Author: Archive

Royal Mail: U-turn over mail centre closure

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

It was announced 12 months ago that operations at Reading and Gloucester would be moved to Swindon.

The new plan means Oxford and Reading mail centers will now close in 2009, but Gloucester will remain open.

Royal Mail said the changes addressed “an urgent need to improve mail consistency and efficiency”.

Area general manager Michael Devanny said: “We believe that moving work from Oxford to our extended facility in Swindon, which will be equipped with the latest technologies, will enable us to address an urgent need to improve the reliability of the mail services for our customers in the OX postcode area.

“Our first priority as we take forward this plan will be to fully support staff at all sites, particularly recognising the impact on our Oxford colleagues as a result of the revisions to our original proposals.”

He added that the company had a good “record of managing people through change” and that they would be consulting with the unions and staff.

Development work is due to start at Swindon on 8 October.

As part of the plans, a new delivery office is being developed for central Reading.

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TNT Express Thailand appoints new Country General Manager

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

Alan Miu has been appointed country general manager (CGM) for TNT Express, Thailand. Prior to his new role Miu was based in the TNT regional office in Singapore where he was in charge of regional Customs operations.

As CGM, Miu will focus on boosting growth. His responsibilities include managing TNT’s overall country strategies, operations, sales, marketing and customer service activities in Thailand.

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Business Post integrates its mail

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

Express Parcels and Mail is to become the brand name for Business Post’s express parcels and mail service. Previously the name only covered the group’s thriving postal business, but the decision has been taken to merge its parcels service under the UK Mail umbrella, as part of its integration strategy. Chief executive Guy Buswell is quick to explain that the firm is not dropping its parcels business: “Mail can mean anything these days. We think we can do better in parcels by changing…

Head of group marketing Nigel Proctor explains that the change links in with the company’s integration strategy, but without substantial cost: “We’re a private organization – the money has to be invested in the customer,” he says, adding that the group also wanted to “seize the opportunity” to remove the FedEx logo embossed on Business Post vehicles – a hangover from the FedEx contract Business Post lost after the US parcels giant purchased ANC late last year. “We don’t want to start the confusion [that it’s a rebranding]. The change is more around the integration,” Proctor says.

Subtle changes already in place, including single invoices and group tender processes, are helping the group to present a more integrated front, he adds. Business Post is also looking to relaunch the group website next month. But Proctor adds that while the intention is to “appear more joined up to the customer; it is going to be a long exercise”. The next step is to look more closely at group operations, he adds.

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Union: FedEx may pay drivers up to USD 33M

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

The Teamsters union said Friday FedEx Corp. may pay up to USD 33 million in incentives to delivery drivers in California, but a company spokesman says it hasn’t discussed the value of any payments with the union.

The incentives are designed to prompt California single-route drivers to take on more routes or sell existing ones. FedEx spokesman Maury Lane said the company and the Teamsters didn’t discuss the monetary value of the incentives.

Thursday, the package delivery company said the proposed incentives were in response to ‘current regulatory and legal uncertainty in California,’ which involve a dispute over the company’s drivers serving as independent contractors, rather than company employees.

The union said it’s also sponsoring a shareholder proposal at FedEx Corp.’s annual meeting on Monday that seeks to split the roles of chief executive and chairman, in an effort ‘to assure board independence and better corporate governance.’

Both roles are currently held by Fred Smith.

‘The proposal is based in part on the board of directors’ failure to instruct management to fully disclose the liabilities and potential financial impact of a major change in the FedEx Ground business model,’ the union said in a statement.

A spokesman for the union did not immediately return a call for additional comment.

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FedEx Freight Opens Addition to Support Growth

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

FedEx Freight East Inc. of Harrison held a grand opening Friday for its USD 12 million, 90,000-SF North Tower addition.

Gov. Mike Beebe, state and local officials and community leaders attended the opening of the expansion, which brings the existing facility to 303,645 SF.

Larry Miller, president and CEO of FedEx Freight, said the expansion would provide work areas for up to 500 employees as the company grows over the next few years.

When FedEx bought American Freightways Inc. from founder Sheridan Garrison in 2001, there were approximately 900 employees at the Harrison facility. Today there are more than 1,450 employees.

“The expansion of our facility in Harrison will provide the room we need as we continue our role as a leading provider of less-than-truckload services in the United States,” said Miller.

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TNT Express opens largest German branch in Hamburg

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

TNT Express opened its EUR 19 million new Hamburg branch which is its largest location in Germany and designed as a “reference model” for the whole company.

The depot was officially opened on Friday, September 21 by Thomas Kraus, managing director TNT Express Germany, and Senator Axel Gedaschko, from Hamburg city council’s development authority. Some 400 customers and guests attended the event.

Constructed in just six months, the new building at Hamburg-Allermöhe comprises a 5,184 sqm sorting hall and 2,970 sqm of office space, and lies on a 26,000 sqm plot of land. It has 99 truck docking doors. Some 200 employees including sales staff work at the site which is strategically located close to the A1/A25 motorway junction south of Hamburg.

The U-shaped building can easily be extended by adding 1,200 sqm to each of the two side-arms and covering over the interior courtyard. Environmental aspects were taken into account, with the roof covered with plants to generate a good micro-climate and maximize use of rainwater.

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Fourth transit shed confirms PalletFORCE growth

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

PalletFORCE has underlined its status as one of the fastest-growing palletised distribution networks in the UK with the opening of a fourth transit shed located at its Lichfield hub, creating a total space of 210,000 sq ft and a capacity of 10,500 pallets per night. Investment in specialist software enabled the Network to simulate a virtual hub in order to maximise the benefits of this expansion.

The Network has occupied the warehouse for some time in anticipation of increased growth, but had outsourced the space for storage to a private company. The decision to open the warehouse for Network deliveries has been made following excellent growth during 2007. This year has already seen the landmark of the fifth millionth pallet handled by PalletFORCE, and the Network regularly deals with over 7,000 pallets per night.

According to PalletFORCE’s Chief Executive, Mick Scarlett, the future looks promising for PalletFORCE and for palletised distribution as a whole. “The sector has got second wind after a slight downturn last year and we are experiencing year-on-month increases of 20-30% over 2006.”

Although this growth looks set to last for the foreseeable future, Mick Scarlett nonetheless advises caution. “To facilitate growth at that rate will present a huge challenge – and there is always the possibility that the market might flatten at any moment. Growth must be managed but not overcooked.”

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PalletFORCE holds publicity drive for drivers

Posted by | Sep 21, 2007 | |

PalletFORCE held a Drivers’ Night at the Company’s Lichfield hub on the night of Tuesday 24th July, to help build publicity and awareness for the Network’s sponsored charity, The Anthony Nolan Trust.

The Anthony Nolan Trust provides lifesaving donors for leukaemia patients in need of a bone marrow transplant. Maintaining the UK’s most successful bone marrow register, since 1974 the Trust has helped to give over 4,000 children and adults a new chance of life.

PalletFORCE became aware of the Trust’s work through the work of Jim McLay, the late Depot Principal at Glenhire. Jim was suffering from a type of blood cancer which could only be cured by a bone marrow transplant from a matching donor and he became a staunch ambassador for the charity before his death, with two Glenhire trailers boasting the Trust’s livery.

Representatives from the charity were on hand to explain their work and to recruit drivers to become donors. DAF also lent its support, providing a hospitality unit with refreshments as well as examples from its vehicle range for drivers to take a look at.

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