January 2020

Oversized Bags Among Packager’s Latest Product Release

Posted on 10 January, 2020 by Keith McKinley

Employee-owned UK packaging firm Kite has expanded its range of oversized bags, polythene furniture bags, shrink covers and continuous shrink tubing.

The range expansion is supported by the company’s ongoing effort to ensure that a wide range of products can be effectively protected in order to prevent unnecessary waste. Often businesses are not aware of how they can effectively protect larger heavy duty goods and items such as pallets and furniture and extremely large products.

Oversized bags
Commonly used in a wide range of applications for any large item that will fit into the usable dimensions (over 15 sizes available), Kite’s oversized bags are available in both light and heavy duty to suit different applications, light being ideal to protect items in storage against elements such as dust and moisture and heavy duty offering a more robust protection against extreme weather conditions, scrapes, scratches and dirt.

Polythene furniture bags
Kite’s range of furniture bags are the ideal solution when storing and transporting furniture. Available in light duty to protect items in storage from dirt and dust and heavy duty to protect furniture against dirt, dust, scrapes and extreme weather conditions. Each option is available as either gusseted, which fits better to items with even sides such as mattresses, or centre folded suitable for items that don’t have even corners such as sofas.

Shrink covers
Specifically designed for covering full pallets and for use with Kite’s range of shrink guns, Kite’s range of pallet shrink covers offer heavy duty protection against moisture, dirt and theft. Stronger than standard pallet wrap they are manufactured from shrinkable 100 micron high strength blend polythene and are available perforated on a roll or boxed as singles.

Continuous shrink tubing
For use with Kite’s range of shrink guns and produced from 100 micron high strength shrink polythene Kite’s shrink tubing fits pallets with a base size of 1200mm x 1000mm and 1200mm x 1200mm but as its continuous, the height is determined by the user by cutting when required, making it perfect for pallets of any height and awkward loads.

For more information on Kite Packaging and their range of products or services, visit kitepackaging.co.uk.

Körber Boosts LatAm Logistics Footprint with Brazil Acquisition

Posted on 10 January, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The Körber Group continues to invest in its Business Area Logistics Systems, acquiring a majority stake in Brazil-based Otimis Ltda. The supply chain management software and consulting company grows and strengthens warehousing and logistics operations for customers across the globe. The acquisition became effective as of December 18, 2019.

In light of advances in technology and digitisation of supply chain processes, companies are looking for supply chain technology partners that can service them on a global basis. To address this market demand for global providers, Körber Logistics Systems has extended its service and support capabilities into Latin America with addition of Otimis. Otimis extends Körber’s existing customer service capabilities in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Otimis has been an implementation partner and reseller of the supply chain management solutions of Körber Logistics’ company HighJump since 2004. By joining Körber, Otimis now has access to a complete portfolio of supply chain technologies including supply chain management software, industrial voice solutions, autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) and material handling automation.

Otimis has locations in Blumenau and São Paulo, Brazil and Santiago, Chile, with plans for expansion in Mexico. This follows Körber’s recent acquisition of the majority stake in the Cohesio Group, the leading integrator of voice-directed and AMR solutions for logistics in APAC.

“This is a further component of our successful internationalisation strategy,” says Stephan Seifert, Chairman of the Executive Board of Körber AG. “With Otimis, we have an ideal basis for further growth in Latin America and for offering our customers market-leading logistics solutions”.

“The trusted and successful cooperation that has grown over the years between HighJump and Otimis has encouraged us to take the next step – bringing Otimis under the Körber umbrella,” adds Dirk Hejnal, CEO of the Business Area Logistics Systems. “Essentially a beachhead in the region, the addition of Otimis to Körber Logistics empowers us, along with companies worldwide, with another means to think globally, while executing locally”.

Hélcio Lenz, founder and CEO of Otimis, says: “Our local roots coupled with the strength of the global Körber network are ideal prerequisites for sustainable growth for us and our customers. The entire Otimis team and I look forward to being part of Körber and shaping the supply chain of the future together”.

Maritime Starts Rail Freight Service for East Midlands Gateway

Posted on 9 January, 2020 by Keith McKinley

Maritime Intermodal, a subdivision of Maritime Transport, has launched a new five-day-a-week rail freight service to SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway.

The first route will connect the new strategic rail freight terminal at East Midlands Gateway to the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s busiest container port, and will provide the capacity to move up to 70 containers. The new service is Maritime Intermodal’s seventh daily rail freight service, with further services expected to be announced in the coming months.

Maritime Transport’s 17-acre EMG terminal is capable of handling up to sixteen 775m freight trains daily. The terminal will provide storage capacity for over 5,000TEU – which is equal to approximately 50,000 pallets of cargo – and is the first to connect to the Castle Donington freight line, providing direct access to the UK’s network of rail freight interchanges and all major UK Ports. In order to accommodate the terminal, earthworks took place to dig 25m below existing ground level. The site will also host a new 20,000 sq ft HQ for Maritime Intermodal to house operations staff, state-of-the-art training facilities and parking for a fleet of up to 100 trucks.

Routing Specialist Paragon Enhances Last-Mile Fulfilment Software

Posted on 9 January, 20207 August, 2025 by Paul Hamblin

Paragon Software Systems has enhanced its modular, last-mile fulfilment software with developments that will help retailers to offer more competitive delivery propositions. These updates to Paragon HDX are part of the company’s commitment to helping retailers better compete in the two-man home delivery marketplace where customer expectations continue to grow exponentially.

“The retailer’s ability to correctly fulfil the delivery service promised at the point of purchase with confidence is absolutely critical to a competitive proposition, regardless of whether they are offering next working day or seven days from receipt of order,” explains William Salter, Managing Director of Paragon Software Systems. “The latest updates to Paragon HDX are designed to remove operational barriers to delivering on customer promises and achieve even greater automation of complex fulfilment planning processes.”

Paragon HDX is a suite of last-mile fulfilment software modules used by many of the UK’s best-known retail brands. These latest developments across the Paragon HDX suite will deliver tangible benefits to both retailers and 3PLs offering shared services to multiple retail brands. They include:

Maximise use of all your vehicles and drivers within a fleet
Instead of rigidly sticking to just one depot serving specific postcodes, network resources can be shared and all deliveries fulfilled within the promoted lead time even in the event of a depot being at capacity.

Maximise use of your specialist vehicles and/or drivers
Gain greater control over the rate at which different sized vehicles are filled to help maintain the customer service promise across an entire product range and service offering. Restrictions can be placed on smaller or specialist vehicles so they do not fill to capacity weeks or days in advance with standard loads, removing the risk of not being able to maintain published customer service levels for specialist deliveries.
Only plan what your warehouse has the capacity to pick
The ability to factor in upstream picking capacity across multiple transport plans ensures that delivery time slots will always be feasible for the warehouse to handle. This again ensures that retailers are not planning to fail by proactively managing upstream capacity.

More options for balancing choice with cost
A more extensive set of slot scoring values provides the retailer with more information to enable the consumer’s choice of window. Retailers are able to confidently offer a wider range of cost-effective choices to the consumer.

Increased driver productivity and safety
More control over the hours of the day an area can be visited, increasing drop density in rural and remote areas, while restricting trips to unsafe urban areas after dark to protect the welfare of drivers. In addition, algorithmic improvements target an even greater increase in trip efficiency resulting in higher average drops per route.

Improved decision making
New improved data mart provides retail users with greater access to real and actionable data, enabling them to quickly analyse performance and gain insight into potential operational improvements and financial savings.

Paragon HDX will now be available on the Microsoft Azure platform for those organisations seeking a cost-effective and secure cloud-based solution.

“Paragon HDX is already widely used by leading UK high street retailers and we are now seeing increasing demand internationally with new deployments in both the US and Australia this year. Irrespective of where our systems are in use, all customers are faced with the same pressure to meet constant demand to do more. It is, therefore, vital that we continually invest in our software products so that the last-mile order fulfilment solution can help retail and 3PL customers to further evolve their services to meet the exacting standards of today’s consumer,” Salter added.

SDC’s Freespan Curtainsider Launches in UK

Posted on 9 January, 2020 by Keith McKinley

The UK & Ireland’s largest trailer producer SDC has launched the Freespan Curtainsider to operators in the UK following years of building it solely for the Irish market. Featuring a clear side aperture for ease of loading, the Freespan is “packed full of innovation that will enhance efficiency in everyday loading and logistics operations”.

The company says the launch is driven by a market need for locally produced Freespan trailers, manufactured to the high level of exacting standards which UK operators demand. While SDC previously provided a Freespan solution in conjunction with Lawrence David, this arrangement came to an end when Polish manufacturer Wielton purchased a 75% stake in Lawrence David, with chassis now being imported from Poland for their pillarless model.

Built on SDC’s robotically welded chassis with over 150,000 units manufactured, the EN-XL rated Freespan Curtainsider is an evolution of their diverse curtainsider range. SDC’s COO Paul Bratton said: “We are delighted to finally release the Freespan trailer in the UK after years of building it solely for the Irish market, providing a reliable solution for customers who require a side loading operation.”

The ‘Rail’ Solution

The company says a big advantage of SDC’s Freespan is the ease of operation, featuring 5* ‘Easy-roll’ curtain rail technology, a low-friction track system for optimum trailer performance. Designed in-house by SDC’s engineering team, the technology has been proven on their curtainsider range over the last 40 years. The curtains glide effortlessly along a clear side aperture and specially designed low friction alloy roof rail, ensuring maximum safety during loading and unloading.

Another benefit is SDC’s ability to design and manufacture to the customer’s exact specification and transport requirements. A straight or step frame option can be customised to any length, with any combination of door, floor, storage and load restraint, as well as aerodynamic aids for optimised performance and efficiency.

TIP Trailer Services has taken delivery of the Freespan, with Karl Davies, UK & Ireland commercial director adding; “Our customers are delighted with SDC’s Freespan Curtainsider, the chassis and curtain technology are some of the best we see on the market, providing an excellent addition to the TIP fleet. TIP has purchased in excess of 1,000 SDC trailers over the last year and the level of quality is unwavering throughout their range, I look forward to working with Paul and the team more in the future and providing SDC’s innovative Freespan trailer to our UK customers.”

Port of Dunkirk Inaugurates Cold Ironing Facilities

Posted on 9 January, 2020 by Keith McKinley

During a ceremony held yesterday at the Port of Dunkirk, the APL SINGAPURA, a container ship belonging to CMA CGM, inaugurated cold ironing facilities at the Port of Dunkirk’s Terminal des Flandres. Notable participants included Eric Etienne, Dunkirk’s deputy prefect, Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, Patrice Vergriete, President of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, Christine Cabau Woehrel, CMA CGM Group Executive Vice President in charge of Industrial Assets, Stéphane Raison, Chairman of the Port of Dunkirk Executive Board, Nicolas Sartini, Chief Executive Officer of CEVA Logistics, and Gérard Mulliez, founder of Auchan, who is the first customer of the Port of Dunkirk through the group’s family-owned companies.

Cold ironing is a technology that provides an effective way of protecting the environment. By plugging into an onshore electricity supply, container ships calling at port can shut down their auxiliary engines while still getting the power they need, particularly in order to maintain controlled temperatures in refrigerated containers (Reefers).

This innovative technology has significant environmental benefits, including:
– Zero emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides and fine particles while ships are at berth;
– Significantly reduced noise pollution.

The cold ironing system installed at the Terminal des Flandres will become fully operational during the first half of 2020.

ACTEMIUM, a consortium of two companies (Brest and Boulogne) was selected to carry out the works. These included the design and supply of a cold ironing system that fits into six 40-foot containers, converting the public electricity supply for use by ships at port. With capacity of 8 MW ¬– enough to power nearly 1,000 homes – this system is one of the most powerful ever to be installed in Europe.

Stéphane Raison, Chairman of the Port of Dunkirk Executive Board, said: “Our decision to develop this particularly innovative solution allowing container ships to plug into onshore power at the Terminal des Flandres is in line with the pro-active environmental policy that the Port of Dunkirk has been pursuing for many years.”

New Innovation Lead at Conveyor Specialist Interroll

Posted on 9 January, 202025 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Automated conveying and roller specialist Interroll has named a new head of its innovation team. Dr. Christian Ripperda (above) has taken over the lead of the Swiss firm’s global innovation activities in the newly created function of Vice President System Innovation.

In his new role, 39-year-old Ripperda will lead and coordinate Interroll’s global innovation activities, which integrate the Interroll Project and Development Centre (IPDC), Interroll’s Global Product Management and the Interroll Intellectual Property strategy as well as the support of all development activities in the group. He reports to Jens Strüwing, Executive Vice President Products & Technology and member of the Interroll Group Management.

Christian Ripperda joins Interroll with 12 years of multidisciplinary research and development (R&D) experience including information technology (IT), electronics and machine vision as well as expertise in product development and strategic business development, with specialty in digitalization (Industry 4.0) and cutting-edge technologies for industrial application. He holds a PhD (Dr. rer. nat) in electrical engineering/physics from the Institute for Semiconductor Electronics of RWTH Aachen in Germany.

Exporta Expands Pallet Box and Crate Range

Posted on 8 January, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Packaging specialist Exporta has expanded its shipping crate range with the addition of new Collapsible Cardboard Crates. Exporta already has a comprehensive range of rigid and collapsible plastic pallet boxes, Dolav boxes, collapsible Polycrates and very flexible wooden and plastic pallet collar crates. However, by talking to customers, they identified a gap in the market for a very lightweight but robust and reusable crate.

These cardboard crates are pallet boxes made from very strong and robust 15mm or 25mm reinforced cardboard. Designed for air freight usage in mind, when combined with a lightweight nestable plastic pallet these crates can significantly reduce the volumetric cost of shipping by air.

These crates are much lighter than any wooden or plastic crate and far stronger than any normal cardboard box, according to the company.

The toughest can take 500kg stacked on top and because they are collapsible, they can be shipped back to the source in a stacks thus saving on return costs. They can be reused again and again and so last longer and are more environmentally friendly when compared to single use cardboard boxes.

Reusable and returnable box and crate solutions are growing for environmental and longer-term cost savings. Single use plastics and cardboard products are initially cheaper to purchase but over an extended period of time, multi-use solutions make savings and reduce the environmental impact as long as there is a return loop and reuse programme in place.

Iptor Acquired by Senior Executives and Investment Firm Bregal

Posted on 8 January, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Logistics software specialist Iptor has been acquired by investment firm Bregal Unternehmerkapital alongside investment from CEO Jayne Archbold and Chief Marketing and Product Officer Christopher Catterfeld (both seen above).

Iptor has been transformed over the past three years under the leadership of Archbold and Catterfeld. The re-branding and re-positioning of the business from IBS to Iptor has delivered exceptional progress, with the product portfolio having been transformed through the successful launch of the aperīo platform. Alongside this a move to micro-services has opened up significant market opportunities in focused verticals with high volume transactions. This has led to more than 150% increase in license and subscription growth in FY18. This has been supported by excellent momentum in the cloud business – by the end of FY19, Iptor will have almost 200 customers on the Power cloud offered through its strategic partnership with IBM.

The investment by Bregal Unternehmerkapital allows Iptor to embark on a ramped-up strategic expansion programme, focussing on building out its leading position in the Technical Wholesale, Pharma and Publishing sectors as well as increasing its geographical footprint and pursuing acquisitions.

Jayne Archbold, Iptor CEO, comments, “We are delighted to make this announcement today and very excited about the future. None of this would be possible without the dedication and passion of our brilliant people as well as our loyal customers. We are excited about the future and the opportunities this creates for our team, our customers and businesses considering partnering with us.”

Returnable Container Developed for German Optician Chain

Posted on 7 January, 202029 July, 2025 by David Priestman

In cooperation with Schoeller Allibert, Germany’s leading optician chain Apollo has developed a returnable container for delivery to its branches. The empty load carrier can be returned easily and cost-effectively, it says.

The highlight of the new carrier is its new folding mechanism. The company says it will save up to 100 tons of cardboard waste and reduce its CO2 emissions by 96 percent in the long run.

Previously, Apollo delivered only cardboard boxes to its 1000 branches. As a result, more than 100 tons of cardboard packaging was accumulated as disposable waste. The optician and hearing aid specialist wanted to bring about a change – waste prevention instead of waste disposal. In collaboration with the returnable plastics specialist Schoeller Allibert, the company developed a machine-processable, returnable container, which makes the shipping carton unnecessary, saves up to 96 percent of CO2-emissions and can be completely recycled at the end of its service life.

The basis for the new container is the Schoeller Allibert classic Clever Move Box (CMB). The CMB with closed sides measures 400 x 300 x 240 millimetres and can be folded to only 52 millimetres when empty. It has two handles on the narrow sides and can be sealed to prevent access from outside. The key feature of this excellent load carrier, however, is the option to clip it to other containers and to return it cost – effectively and without any additional expense. Thus, a positive-fit unit is developed for the KEP-service provider, which is subsequently counted as one packet.

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