Tag Archives: distribution

Finance and Banking, News

Boost for UK SMEs as WeDo secures £50m in funding

WeDo Business Services has secured £50m in funding which will enable it to significantly expand its support of small and medium-sized companies across the UK.

The funding is provided by alternative investment manager Waterfall Asset Management and will be used to help WeDo bolster the growth of its SME customer base through a range of finance facilities.

The WeDo group has its headquarters in Greater Manchester and additional offices nationwide. It provides invoice and trade finance, asset finance, loans and start-up funding to a growing client base, as well as accountancy, HR, back-office and IT services.

WeDo was founded by Mark Lindsay and Chris Robinson in 2019 with just four staff and has grown rapidly through organic expansion and acquisition. It currently has over 70 staff across its Oldham headquarters and its network of offices.

Its overall lending now exceeds £50m, and chief executive Mark said Waterfall’s funding would enable it to achieve significant growth as it aims to reach £100m within the next three years.

WeDo’s nationwide client base spans a range of sectors, including recruitment, engineering, manufacturing, logistics and wholesale distribution.

Mark said: “This significant investment is a vote of confidence in our business and will help us to exponentially grow our ability to provide support to SMEs from across our finance divisions.

“We share a desire to establish a long-term relationship with the goal of helping more SMEs to succeed in building sustainable businesses for the future, by alleviating their cashflow constraints and enabling them to invest for future growth.

“WeDo has a strong track record of supporting the northern economy by offering finance to companies across the region and this will continue, as well as enabling us to significantly expand our geographical reach.

“There is increasing demand for the type of lending and support services we provide, reflected in a record month for new client wins in the first quarter of this year.

“We understand the challenges of growing a business from a new start, and we want to help others to do the same. It can be lonely as a business owner, and we provide a support network to ensure the wellbeing of themselves and their companies.”

James Cuby, managing director at Waterfall, said: “WeDo provides a comprehensive funding solution and support services to SMEs across the UK and has an experienced management team who are committed to supporting the growth of the businesses they fund.

“We are pleased to support WeDo’s expansion plans and look forward to a successful relationship.”

Appointments, Logistics, News

Kinaxia Logistics strengthens senior team with key appointments

Kinaxia Logistics has strengthened its senior team as part of a management restructure which will see it focus on further developing its customer proposition, driving operational efficiencies and unlocking the potential within the business.

Simon Nelson has been appointed to the new position of chief operating officer and Mark Tabor has joined Kinaxia as commercial director.

Chief executive Michael Conroy said the duo have vast experience at board level and possess great commercial acumen.

He said the appointments form part of Kinaxia’s strategy to work more closely with its customers and deliver high-quality services which are more tailored to their needs.

Simon joined Kinaxia and became managing director of its contract distribution operations after the company acquired Nelson Distribution from KNP Logistics Group last September.

Mark has over 35 years’ experience in UK and European logistics, working with a number of leading businesses including FedEx, Palletforce and Online MBT.

As Palletforce’s European development director, he oversaw the expansion of its cross-border pallet network from 11 to 30 countries and quadrupled turnover.

Michael said: “The new position of COO has been created to ensure our services more closely match our customers’ requirements. This will enable us to get closer to them, better understand their needs and deliver a service which reflects this.

“In addition, Simon will also drive efficiency across the business using technology-enabled solutions that will boost productivity while further enhancing sustainability, allowing us to generate additional value for our customers.

“Mark will play a major role as we continue to align our commercial proposition to best serve the needs of our customers with the agility to flex to quickly meet the demands of a changing marketplace.

“His appointment further reinforces our strategy to be completely aligned with our customers to deliver a stand-out experience to them and ensure we operate in a manner which drives long-term success for the business.

“With some of the highest-quality warehousing facilities in the UK, a depth of regional transport expertise and heritage that is unmatched, skilled and motivated people and a powerful palletised freight offering, we have a full end-to-end solution that can quickly adapt to our customers’ needs.”

Kinaxia, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, employs more than 1,700 staff nationwide with a fleet of 800 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

It has 2.7 million sq ft of strategic national warehousing facilities offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management, storage services and a complete distribution service.

Apprenticeships, Awards, News, North of England

Mechanic Lewis crowned apprentice of the year by Kinaxia Logistics

A young mechanic who helps to service and maintain Kinaxia Logistics’ fleet of lorries has won the company’s apprentice of the year award.

Lewis Brockbank, 20, joined Kinaxia in September 2021 on a three-year apprenticeship leading to a qualification in heavy vehicle maintenance.

He is based at Kinaxia group company Bay Freight in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester.

Lewis was nominated for the accolade by his line manager Dave Turnbull, who presented him with a trophy, framed certificate and Amazon voucher.

Dave said: “Lewis is always willing to learn and is a key team player. He works hard in all weathers and never complains. He’s willing to do any job at any time of the day and always keeps himself busy.

“He’s very competent at his job and has had glowing reports from college. He’s a very worthy winner of the apprentice of the year award.”

The training provider for Lewis’s apprenticeship is Mantra Learning. He is one of eight apprentices currently employed by Kinaxia. The group is recruiting for up to 10 apprentices this year.

Kinaxia, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, employs more than 2,000 staff nationwide with a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

The group has 2.7 million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management, storage services and a complete distribution service.

Lewis, who lives in Mottram, Tameside, Greater Manchester, said: “I wasn’t expecting to win the award but I’m very happy to have done so and very grateful. It really means a lot.”

He added: “Initially, I wanted to be a light vehicle mechanic, and I completed a Level Two qualification at Tameside College. Then the opportunity came up to join Kinaxia, and I was thrilled to join the company.

“I’ve found myself really enjoying learning the job and helping to keep our vehicles roadworthy and maintained to a high standard.

“I think apprenticeships are the best option for people fresh out of school or college to get into an industry. I find that hands-on learning is more effective than just classroom learning. I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who may be considering one.”

Kinaxia is a gold sponsor of Generation Logistics, a government and industry-backed campaign highlighting the opportunities and career prospects available in a major national drive to attract young people to the sector.

Debbie Blackwell, people services director at Kinaxia, said: “Apprenticeships are key to the future of our industry. We need to invest in our colleagues and create new opportunities for diversified talent to support the growth and productivity of our business and create a skilled and qualified workforce.”

Appointments, Logistics, News

New CEO for Kinaxia Logistics

Michael Conroy, a former chief executive of Palletforce, has been appointed as the new CEO of Kinaxia Logistics, succeeding Simon Hobbs who has left after four years to pursue new opportunities.

Simon said of his time at Kinaxia: “We achieved a great deal despite the challenges we faced, and have brought a great business closer together. Kinaxia is now recognised in the UK market as a fresh and capable logistics provider and is well-positioned for its next phase of growth.”

Michael has been recruited to spearhead the next phase of development for Kinaxia, a top 15 UK logistics business with annual turnover of more than £220m.

He led Palletforce through its most significant period of expansion, taking the express freight distribution network’s turnover from £20m to £200m during a 13-year tenure as CEO.

Michael oversaw a £100m strategic investment across the Palletforce business, including the creation of its SuperHub, pioneered award-winning technology and innovation, led the collaboration of over 100 top UK regional hauliers, and was integral in the creation of EV Cargo UK in 2018.

That was followed by a period as CEO of Networks for Culina Group, where he led its digital transformation and achieved significant value creation and financial improvement by focusing on cost reduction, enhanced productivity, and successfully capturing commercial opportunities.

Kinaxia Chairman Graham Norfolk said: “We are delighted to have Michael on board. He is a respected industry figure, with vast experience in senior positions in the UK logistics industry. The board looks forward to working with him as Kinaxia moves into its next stage of development.”

Michael’s remit at Kinaxia will be to lead the group through this next stage of development, with a focus on unlocking further growth potential through scale and technology while simplifying and harmonising company processes, inspiring an inclusive workforce, driving sustainable initiatives and continuing to deliver customer excellence.

He said: “I’m extremely motivated to take up this new position and, despite the expectation of challenging market conditions continuing in 2024, I believe Kinaxia is in a strong position to capitalise on opportunities that exist.

“The business has a unique customer proposition, offering the benefits of a fully-owned and controlled national logistics network, with services delivered directly to customers by our local experts.

“This enables us to develop deep relationships with our existing customers, focus on providing sector-leading service excellence, and win market share from our competitors.”

He added: “Current market dynamics, together with the fragmented nature of the industry, offer a significant opportunity to unlock growth potential.

“We will have an increased focus on leveraging data and technology to reduce waste and improve productivity and efficiency, while also creating value for our customers by developing digital and data-focused solutions that enhance service, provide a competitive advantage and deliver sustainable growth.

“One of our greatest strengths is the talent, expertise and skills which flow throughout Kinaxia. Great people make great businesses, and empowering our workforce by nurturing talent and developing skills will see our people invested in the ethos of ‘one Kinaxia’ and the quality values the brand stands for.”

Kinaxia, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, employs more than 2,000 staff nationwide with a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

The group has 2.7 million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management, storage services and a complete distribution service.

Logistics, Logistics Tech, News

All systems glow for Kinaxia Logistics with Ansell Lighting deal

Kinaxia Logistics has agreed a three-year contract to provide UK distribution, warehousing and other services for a global lighting company.

Ansell Lighting designs and manufactures interior and exterior lighting for the commercial, domestic, industrial, retail and architectural markets.

The company has its headquarters in Warrington and operates in more than 20 countries, with showrooms in Belfast, Dublin and Madrid as well as at its HQ.

It offers over 3,300 product lines and has won multiple awards for its energy-efficient luminaires and industry-leading lighting control system, Octo.

Last year, Ansell won a King’s Awards for Enterprise for Innovation for its Panel Pod product.

Its multi-million-pound stockholding is housed at distribution centres in Warrington and Belfast, from where it dispatches more than 400,000 items a month.

Ansell has appointed Kinaxia to distribute products to customers across the UK, and to provide warehousing, contract packing and overseas shipment.

The distribution operation is being led from Kinaxia’s hub in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester.

Kinaxia is a top 15 UK logistics group which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire. It employs more than 1,700 staff nationwide with a fleet of over 850 vehicles transporting goods for the retail, leisure, food and drink and manufacturing sectors.

The group also has 2.7 million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management, storage services and a complete distribution service. Group turnover was more than £200m in 2022, the 10th anniversary of the business.

Kinaxia sales director Nicky Woodman said: “Ansell Lighting is a tremendous addition to our growing client base. Our agreement brings a significant volume of new business to our distribution operation as well as to other parts of the group.

“Working with the Ansell team to integrate our IT systems has ensured a seamless transition and the highest possible standard of service.

“Our partnership has extended beyond the contract awarded for the distribution element to providing warehousing, contract packing and European shipments, and we look forward to further developing our relationship with the Ansell team into other areas of its business.”

Ansell’s distribution director Mark Stanley said: “Customer service levels are very important to us, and we wanted to work with a partner who shared our values and would be able to deliver the fast, efficient next-day service that our customers have come to expect, in order to continue to grow our business.

“We have been impressed with Kinaxia’s strong transport network and distribution capabilities, and we are looking forward to working with them as we move towards achieving even higher delivery standards than before.”

News

EPOS expands partnership with Ingram Micro to the UK & Ireland

For over five years, EPOS and Ingram Micro have partnered to distribute EPOS’ premium products such as the ADAPT 100 and 200 Series, IMPACT 5000, EXPAND and EXPAND Vision Series across European and American regions.

“I’m delighted to announce Ingram Micro as EPOS UK’s new distribution partner” said Jane Craven, Sales Director at EPOS UK. “Ingram Micro already has strong partnerships with EPOS in several countries including the USA, Germany, and Switzerland and are perfectly positioned to handle the ever-growing global distribution demands of our authorised channel partners.”

“We are delighted to welcome EPOS into our comprehensive range of reseller offerings. We follow the same values as EPOS as we believe in empowering businesses around the world to better communicate and collaborate – anytime, anywhere and on any device.” said Ian Aitken, General Manager – Unified Communications & Collaboration at Ingram Micro. “Ingram Micro are looking forward to sharing these advanced and collaborative technologies.”

Learn more about EPOS here.

 

About EPOS

EPOS is an audio and video solution company developing and selling devices for business professionals and the gaming community. Based on leading and advanced technologies, the Danish founded company delivers high-end audio and video solutions with design, technology, and performance as paramount parameters.

The establishment of EPOS is based on the decision to let the business segments of the joint venture – known as Sennheiser Communications – between Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG and Demant A/S evolve in different set-ups. Alongside the introduction of a new own-branded portfolio, EPOS continues to sell the current Sennheiser Communications portfolio co-branded as EPOS I SENNHEISER.

EPOS is part of the Demant Group – a world-leading audio and hearing technology group. As such, it builds on more than 115 years of experience of working with innovation and sound. With headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, EPOS operates in a global market with offices and partners in more than 30 countries.

Find more information at www.eposaudio.com

About Ingram Micro

Ingram Micro helps businesses realize the promise of technology. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivalled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships, set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. Discover how Ingram Micro can help you realize the promise of technology. Learn more at uk.ingrammicro.eu

Acquisitions & Partnerships, Business, Business News, Europe, European News, Industry News, Industry Press Releases, IT Services, News from England, Security, UK

Fast-Growing Distributor Nuvias Group Joins the Global Technology Distribution Council

The innovative European company serves more than 7,000 partners with leading-edge solutions enabling security, agility and manageability in Hybrid IT and unified communications.

Woking, UK — February 1st 2022 — The world’s leading consortium of technology distributors – the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) – announced today the addition of the Nuvias Group to its membership, furthering its mission to drive channel success and strengthen the value of technology distribution.

Founded in 2015 by Rigby Private Equity, the Nuvias Group is now a $750M company with offices across Europe. The company’s highly skilled and experienced teams – in addition to its well-established relationships with world-class vendors – position the IT distributor to make a unique impact in 2022 and beyond.

“Nuvias Group is a model for what successful technology distribution will look like today and into the future,” said GTDC CEO Frank Vitagliano. “Their ability to flex and adapt to the changing needs of the channel will also help our organization to better meet the evolving requirements of today’s technology vendors, resellers and solution providers— as the world continues to shapeshift around us every day.”

The Nuvias Group’s focus areas include unified communications, cybersecurity and intelligent networks, with specialised solutions offered via an ecosystem of more than 40 highly skilled vendor partners in 16 European countries.

“We’re dedicated to providing ever-greater value to the IT channel our vendors and customers,” said CEO Simon England, who brings an extensive background in value added distribution, with previous leadership positions at Westcon Group, Azlan and Tech Data. “Joining forces with the GTDC only helps us to further that mission.”

The Nuvias Group has continued its organic and acquisitive growth over the past year, posting double-digit growth and acquiring highly specialized distributors to strengthen its presence and service in the UK, Benelux and the DACH region.

News

Retail group YOLO appointed UK distributor for world-leading hammock brand

Following a multi-million-pound investment deal earlier in 2021 between YOLO and Amazonas GmbH, YOLO has been appointed the official UK distributor for Amazonas, representing an interesting and exciting category for retailers in 2022.  To complement this, they’ve launched Amazonas UK for distribution as well as a new direct-to-customer website – www.amazonas-online.co.uk.

YOLO, founded in 2014 on a kitchen table in North Yorkshire, has grown into a thriving online-retail group that owns and operates 8+ brands that sell to over 48 countries. One of their brands, Simply Hammocks, has always had a good trade relationship with their supplier Amazonas GmbH up until last year when YOLO made a multi-million-pound investment deal with Amazonas GmbH.

“We see hammocks as a growing garden category over the next few years, as the sector faces growing costs, quality, and supply issue sourcing garden furniture from China. Our hammocks and range of garden furniture are manufactured in Europe, to German standards so they’re built to last.” says Scott Woodhead, YOLO Founder.

YOLO has just invested in a new warehouse facility and plans to create 30 new jobs this year. As many retailers are struggling to source garden furniture stock and with rising logistic costs, the deal means that YOLO can offer retailers the full product range from its warehouse, and access to quick deliveries directly from the Amazonas factory in Europe.

Amazonas GmbH’s slogan is “Hammocks make you happy” and that’s exactly what Amazonas UK is planning on doing. “We are excited to announce YOLO as our UK distributor for Amazonas. With our close working relationship and shared interest, we feel this marks an exciting chapter for our hammock brand in the UK” says Matthias Saul, Amazonas GmbH President.

Though YOLO is already speaking to various online and high street retailers regarding Amazonas UK & its products, they would love to speak to retailers interested in ranging their high-margin and low-return hammocks. Contact hello@amazonas-online.co.uk for details.

 

Case Studies and Partnerships, News

Artex selects Indigo WMS to build ultra flexible real-time warehouse distribution service

Artex is a name that has become synonymous with home improvements and the company, which distributes some of the UK’s best known decorative finish and building materials brands from its logistics hub in Nottinghamshire, has just selected Indigo WMS with voice enabled picking as its warehouse management software solution.

Artex is a highly data driven business and Indigo WMS will be integrated with SAP, the company’s existing ERP solution, to provide real-time management information on its warehousing logistics operations.

Part of the multinational Saint-Gobain group, Artex’s vision is to create a competitive distribution network with the highest levels of customer service.

Artex provides a vast array of builder’s merchants, decorating centres and DIY stores up and down the country with a tailor-made 500+ product offering to suit their individual needs. This includes offering flexible, multi-drop distribution and delivery services, which allow customers to order the exact products and quantities they need starting from as little as a half a pallet of mixed products. Artex also offers 24-hour turnaround express delivery services for parcels of select products weighing up to 25kg, which are delivered according to a timed booking slot.

Offering such a high degree of flexibility adds increased complexity to warehouse operations and could result in increased logistics costs. To avoid this and realise other key benefits, Artex has turned to Indigo Software for a best of breed warehouse management system (WMS) capable of relieving the administrative burden on warehousing teams and enabling its logistics operation to deliver more product more quickly, and with increased accuracy and flexibility.

Two of the deciding factors in selecting Indigo WMS were the software’s highly intuitive user experience – especially for new WMS system users – and Indigo’s strong track record of completing seamless implementations, with minimal disruption to normal business operations. Indigo will be fully integrated with SAP for the seamless exchange of customer data and incoming sales orders with pick and dispatch processes. This will include extracting real-time feeds from SAP and pushing ‘confirmation of completion’ data back, once the end to end logistics process is complete.

Kelvin Phipps, Systems and Process Development Manager at Artex says, “After a careful review of all the available solutions, we believe that Indigo WMS offers the correct fit for our future business. It will be an enabler for us to reach new heights, with the right balance of system features, software complexity, seamless implementation methodology and cost.”

He adds, “We intend to run our warehouse operations with Indigo WMS for many years so selecting the right technology partner was very important to us. We see Indigo as a software partner that shares our company values, priorities and objectives and look forward to a long and successful working relationship.”

News

Connect Distribution launches Spring/Summer 2020 catalogue

Connect Distribution, the UK’s leading provider of spare parts, accessories, consumables and small domestic appliances, has launched its Spring/Summer 2020 catalogue.

The brochure is packed full of more than 1,000 high quality products from 25 industry-leading brands, including Kenwood, De’Longhi, Braun, Hotpoint, Lavazza and Samsung. There are four easy to navigate sections – floorcare, small appliances, outdoor and cooling – with 158 new product lines added in this latest version.

Each product can be viewed in further detail online and purchased through Connections online, Connect Distribution’s trade only 24/7 electronic ordering platform, which provides the latest information and product availability for customers nationwide. Alongside a fully customisable homepage and dedicated product enquiry team, users can access next day business delivery or Direct Delivery straight to their customers’ doors.

Carl Bould, Sales Director at Connect Distribution, commented: “Our first catalogue of 2020 includes a whole host of exciting new changes. Alongside hundreds of new lines from the industry’s best-known brands, we’ve invested in the team and restructured the business to make sure the right people are in the right place to offer the best possible service.

“Thanks to our long-standing relationships with leading household brands including Hoover, Samsung and De’Longhi, we provide access to the latest product ranges and most sought-after models. By joining forces with VAX, for example, we’re now exclusively offering the Rapid Power Refresh floor cleaner, as well as a wide range of other floor cleaning appliances, to independent retailers across the UK.

“Our aim for this year and beyond is to continue bringing out new services, products and innovations to support our customers in every way we can.”

For more information about Connect Distribution or its all new Spring/Summer 2020 catalogue, visit www.connect-distribution.co.uk.