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PC Howard
Page 19
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As a member of Palletways, PC Howard covers Northamptonshire and the PE postcode in Peterborough. Business development manager Bruce Macmillan tells CM that the network accounts for around a quarter of business.
He says: "We are a founder-member, so we have worked with the network for more than 10 years. On average, we are running about 5% more pallets compared to this time last year; and this year, we are not losing customers, but gaining them," According to Macmillan the group has not been forced to lower its rates since 2005, because clients remain attracted to a flexible and quality service.
As an example, he cites the part and full loads available via Palletways as essential for coping with soaring volumes on the back of the swine flu pandemic for medical supplier Bioguard Hygiene Solutions.
"We were able to respond quickly to absorb the extra volumes while maintaining quality of service. Small consignments that would normally be delivered through our Palletways network became larger consignments that were simply switched to dedicated fully loaded vehicles." ('PC Howard sees volumes hit new heights,' CM 18 June.) DBL Logistics In apparent defiance of the doom and gloom of this current recession, the Sheffield-based business DBL Logistics a member of United Pallet Network (UPN) claims that since January, volumes have been increasing week on week.
Seven years into its partnership with UPN, David Clarkson, managing director at DBL. says: "We normally average around 120 pallets a night, but in the first week of June, we had our highest ever throughput of 147."
The group, however, admits that it has been forced to lower its rates in order to cope with the recession, as well as offer aid to struggling customers, but it says that profits have been sustained via UPN.
Clarkson comments: "Through the Melton Mowbray hub and our Sheffield postcode, our vehicles are never more than 30 miles away from our depot, which allows us to maintain controlled fuel savings."
Since January, the group has only lost three of its customers, but has managed to win 20 new contracts.
The business currently operates nine HGVs, all of which are running at 80% capacity. Clarkson also reveals to CMthat the group is on track to achieve pre-tax predictions.