Press release;  July 31, 2009  

FOUR men from Staffordshire pushed their bodies to the limit when they climbed three of the UK’s biggest mountains in less than 24 hours. When Dave Biddle and three of his colleagues decided to raise some money for charity they opted not to go for the conventional leg waxing or fancy dress idea. Instead, the quartet from Lichfield International Freight Terminal (LIFT) – a member of the UK’s leading palletised delivery network Palletforce, opted to tackle some of Britain’s toughest terrain.  

Dave Biddle, Pete Howell, Ian Emmerson, and Andy, scaled some of the highest points in the UK during the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ on July 18-19, in aid of the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.  “We all wanted to do something to raise money for a local charity and the Air Ambulance is a deserving cause, which relies solely on donations, so to be able to help them is great,” explained Dave.

 “Originally, we were planning to go down the usual fundraising route by holding a wacky event or performing a stunt, but after thinking about it we decided we should take on something a bit more challenging.“This was the first time any of us had tackled something like this and it proved as tough as we all thought it would.”

 After months of training and preparation to cope with sleep deprivation, tiredness and altitude, the foursome successfully conquered Ben Nevis, in Scotland, Scafell Pike, in England, and Snowdon, in Wales. Battling against the elements, the gruelling challenge involved 25 miles of walking, a total climb height of 10,000 feet and a travelling distance of some 450 miles – completed ahead of schedule in a total time of 23 hours.

Dave added: “Unfortunately, one of our original members Dan Clamp had to pull out due to injury, which was really bad luck on his part but fortunately Andy stepped in to fill the gap. The endless hours of running, cycling, walking, rowing and practice climbs proved vital as it meant that we could really push ourselves despite the poor weather conditions.  “This was a new experience for all of us, especially climbing for a total of more than thirteen hours, but we all rallied round and supported each other and we were delighted to cross the finish line in under 24 hours.”

Dave, Pete, Ian and Andy’s sponsor page will remain open for another three months and the quartet welcome any generous support to help reach their target of £2,000.

To donate visit;  www.justgiving.com/lift3peaks

Press Release; July 12th, 2009

‘HEROES’ of the Palletforce member network have been recognised for their contribution to the leading palletised distribution network at an annual awards dinner.

Palletforce members attended the 2009 Palletforce Awards Dinner at the iconic Deansgate Hilton Hotel, Manchester, which took the theme of ‘We are all Heroes’ to recognise members’ individual efforts, as well as working together, to build the UK’s leading palletised distribution network.

More than 275 people from the 86 member depots attended the event on Saturday, June 13.

Palletforce is owned by its members, which means everyone takes equal interest and responsibility for the success of the business, and during the year some member depots manage to go the extra mile in support of Palletforce leading the market in service and quality provision.

The award for Sales and Marketing, which recognises significant increase in sales, maintaining business and promotion of Palletforce, was presented to John Jempson & Son by Palletforce Sales and Marketing Director Dave Holland.

Winner of the Members Service Committee award, awarded for significant improvement year on year in the provision of quality service to the network, was RCS Logistics, which was presented by Palletforce Operations Director Carl Worgan.                   

Palletforce members voted for the Members’ Depot of the Year Award and the winner was Abacus Transport. Palletforce CEO Michael Conroy presented this award for quality of service, communication, speed of response to enquiries and flexibility.

Palletforce Depot of the Year, The Robert Bedford Award, was presented by Janice Bedford and Michael Conroy to Edwin C Farrall, which won the award for the fifth year running.

Michael said: “To win Depot of the Year you need to be in the top five members year-to-date on the performance table. It cannot be overstated how difficult it is to get it right week in week out, month in month out over a whole year, but Farralls Transport succeeded in this.”

A Special Recognition Award was handed to Palletforce Operations Director Carl Worgan for overseeing months of detailed planning for the network’s move to its new £30million distribution hub at Burton-upon-Trent.

Special Recognition Award

Palletforce CEO Michael Conroy said: “To me all our members are heroes because they all add value and support to our network every day. As a result we have the best network with the most potential to grow and stand out against the competition.

“It is always important to recognise and reward the outstanding efforts of our members, but particularly so in the current trading conditions.

“Our network is the strongest in the industry and we value the importance of working together. It is great to be able to come together for a celebratory event like the annual awards dinner.”

Press release; June 24th, 2009

PALLETFORCE and W Trailer Company are working in partnership to be the first in the distribution sector to benefit from cutting edge trailer design. 

Innovative commercial vehicle designers W Trailer Company have developed the UK’s first step frame double deck giving unrestricted loading access by eliminating all curtain restrictions, signalling the future of vehicle design for the palletised distribution industry.

‘CurtainClear®’ allows curtains to fully clear the sides of the trailer all the way to the rear, giving operators and drivers full side access to both top and bottom decks to reduce health and safety issues, achieve full pay load and improve speed of access.

CurtainClear® is the brainchild of W Trailer Company’s managing director Graeme Wilson and has been designed in conjunction with Palletforce shareholder member Bleach of Lavant. Graeme Wilson explains: “The ‘CurtainClear®’ design has huge advantages for the pallet network industry and is the future of double deck trailer solutions.

“In the current climate efficiency is key, so reduced turnaround times, full pay loads and speed of access are essential for economical distribution operations. “If drivers cannot leave the cab inside depots, it is time consuming driving out of the depot to move curtains to access different parts of trailers. With CurtainClear®, the curtains can be pulled all the way back and secured behind the trailer, enabling everything to be loaded or unloaded in one entrance to the hub. “Time is money, so the less time spent loading results in money saved, which is even more essential in the current economic climate.” 

Palletforce has two members using the new trailers, one already on the road with Bleach of Lavant, and another available for purchase or contract hire to a Palletforce member.

Sales and Marketing Director for Palletforce Dave Holland said: “Working with W Trailer Company demonstrates our commitment to being a leading innovative service provider for our network members and customers.  “The new trailer is a fantastic development in improving efficiency, which puts Palletforce at the forefront of the palletised distribution industry.”

 Press release:  June 1st, 2009 

ONE of the world’s largest independent drinks companies has turned to Palletforce to help distribute its popular alcoholic brands across the country. Global Brands Limited, which produces some of the UK’s most recognised alcoholic drinks including, VK Vodka Kick, VK Vodka, Corky’s Vodka Shots and Goldschlager, is using Palletforce’s new £30million distribution hub at Burton-upon-Trent to transport its range to hundreds of major retailers and wholesalers.

Kevin Hopkinson, Global Brands transport manager, said: “Our distribution operations are already run from Burton so it makes perfect sense to use Palletforce. “The unique member network means we can effectively deliver our consignments, which often come in different shapes and sizes, instead of sending half empty trucks across the country which helps cut costs.”

 Palletforce, one of the UK’s largest palletised distribution networks, works with 100 plus transport depots across the UK make up the powerful Palletforce distribution network to serve thousands of customers, including many major brands and leading high street retailers. 

Marketing and sales director for Palletforce Dave Holland said: “We are delighted to be working with Global Brands in providing a cost effective solution for the distribution of its products. “As part of Palletforce’s growth we are continually developing strategic and national accounts with major manufacturers and retailers. “We are seeing an increase in companies looking more favourably towards using palletised distribution networks like Palletforce rather than dedicated fleets for improved efficiency and cost-saving.”

Press Release - May 22nd, 2009  

PALLETFORCE is congratulating member employee Nina Hart on her success at the prestigious MAN everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards. Michael Conroy, CEO of Palletforce, is delighted with Nina’s award, which continues the network’s excellent run of success in national awards.

Nina Hart, Transport and Warehouse Manager for Palletforce member Simarco International, picked up the ‘Team of the Year’ award at the ceremony, which took place at the lavish London Marriott Hotel, on Thursday, May 14.

The annual event aims to celebrate the many talented women working within the transport and logistics industry. The ‘Team of the Year’ award is given to the team, led by a woman which has excelled in its contribution to the company’s success. In front of a packed crowd, including some of the country’s leading transport and logistics representatives, Nina beat off strong competition from Sharon Hignett, General Manager of DHL Supply Chain and Karen Vernon, Company Director of Stalkers Transport Services Ltd to win the award.  

Nina, who took time to thank Palletforce in her acceptance speech, has recently been promoted to the role of Transport Director at Simarco, and has been with company for 12 years seeing the business grow from just three individuals to having more than 80 employees. Responsible for managing and running over 25 vehicles throughout the UK, Nina is the only woman in her department, and under her guidance turnover has doubled, and profits gone from a loss in year one to well above industry standard net profit in 2008.

Nina’s award is the second major success involving Palletforce in a matter of months following on from the network’s tremendous success in achieving the ‘Logistics Pallet Supplier 2009’ award in the recent Institute of Motor Transport (ITM) awards.

The network is now keen to build on its current run of achievements and eagerly awaits the news of further success for its members in the coming months.