Over 400 guests filled the Ballroom Suite of the Dorchester Hotel in London for the UKWA’s (United Kingdom Warehousing Association’s) 16th Annual Awards for Warehousing presentation ceremony and Annual Luncheon, sponsored by Jungheinrich UK. The annual highlight in the logistics calendar, held on Wednesday 1 July 2015, did not fail to impress.
UKWA CEO Peter Ward gave the guests a warm welcome of the hottest day of the year and thanked all of the applicants, saying: “You are all winners.” As Jan Lorenz, MD of Jungheinrich UK, told the audience: “The UKWA Awards are highly regarded. They emphasise the importance that the logistics sector has for the global and UK economy.”
Gracing this year’s event as guest speaker, former director general of the CBI and trade minister, Lord Digby Jones delivered a rousing clarion call for manufacturing in the UK and a passionate plea for greater education and skills. He thanked UKWA Awards guests who, he said, create UK wealth.
Lord Jones echoed many key UKWA themes impacting on our sector. On skills and education he provided the shocking statistics that “half the kids coming out of school this summer will not be able to read and write to a standard expected of an 11 year old”. He added: “1 in 5 adults are functionally illiterate.” The pertinent point he raised here: if you can’t read an instruction manual, you can’t start an apprenticeship.
“We need more and better skilled people… we need kids coming out of school who can read, write, count and operate a computer.” They need to be “equipped to deal with the greatest movement of goods and services around the world that we have ever seen – globalisation”, he said.
Praising UK manufacturing, Lord Jones pointed to Nissan in Sunderland making 500,000 cars a year – more than the whole of Italy. Toyota and Honda plants are also a tremendous success stories. Jaguar Land Rover demonstrates the UK’s openness in business: “Indian long term money, German management, made in Britain, biggest market China – that’s globalisation. The result is an enormously successful automotive manufacturing sector employing hundreds of thousands of people.”
It’s not just cars. Half of every Airbus ever flown was made in Britain. “We need to get kids enthused about making things and get more people engaged in manufacturing,” said Lord Jones. Addressing the audience of logistics industry representatives, he added: “They will need everything that you do.”
Getting ahead in globalisation, according to Lord Jones, will need reform for the whole of Europe. We can raise the standard of the whole EU by taking ‘best in class’ practice from the three big countries – the UK’s flexible labour, which leads to low unemployment; Germany’s ability to get infrastructure built; and French training that makes workers productive.
He concluded that politically and economically “there’s never been a better time to deal with these big strategic issues”.
Lord Jones then presented Greg Deak of Peel Ports, 2015 UKWA Multimodal Champion with his trophy. Greg won the competition, held during the Multimodal exhibition in April, which was based on a 15-minute ‘Speed’ version of the Business on the Move educational board game. Greg gained the biggest balance sheet from over 40 games played during the event.
Then it was the turn for Lord Jones to announce the 2015 UKWA Award Winners:
NNR Global Logistics won Best New Member award, sponsored by Toyota Material Handling
A newcomer to the UK, but not logistics, NNR has its roots in freight forwarding, with its global HQ located in Fukuoka, in Japan. It has clearly seen opportunities for a top class 3PL in UK. Its strategy was to provide a high-specification, high-security facility that was to be designed to target the retail market and the company’s loyal customer base that expects high quality, high value support.
On 1 June 2014, after 6 months of careful planning and modifications to the facility, the company’s flagship contract logistics facility in Northampton was opened. The UKWA inspector remarked: “The warehouse was immaculate; their paperwork faultless, and their ambition clear. They have made a great start in UKWA, and my guess is that they will be looking for bigger premises very shortly.”
Carla Dobson of the Samuel Grant Group, won the Junior Manager of the Year award, sponsored by Aisle Master Ltd.
Carla is an expert in the Samson Nano Wrapping System. She helps external sales staff with her expertise to enable them to better sell the Samson Nano System, time, which she gives freely and patiently. She has closed existing discussions, as well as generated new leads. Although her role is target orientated, this is not Carla’s only goal, and once she has exceeded her targets, she carries on, and helps others to excel as well.
Ian Laidlaw, MD of Samuel Grant (NE), has this to say of Carla: “Since her move to the North East, she has had an immediate effect. Her drive and enthusiasm have made her a popular member of staff. She has generated new leads and more importantly significant new business here in Jarrow”
Scott Wallace of Potter Logistics won the Warehouse Manager of the Year award, sponsored by Knapp UK
Scott was promoted to Operations Manager in 2010, but last year faced his greatest challenge to date when he was given the task of a warehouse move to a new site, which included an operational move of 15,000 pallets. No such move happens seamlessly, but on this occasion it came close. Scott’s leadership and commitment were vital elements in the success of the move and he thoroughly deserves this recognition.
Hörmann UK Ltd, won the Environment award, sponsored by Warehouse Technology Group.
Hörmann has been working hard on reducing the environmental impact of loading bays, while meeting the demands of increasingly busy warehouses. They are working on reducing CO2 emissions across the company’s 16 factories with the use of renewably generated energy and the installation of combined heat and power plants
Hörmann has also committed to directly connecting its production facilities with renewable power stations, wherever possible, resulting in 12,000 tonne reduction in the group’s emissions.
The benefit to customers is twofold – the company can provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its full door range, whilst ensuring its products have a long service life and low maintenance requirement.
Linde Material Handling won the Technical innovations award, sponsored by Bito Storage Systems
Linde has launched a new intelligent operator-assist system for reach trucks
Most warehouse people understand that the higher the reach, the greater the risk of wobbles. But this new system – The Linde Dynamic Mast Control System – automatically compensates for and minimises mast oscillations and mast deflection, through precise and seamless counter- movements of the reach carriage. This means that the operator of a Linde reach truck, fitted with DMC, does not suffer the waiting times associated with mast oscillations and deflection on conventional trucks. It can therefore store pallets faster, more accurately and more safely.
Elddis Transport won the Training award, sponsored by RTITB.
“You should train your staff so they can leave, then treat them well enough so that they don’t.” That’s the Elddis way. And that is what the judges saw in its submission. The company’s training programme reflects training needs identified by its customers and Elddis itself. It includes a vast array of subjects and delivery systems, and is a bold investment. That is how Elddis sees training: as an investment, not a cost.
Samantha Trubshaw of Cornish Orchards and Joe Jackson of Potter Logistics were joint winners of the Young Employee of the Year award, sponsored by Hoppecke Industrial batteries
This year the judges were challenged to separate four excellent finalists, two of which were outstanding.
Joe was a Graduate, looking for his first job, and he contacted Potter Logistics, asking for any opportunity to show what he could do.
A smart move indeed, which led to being taken on for four weeks.
Joe impressed everyone so much he was taken on as a trainee planner, thus allowing him to take in every aspect of the department, and he soon became a valuable member of the transport team. In September last year he was offered a permanent position.
He has shown intellect, commitment and a great sense of determination to achieve.
Samantha comes from a different working environment. Cornish Orchards is a craft cider and soft drink producer and Sam joined the company aged 20 in November 2012, as part of Cornish Orchards’ Customer Care Team
After two years she was moved into the export side of the business, and in due course promoted to Stock and Transport Co-coordinator. Having held this new role since December 2014, Sam now has key responsibilities including delivery planning, transport administration, and stock management.
Her diligence and attention to detail have brought a new logical approach to the warehouse management, unifying the team and greatly increasing the performance of the company as a whole.
International Logistics Group, won the Customer Service award, sponsored by Perry Appleton Group.
International Logistics Group (ILG) was founded in 1990 and currently employs 108 people
. The company has two divisions: Fulfilment – from three warehouses totalling 60,000 square feet – and Delivery services to homes, retail outlets and business locations.
The company’s approach to customer service is simple: close engagement with the customer, good knowledge of the customer’s business, and a determination to deliver the highest services consistently.
This is evidenced by the service provided to market leaders Sunseeker and BUPA, ILG customers who regard this high quality level of customers service as vital to their businesses.
ILG clearly ticks the boxes with them.
MDA, won the Warehouse Company of the Year award, sponsored by I.D. SYSTEMS (UK) LTD
Managing Director, Dale Stokes collected this award, which was made for the first time this year. MDA is a leading fulfilment partner to Europe’s biggest brands and retailers, distributing complex order profiles for high volume point of sale campaigns, typically for distribution throughout the UK and EMEA region.
Following a series of acquisitions, MDA has become a high quality Marketing Services partner to a stable of major customers – including BP, Morrison’s, Nestle, Microsoft, Unilever to name a few. MDA’s dedication to best practice for Point of Sale items was rewarded in 2014 when MDA won its biggest ever client – major global brewer Heineken elected to move its entire Point of Sale logistics contract solely to MDA, recognising the efficiencies and innovations MDA’s business delivers. MDA now operates from four UK fulfilment centres, with a £40m turnover, 400 members of staff and 3 million orders despatched annually.
Derrick Potter of Potter Logistics won The Chairman’s Award, sponsored by Clarion Events and Multimodal.
Derrick Potter, Chairman of Potter Logistics and President of IFWLA (International Federation of Warehousing and Logistics Associations), has always been professional, enthusiastic and willing to work for the betterment of the logistics industry. 2015 has been a special year for Derrick because 50 years ago he started Potter Logistics, which now employs over 300 people across seven sites and turns over £25m annually. UKWA Chairman Tony Mohan said: “When touring one of the company’s sites, I witnessed the fact that Derrick personally knew 100% of the staff. He understands that people are the most important part of a successful business. Over the 50 years, Derrick’s energy and enthusiasm has not waned at all.”
Summing up the 16th Annual Awards for Warehousing presentation ceremony and Annual Luncheon, Peter Ward, CEO of UKWA said: “Guests from the logistics industry were clearly inspired by the award winners as well as the rousing keynote address from Lord Digby Jones. It was a marvellous event all round, which also raised almost £3000 for Transaid – once again the charity for the event. UKWA is already looking forward to next year’s event, so keep the first Wednesday of July free in your diary!”
