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Cotswold Outdoor Appoints DHL Supply Chain

Posted on by David Priestman

DHL Supply Chain has been appointed by Cotswold Outdoor Group in a new multi-year contract. The contract will see DHL provide expert warehousing and fulfilment solutions for the British company behind high-street brands Cotswold Outdoor, Runners Need and Snow + Rock.

Cotswold Outdoor Group’s warehousing and fulfilment will now operate out of DHL’s multi-user facility in Coventry. The new partnership will enable Cotswold Outdoor Group to benefit from newer facilities and technology, delivering a smoother, more efficient service for its customers and partners. Leveraging its industry expertise and extensive network, DHL will manage warehousing, e-commerce fulfilment and product distribution to 75 stores nationwide.

Entirely powered by renewable electricity, the Coventry facility was DHL’s first operationally carbon-neutral new build site in the UK, with a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ and an EPC ‘A’ rating, supporting the retailer’s sustainability pledges.

Natalie Frow, MD, eCommerce and Retail, DHL Supply Chain UK&I said:

“Through this new partnership, we’re proud to be supporting a growing British retailer, known for its quality and commitment to sustainable practices. With a wealth of experience in delivering optimised logistics solutions, we’re perfectly positioned to help Cotswold Outdoor Group drive operational efficiencies.”

Jamie Kristow, CEO, Cotswold Outdoor Group, said:

“Making sure our customers and partners have an exceptional experience working with us is always a top priority. By partnering with DHL, we are ensuring our supply chain is strong and agile, while also delivering against our sustainability commitments.”

The new contract coincides with Cotswold Outdoor Group relocating its head office to Swindon.

DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of approximately 84.2 billion euros in 2024. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.

New CEO for Ahlers Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Ahlers Logistics, the Antwerp-based international logistics provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Van den Bos as its new Chief Executive Officer. With over two decades of global leadership experience in logistics and supply chain management, Van den Bos joins Ahlers to lead the company into its next phase aimed at international growth and transformation.

Van den Bos, 49, brings a strong track record in project logistics, a strategic priority for Ahlers. He previously held senior leadership roles at leading industry players including Halliburton, Panalpina, P&O Maritime Logistics, and most recently Blue Water Shipping, where he served as Regional Director EMEA and Global Head of Marine Logistics. Throughout his career, he has successfully led complex logistics operations and business transformations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Originally from Rotterdam, Van den Bos holds a degree in Economics and Logistics and completed an executive MBA leadership program. He has lived and worked in Moscow and Dubai, and now resides in Hilversum, the Netherlands, with his wife and two children.

“We are delighted to welcome Dave to the Ahlers leadership team,” says Johan Vanderplaetse, Chairman at Ahlers. “His international experience, deep expertise in project logistics, and people-centric leadership style make him the ideal person to steer Ahlers through its next chapter of growth and innovation.”

Ahlers is present in over 15 countries in Europe, CIS and Asia, offering tailored logistics solutions to clients in the industry, energy, and consumer goods sectors. The company is currently accelerating its international development strategy, supported by long-term family shareholders and a focus on high-value logistics services.

“I am honoured to join Ahlers, a company with a rich history and a clear ambition for the future,” said Van den Bos. “Together with the global team, I look forward to building on Ahlers’ strengths, expanding our international footprint, and delivering innovative logistics solutions to our clients.”

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, Ahlers is an international logistics company specializing in secured transport, project cargo, warehousing, on-site logistics, trade facilitation, and complex supply chain solutions. With operations in over 15 countries, including Belgium, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, Vietnam, USA and others. Ahlers supports customers across the world with tailored, reliable, and sustainable logistics services.

Second UK Hub for Contract Logistics Firm

Posted on by David Priestman

ID Logistics, an international provider of contract logistics services, launched its second UK warehouse site, located in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, on 26 August 2025. The new facility marks a significant milestone in the company’s UK expansion and will serve as a dedicated hub for a major global e-commerce player.

This strategic partnership reinforces ID Logistics’ commitment to delivering agile, scalable, and tech-driven logistics solutions tailored to the fast-paced demands of online retail. Following an extensive fit-out programme, the Sherburn site opened on schedule and is intended to play a critical role in supporting high-volume order fulfilment, seasonal peaks and next-day delivery capabilities across the UK.

Stuart Evans, Managing Director of ID Logistics UK, commented:

“We’re thrilled to open our second site in Sherburn and deepen our collaboration with one of the world’s most influential e-commerce brands. This launch reflects our continued investment in infrastructure, innovation, and customer-centric logistics that meet the evolving needs of the digital marketplace. It’s a bold step forward in our mission to be the most responsive logistics partner in the UK.”

Key Highlights of the New Site:

• State-of-the-art facility spanning over 550,000 sq ft with advanced warehouse management systems
• Creation of over 300 new jobs in the local community
• Sustainable operations aligned with ID Logistics’ environmental commitments
• Strategic location offering seamless access to major transport routes and urban centres

The Sherburn expansion complements ID Logistics’ growing footprint in the UK and underscores its role as a trusted logistics partner for high-growth sectors including e-commerce, retail, and FMCG.

John McWilliams General Manager for the Sherburn site commented:

“Our client expects agility, reliability and speed – this new site delivers all three. We’re proud and excited to be investing in the Sherburn area, not just in infrastructure but in people. This site will create hundreds of new jobs and offer long-term career opportunities in a thriving sector.”

NHS Supply Chain Awards LSP Contract

Posted on by David Priestman

NHS Supply Chain has awarded the contract for the management of its logistics services to GXO. The company will be taking over the contract for storing and delivering healthcare products to the NHS on behalf of NHS Supply Chain from October this year, when the current outsourced Logistics Services Provider’s contract expires. The contract is for an initial period of seven years, with a possible extension of up to 36 months.

NHS Supply Chain chief executive officer, Andrew New said: “We’re pleased to announce GXO as the new service provider for our logistics services. Running our eight distribution centres across England and keeping our significant fleet of more than 300 delivery vehicles on the road is a key part of what we do to supply the NHS with more than 35 million healthcare products every year. We’re an important part of the healthcare system, ensuring the NHS can put patients first. As well as running our normal logistics services, looking forward to the future, we will be developing our logistics services with GXO to best meet the growing needs of the NHS.”

“We are extremely proud to have been selected to serve the NHS as its new logistics partner,” said Gavin Williams, managing director, GXO UK & Ireland. “Combining our sector experience with the technology expertise that supports many of the UK’s leading businesses will optimise the NHS’s logistics services for healthcare providers and taxpayers. We are committed to an excellent quality of service to hospitals and patients at home, increasing productivity and supporting our NHS so that it can focus on patients, its ultimate priority.”

GXO will be contracting with Polar Speed to provide NHS Supply Chain’s Home Delivery Services. There will be a transition period over the next few months to ensure a smooth handover of sites and teams from the current logistics provider to GXO and Polar Speed, ensuring the NHS continues to receive the service it needs.

The role is to source, deliver and supply healthcare products, services and food for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across England and Wales. Supply Chain Coordination Ltd (SCCL) is the company at the heart of NHS Supply Chain. It provides oversight and operational management for NHS Supply Chain and its service providers. SCCL is the legal entity through which NHS Supply Chain undertakes its procurement services and transacts with customers and suppliers. Whilst its shares are owned by NHS England, SCCL is a separate organisation.

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New CEO for Temperature-Controlled Logistics Firm

Posted on by David Priestman

In the 20 years since temperature-controlled third party logistics firm Buffaload was incorporated, and the company prepares for the next 20 years, it has taken a major step to further strengthen and enhance the team. The family-owned company is thrilled to announce that John Kerrigan will join as CEO on the 1st June 2025. Kerrigan is expected to be a fantastic asset to the Buffaload team and in joining he allows founder and owner Ross Taylor time to focus on other key projects and growth for the wider group.

Kerrigan, who spent 25 years at Fowler Welch, including the last four years as CEO, has a wealth of experience within the sector.

He said, “I am incredibly excited to join the team in June and be given the chance to lead Buffaload through the next chapter of their journey. Our core values are very much aligned, Buffaload’s commitment to sustainability and innovation as well as to colleagues and customers will ensure continued growth and success for many years to come. Ross, Julie and the whole team have done a fantastic job in growing the business to where it is today, I am proud and delighted to be given the chance to now lead it through the next period.”

Taylor said, “this is a fantastic time and opportunity for both Buffaload and our now rapidly expanding group to flourish into the future. I know with John steering the ship, we will be in safe hands, and I am genuinely excited for the future with him as part of our already great team. Sustainability, innovation and value are what excites me, and John’s arrival affords me some more time to develop further opportunities away from the day to day, cementing the Group’s success long term.”

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New Logistics Concept Delivers Faster, Reduces Emissions

Posted on by David Priestman

With the help of Movianto, a service provider specialising in pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics the American medical device company Cook Medical implemented a new logistics and distribution concept in the UK. “This has enabled us to shorten delivery times for our customers and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time,” says Eamonn Barry, Director of Customer Support and Distribution, EMEA at Cook Medical.

Cook Medical had previously served the UK market directly from Germany, where the company operates its own European distribution centre in Baesweiler near Aachen. From there, orders of British customers were flown to the UK and then delivered nationwide. “Cook Medical is now using our warehouse in Bedford as a national logistics centre and from here can deliver significantly more orders during the next day than before,” says David Evans, Managing Director of Movianto UK. “To this end, we ensure a continued supply of devices for customers, which Cook Medical can call off for delivery the next working day.”

Movianto packs the customer’s orders in special cardboard boxes with Cook branding. In order to minimise the volume during transport and to reduce waste, a number of 17 packaging sizes are kept in stock.

The products are stored at controlled room temperature in Movianto’s multi-user warehouse in Bedford. If stocks need to be replenished, this is done by road. Before, the goods had been flown from Baesweiler into the UK. “Because now there are stocks in two warehouses, namely in Bedford and in Baesweiler, the ability to deliver has increased,” says Evans. “If one warehouse was unable to deliver, the other would step in.”

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DHL Supply Chain Continues Partnership with VW Slovakia

Posted on by David Priestman

DHL Supply Chain, one of the world’s leading providers of contract logistics services, has announced the extension of its long-standing partnership with Volkswagen Slovakia. The collaboration, which began in 2010, was contractually agreed for the next five years after a successful selection process. DHL Supply Chain’s thus strengthens its position as a key logistics partner to the automotive industry.

Under the new agreement, DHL Supply Chain Slovakia will continue to provide intra-company logistics services for the Volkswagen Slovakia plant in Bratislava, including supplying production lines at the plant. Leveraging extensive experience in automotive logistics, DHL Supply Chain will support the production facility in maintaining the highest production standards.

Full range of logistics services under one roof

The Volkswagen Slovakia plant in Bratislava, spanning an area of more than two square kilometers, produces eight models under four different Volkswagen Group brands. DHL Supply Chain provides comprehensive internal logistics solutions for the plant, including freight management, receipt of production materials and material handling, packaging management, and the delivery of components at the right time and in the right quantity based on individual production cycle cadence. With over 2,400 employees on site, DHL’s logistics experts ensure a smooth process, making an important contribution to production efficiency.

“The extension of our partnership is confirmation of the reliability and quality of the services we provide,” says Peter Benda, Business Unit Director at DHL Supply Chain Slovakia. “Our role is to understand the needs and requirements of our partner and work together to develop optimal logistics solutions and innovations, which include automation and digitalization. We are delighted to continue supporting Volkswagen Slovakia with our expertise in intra-company logistics and look forward to further successful collaboration.”

“In these extremely challenging times, when we face global supply chain shortages, having a reliable and flexible logistics partner is more important than ever. I believe that together we will be able to overcome all current and future challenges,” says Juraj Mráz, Head of Logistics at Volkswagen Slovakia.

The partnership in Slovakia is just one part of a broader cooperation between DHL Supply Chain and Volkswagen in various markets, making DHL Supply Chain one of the key logistics partners to the automotive industry.

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From 1 Truck to a World Player in Intermodal Bulk Logistics

Posted on by David Priestman

Logistics service provider Van den Bosch will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary in October 2024. The Erp-based transport company was founded in 1964 by Ad van den Bosch. Starting off with just a single truck, he laid the foundations for today’s organisation. Six decades later, Van den Bosch has grown into a world player in intermodal bulk logistics, with branches in Europe, Africa and beyond.

With just one truck, the 27-year-old Ad van den Bosch started his own business on Hoogstraat road in Erp in 1964. At the wheel of this Volvo Titan, he drove to Rotterdam every day to collect flour for the bakers in Brabant. More trucks and the first employees soon followed. The variety of loads also continued to increase. In 1971, the company opened an office and garage on Hoogven road in Erp, where Van den Bosch is still located today.

Road, water and rail

“There was no clear strategy in the early years, yet the company grew rapidly”, says Peter van den Bosch, who took over the CEO role from his father in 1998. “My father seized every job opportunity and grew the business alongside those of his customers.” From the late 1980s onwards, the focus shifted increasingly to bulk logistics. This specialism took off in earnest at the turn of the century. “Since 2007, we have focused entirely on intermodal bulk logistics, always searching for the best combination of road, water and rail,” Van den Bosch continues. “In 2011, we transported more intermodally than by road for the first time. Our fleet now numbers over six thousand containers, and 95 per cent of our shipments are intermodal.”

Leading the way

In October 2024, Van den Bosch will be exactly sixty years old. CEO Rico Daandels is proud of this special milestone. “The way we have developed over the years reflect our continuous drive to stay ahead in a changing world. Van den Bosch has grown through our shared passion for logistics, our ambition and our innovative strength. And it is precisely these core values, so typical of Ad and Peter, that I still see every day. They are embedded in everything we do and make us who we are today: The Supply Changer in Bulk. I am proud to have been part of this for almost twenty years.”

Intermodal dry bulk logistics

This logistics service provider is not letting its sixtieth anniversary pass by unnoticed. In addition to inviting business associates and employees to an evening celebration, Van den Bosch is opening its own museum on 4 October at Bussele 30 in Erp. Here, the rich history of the company will come to life: from the pioneering early years to bulk logistics as a core activity and intermodal growth. A jubilee magazine about sixty years of Van den Bosch will also be published in October. Daandels concludes, “We are proud of our history. That’s why we will be taking a good look back over the past six decades in the museum and magazine. We will be doing this together with the people who have contributed to our journey. After all, you don’t just turn sixty years old overnight.”

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Health Retailer Improves Subscription Fulfilment with 3PL

Posted on by David Priestman

Before working with Zendbox, the technology-driven eCommerce fulfilment specialist, Awesome Supplements faced a series of challenges that impeded their growth trajectory. Unfortunately, their experience with a previous 3PL was marked by communication difficulties, damaged goods, stock management issues, and an incapacity to support their desired expansion into the European market. These hurdles not only strained operational efficiency, but also risked damaging the brand’s reputation with a poor customer experience.

The solution for Awesome Supplements came through switching to Zendbox as their subscription fulfilment partner. The team’s comprehensive approach addressed the shortcomings of their previous 3PL by offering not only a robust third-party logistics solution, but a collaborative partnership where the sports nutrition brand was proactively supported from the moment they were seamlessly onboarded and throughout service duration. With the reliability of the processes at Zendbox and the elimination of previous stock and order issues, Awesome Supplements regained the confidence and peace-of-mind to focus on the critical next steps of their growth journey. The partnership has simultaneously optimised their eCommerce operations, elevated the customer experience, and positioned the business favourably for further expansion into new markets.

Charlotte Thompson, Managing Director at Awesome Supplements, said: “The fulfilment provider we were with before Zendbox was a small company that offered a degree of flexibility for our business, but also meant we experienced more challenges. For example, we had a lot of communication issues with the provider. There were also a lot of issues with damages, goods going missing, and goods not being booked into stock – the usual difficulties with that type of 3PL and the need to handle a lot of products. We also wanted to expand into Europe and beyond, which the provider wasn’t capable of doing at the time.

“Unlike our previous pick and pack specialist, which felt like an outsourced operation, Zendbox feels more like an extension of our team. Their onboarding process was spot on, and we rarely have any stock issues like we did in the past. The ability to raise a Goods Receiving Order (GRO) on Zendportal is also really useful and eliminates issues we had booking goods into stock with our previous eCommerce 3PL. We were looking to grow as a brand and we knew Zendbox could help with that.”

The partnership has restored the high-quality fulfilment experience that customers have come to expect when they order from the brand, giving Awesome Supplements the freedom to focus on the next step in their growth journey.

Subscription fulfilment

With the brand now shipping orders seamlessly and cost-effectively across Europe from one centralised UK location, Thompson believes the collaborative approach from Zendbox is an important factor for ensuring success with any further expansion plans. She adds: “As a small team at Awesome Supplements, partnering with Zendbox means we never worry about the state of our stock or about orders going out on time. The order turnaround rate has always been very robust and, therefore, gives me a lot of confidence and peace-of-mind. Zendbox is a big fulfilment provider that’s got their act together. I trust their processes and the team is great.”

James Khoury, Founder & CEO of Zendbox, concluded: “Proactive, collaborative, and customer-centric support from Zendbox means Awesome Supplements benefits from a fulfilment solution that meets their needs at every stage of growth. This ensures the brand can better manage its supply chain and continuously fulfil its promises to customers with a fast, accurate and reliable service.”

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40% of Shippers and 3PLs to Invest in Transportation Technology

Posted on by David Priestman

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released the results of its 8th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Survey of over 630 companies. The study shows that 40% of the shippers and logistics services providers (LSP) surveyed are planning to invest in transportation technology to prepare for industry and regulatory changes. For top financially performing companies where senior leadership view transportation as a competitive weapon, this number rose to 44% compared to 32% for poorer financial performers.

In terms of areas of focus, for the 7th consecutive year, real-time transportation visibility held the top spot for greatest transportation IT investment. Visibility was cited as the priority technology investment by 36% of respondents and was closely followed by order management at 35% in the 2nd spot. Jumping into the 3rd spot, fleet routing was noted by 29% of respondents as an important technology investment, compared to being 8th in 2023. Carrier sourcing continued to decline as an IT investment area for the 3rd year in a row, cited by only 20% of respondents and landing in the 10th spot in the capabilities rankings.

“This year’s study once again shows a correlation between business performance and management’s perception of the importance of transportation, as companies that place a higher strategic value on transportation realize stronger financial performance and growth,” said Mike Hane, Director, Product Marketing, Transportation Management at Descartes. “Top performers continue to take more aggressive actions to grow and expand delivery options for customers, which requires increasing technology investments such as visibility and order management. By contrast, poorer performers are more focused on cost cutting and are 10X less likely to expect growth greater than 15% annually than top performers, according to study findings.”

Descartes and SAPIO Research surveyed 630 participants representing the logistics community (i.e., brokers, forwarders and third-party logistics providers) and shippers (i.e., manufacturers, distributors and retailers) from a wide variety of industries. The goal was to understand how companies view the role of transportation management; uncover which capabilities, technologies and competitive strategies/tactics are having the greatest impact on transportation operations; and provide an outlook on future transportation IT investment.

Respondents were based in the United States, Canada and in Western Europe.

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