Firm that Mick built links with pallet giants
Palletline plc has brought on board the Morecambe-based firm J M Gorry & Son Ltd – founded in 1969 by Mick Gorry with just one vehicle – as the latest member of its network.
The company, which now has three generations of the family working at its premises on the White Lund Industrial Estate and operates around 40 vehicles, will cover the large LA postcode area – which covers Lancaster and Morecambe – for Palletline from April 1.
They have invested a six-figure sum in readiness to join the Palletline network, by changing vehicle liveries, hiring two new staff and bringing online a new 8,000 sq ft building, which will also be used for undercover trans-shipping.
J M Gorry’s work has so far mainly been in providing transport for import and export, but they say demand for nationwide pallet distribution work is increasing.
Company founder Mick Gorry explained: “We’ve had the opportunity to join networks before but the time has not been right until now.
“We’ve invested heavily in new people and facilities to ensure we’re able to offer a high-quality, dedicated service to Palletline’s other members and customers. We have already had significant interest from existing clients about using Palletline, through ourselves, for their palletised freight distribution and anticipate significant growth in this sector of our work.”
Glyn Jones, managing director of Palletline plc, said: “We’re delighted to welcome J M Gorry & Son to the network.
“The LA postcode area is significant and J M Gorry & Son is a highly respected operator with many established clients in that area. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Mick and his team.”
When the firm was founded in 1992, Palletline was the UK’s first national network dedicated to pallet distribution. Today, they operate from their main hub in Birmingham with regional offices at Greenford, west London, and Preston.
Palletline employs around 150 staff, with major clients including blue chip organisations such as Parcelforce and J Sainsbury plc. They also offer deliveries to mainland Europe, Scandinavia and the Irish Republic.
Uniquely among pallet networks in the UK, Palletline is wholly owned by its membership. There are currently 58 Palletline member companies across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Each year, they cover around 15 million miles and make more than 8,000 deliveries a day on behalf of the network. They use a state-of-the-art IT system with sophisticated pallet scanning and a web-based track and trace system.
