Month: July 2020

Material handling solutions provider, Diamond Phoenix Automation, has appointed Paul Stoner to the position of Sales Manager.

Stoner brings a wealth of experience in sales management and engineering project design to his new role with Diamond Phoenix Automation. Having gained a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, his career progressed through increasingly senior roles in the engineering IT and automation sectors, with responsibilities ranging from national to European and global. He has experience across an extensive range of materials handling technologies, gained through working for brands including Dematic, Sovex, Amber Industries, Vanriet and MHS.

Most recently, in the Coronavirus pandemic, Paul has been working in triage engineering for Penlon as part of the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium, completing the project of manufacturing medical ventilators for the NHS. “This has been an enjoyable project, working to fast timescales for a very good cause,” said Stoner. Keith Washington, Managing Director for Diamond Phoenix Automation, commented, “with his vast experience and clear sales and engineering project design skills, Paul is going to be a great asset. His expertise will prove very helpful in our business development plans.”

After 23 years of entrepreneurial ownership by founder and CEO Peter Thomsen, Consignor Group has received backing from Francisco Partners.

Consignor Group is a leading Nordic software company with a clear focus on delivery management solutions for the booming e-commerce industry and industrial companies.

“Our customers are amongst the world’s most successful e-commerce and industrial companies, each expecting that Consignor can continue to grow and develop to support them with the complexity of delivery management for their present and future growth aspirations. Our new partner has the in-depth industry insight and financial resources to make that happen. I am so happy to serve our customers with the support from Francisco Partners,” says Founder and CEO of Consignor Peter Thomsen.

Peter Thomsen will continue as CEO and a 30% shareholder in Consignor Group.

“Consignor has built a software business with an enviable market position and a strong customer base,” commented Petri Oksanen, Partner at Francisco Partners, who will join the Consignor board. “We are excited to support the team as they embark on this next phase of growth with an eye to accelerating Consignor’s development both organically and through acquisitions.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with Peter and his team and firmly believe they are the platform to back in this exciting space,” added Mario Razzini, Principal at Francisco Partners, who will also join the Consignor board.

Consignor serves its customers from offices in Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Bucharest, London, and Atlanta. Employing more than 170 staff, Consignor has grown to be one of the leading providers of delivery management software.

Business leaders are urged to act now to ensure they have the skills needed to manage the complex new customs regime which will follow Britain’s exit from the EU single market.

Recognising the enormous pressures facing the logistics sector, skills specialist Seetec Outsource is urging businesses to recruit freight forwarding apprentices to build capacity and start equipping a new generation with the knowledge and skills to face the challenges ahead.

With less than six months until the end of the UK’s Brexit transition period, the Road Haulage Association has warned that an extra 50,000 private-sector customs agents will be needed to process the millions of additional import and export customs declarations.

Almost three quarters of businesses surveyed by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) want the Brexit transition period to be extended, with half saying they don’t have sufficient staff to handle the additional regulatory requirements.

Businesses will now receive £2,000 for each new 16-24 year-old apprentice they recruit, and £1,500 for new apprentices aged 25 and over. The training can be funded through the apprenticeship levy or through government co-investment for SMEs.

Neil Bates (above), Seetec Outsource Managing Director said: “The businesses that thrive Post Brexit will be those who act now to build back better and start addressing the shortage of trained staff in a sector which is crucial to the UK economy. Young people are bearing the brunt of the economic hit caused by Covid-19, yet they represent the talent that can help businesses to adapt and embrace the changes and opportunities that Brexit will bring.

“There is a wealth of young talent available, and the Government is offering significant incentives to businesses that recruit new apprentices between now and January 2021. There has never been a better time to recruit an International Freight Forwarding apprentice.”

Carl Hobbis, Training and Development Manager from BIFA added: “With the need to add more customs experts to the sector, an apprenticeship in freight forwarding is one solution. Forwarders will continue to play a crucial role in the UK’s international trade in the future, therefore the industry will provide a long-term, exciting career for a young person.

“The government has promised significant investment in the GB-EU border, so now is the time for businesses to invest in new talent and plan their future talent strategy. Employers shouldn’t underestimate the amount of time needed to train someone to become competent in Customs procedures.”

Seetec Outsource apprentices have won BIFA’s national Apprentice of the Year awards for the past two years.

AMR specialist Locus Robotics has announced a strategic partnership with Balloon One, a London-based provider of software and supply chain applications for distribution, manufacturing and e-commerce companies.

“As e-commerce continues to explode across all channels, warehouse fulfilment has become a critical part of the economy,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Our partnership will deliver cutting-edge robotics technology to Balloon One customers and drive significant operational efficiency and productivity gains, and a faster time to value.”

Balloon One will offer Locus Robotics’ award-winning, multi-bot solution for warehouse fulfilment alongside Körber/HighJump WMS, enabling customers to achieve consistent efficiency gains of 200-300% without the need for expensive or time-consuming infrastructure changes. In addition, the Locus Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model ensures that Balloon One customers can address the challenges of the labour market at a very low start-up cost.

Craig Powell, Managing Director, Balloon One, said: “The Locus system can be deployed in as little as four weeks and provides  2X-3X times picker productivity gains. Based on our internal assessment, we believe this technology will become an essential part of our warehouse operations and will provide our customers with a unique and significant advantage in today’s increasingly demanding e-commerce landscape.”

Balloon One will be offering live, in-person demonstrations of the Locus Solution to prospective customers at their new demonstration suite in West London. Demos will provide a hands-on experience to showcase the value of the fully integrated Locus and Körber/HighJump solutions.

For more information, visit www.locusrobotics.com.

P&O Ferrymasters has taken occupation of the 231,000 sq ft (21,460 m²) distribution centre space at DP World London Gateway logistics park LG231.

The company was able to set up business immediately to manage and operate the new distribution centre, allowing it to meet increased market demand for warehouse and cross-dock activities at London Gateway.

Taking a 5-year lease at the brand new LG231 facility will enable P&O to further build its port/market-centric distribution centre strategy. It follows the opening of a new Rotterdam distribution centre in 2019 and complements the P&O Group developments in Tilbury – activities which are more continental cargo focused.

LG231 is located at the heart of the Logistics Park and sits alongside DP World London Gateway Port, offering unique multimodal integration. It is Ferrymasters’ first facility in the UK supporting both imports and exports.

With state-of-the art port and rail terminals adjacent to the Logistics Park, London Gateway enables a supply chain which is faster, greener and more sustainable. The distribution centre itself is BREEAM Excellent, with an EPC ‘A’ rating and is Planet Mark accredited guaranteeing both sustainable construction and operations in the future.

The primary focus of this facility is the Food & Beverage and FMGC industries but it is suitable for any vertical industry.

DP World London Gateway can develop buildings on a build-to-suit basis, from 100,000 sq ft to 1.6 million sq ft, obtaining planning consent within 28 days under its Local Development Order.