zubialde, managing director at Palletways UK (pictured), says: “The market is significant and continues to grow and is very much part of our overall business. The popularity of online retailing has created opportunities in the sector and we are looking at ways to take advantage of this change. 

“For example, the growth in usage of our next day and local doorstep delivery service in the UK is around 12% annually. Our network infrastructure also provides easy access to a potential home delivery solution because, Palletways has more depots and 2.5 higher drop density than any other network. This allows vehicles to be used for longer periods to undertake evening deliveries since our higher volumes allow staggered start times to allow a longer delivery window.”

Palletways has invested significantly in innovation and IT in order to stay ahead of the curve and offer a strong offering in the market. 

Thomas Olsson, IT director at Palletways Group, said: “Technology has played a key role in our success, and is at the heart of our plans to innovate and constantly raise the bar in the standards that we set ourselves. We constantly update and test our software and hardware to ensure it works for us and our members. It has been a key part of our strategy to offer service and operational excellence."

In the last year, Palletways has invested significantly in new technology to drive business forward and add value. This has included the introduction of an award-winning Digital Information Hub, which provides extensive operational and customer data in real time to improve processes, communications, traffic planning, vehicle usage and customer service. The hub is now being rolled out across European operations. The firms is adding functionality to the Digital Information Hub including an instant messaging feature. 

Olsson continues: “We’re developing the way in which technology is used by our teams, through the roll-out of an enhanced mobile app which enables us to capture signatures, print on location and collect data about vehicle performance, routes and delivery records. This is helping us allocate consignments to routes more effectively, monitor progress and keep drivers up to speed with what is happening in their areas.”