A passion for technological inspiration has put the UK’s leading pallet distribution network into the final of the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards for the second year running.
Palletforce is included in a 10-strong shortlist for the Innovation Award category, which celebrates ideas that have had the greatest impact on an organisation or industry.
Since it was founded in 2001, the company has led the way in ground-breaking innovation in the field of express palletised distribution.
Key developments include their bespoke Alliance IT system, which allows customers to create their own barcode for each consignment and follow its progress from collection to delivery, and Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) technology for members and customers to monitor the safe transit of consignments via SMS, email, iPhone app or the Palletforce website.
Meanwhile the company’s custom-built distribution Hub in Burton upon Trent is home to a fleet of fork-lift trucks, each fitted with industry-leading scan and weigh technology.
Capable of unloading and loading more than 300 lorries a night, the Hub has enabled Palletforce to halve turn-around times and increase lorry capacity to 85 per cent.
Indeed in January 2016 Palletforce became the first palletised distribution company in the UK to be awarded a patent covering their unique fork-lift truck weighing and scanning capability.
Work is currently underway on a new £50m SuperHub, the biggest of its kind in Europe, capable of processing more than 30,000 pallets per night for distribution across the UK and the continent through Palletforce’s European ALLNET operation.
Palletforce chief executive Michael Conroy said: “The innovations we have put in place have helped increase network pallet volumes year on year.
“However the driving force behind everything we do here at Palletforce is to ensure the long-term benefit to our members and customers, and we will continue to strategically invest in the new technologies necessary to keep us at the forefront of the industry.”
The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards are designed for companies of all sizes and industries showcase their excellence in business. After a rigorous shortlisting process successful companies will present to their category’s panel of judges in September, with the winners announced at the Award Ceremony in November.
