Staying Rack Protected

Safety for staff and site visitors is a first priority, which means protection systems must be in place – especially during a lockdown. Rack Armour took extra steps to provide support to its customers.

During these unprecedented times, places of work have come to be very far from normal, with many warehouses running on skeleton staff, only allowing a minimal number of visitors on site, and slowing down on deliveries. Despite this, The Rack Group has stayed open throughout, working to make sure that not only the logistics supply chain industry keeps going, but also the food sector. Working with two of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains, installation teams at The Rack Group have been visiting each site, to make sure that each can still carry on as normally as possible to meet the high demand of the public both panic buying and bulk buying.

The Rack Group was no exception to having skeleton staff working in the offices during the UK lockdown. A large number of employees were furloughed, not only due to the decrease in the company’s workload (caused by a large percentage of customers not allowing visitors on site), but also to make the offices a safer environment. With added sanitising stations around the whole building, doors kept open to reduce the number of people coming into contact with handles, and stair bannisters frequently being disinfected, the safety of staff has always been the number one priority. Only ‘business critical’ visitors have been allowed on-site at The Rack Group, including only urgent machinery repairs or replacements, and drivers delivering necessary products to keep the business running. More racking news here.

On-site teams have been minimised to two installers per vehicle, with facial coverings worn at all times throughout the journey to and from site, and masks also being worn throughout the visit if
instructed by site. Vehicles are cleaned regularly, and windows kept slightly open throughout journeys to enable fresh air to circulate. When working on site, installers must regularly clean their
tools and wash their hands at regular intervals. With logistics warehouses staying open throughout the pandemic, there has also been a need for the products of Rack Armour, a company within
The Rack Group. These products are necessary to ensure the warehouse is a safe working environment. From upright protection, to pedestrian barriers, Rack Armour has been able to liaise with couriers to make sure that all deliveries have still gone ahead.

Rack Armour products cut the chance of racking damage, hence reducing the need for extra visits to site to carry out any repairs. The Rack Armour upright protector alone has proven to reduce
racking damage by 80%. This product has had so much success since its creation back in 2004 that it is now sold all over the world, not only by The Rack Group, but by distributors with which the company has created longlasting and loyal relationships. Read more here: https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=5f3d1fcf3160d#54

Racking Solutions Partner

Logistics Business talks to José Miguel Sobradillo, AR Racking Country Manager UK & Ireland, about the Spanish company’s global success.

How will good racking differ from bad racking? Why is it essential to use an expert racking provider?

“I love that question; I have been asked many times about this as most people think racking is just steel with holes. AR Racking has the most efficient range of uprights and beam cross sections together with very highly engineered connectors, making us one of the most competitive racking suppliers in the world. An expert racking provider is not just the one with good product but also the one that gives you the best service. I love a sentence I heard for the first time in the UK: you have two ears and one mouth, so you should listen twice as much as you talk. Don’t think of AR Racking as a provider, think of us as a partner that listens to the customer, fulfils your needs and delivers a quality product on time. Tell us about AR Racking, a brief history of the company and its current reach. AR Racking is part of Grupo Arania, a Spanish company with more than 75 years of experience in the steel industry, first in coiling, then tubing, racking and shelving and now in over 100 countries. The racking division has shown double digit growth in recent years, reinvesting that profit in people and a much bigger production facility. I am very proud of the team I work with. The company has the most efficient product, the most automated factory and the best service, diversifying its presence in Conventional and System Integrators Solutions throughout the world.”

Can you expand a little on AR Racking’s presence in the UK market?

“The UK market is very special for me because I have been responsible for it since joining AR in 2012. At that time our Maidenhead head office was just opening and we had a small network of stockists and project distributors working in small segments. Step by step, we have built a strong network of loyal stockists and increased the number of loyal project-oriented distributors, who are key suppliers in the small, medium and large segments. You can see I used the word ‘loyal’ twice – it was deliberate, because AR really believes in long-term relationships and we are much more a loyal partner than just a supplier. We must add to this distribution network the very large number of key accounts that our office in the UK has built in recent years. Our team has done excellent work building relationships and supplying many substantial projects on time and with excellent service. I can very proudly say that once we do our first job for a new customer, that client will  always stay with AR for the future.” Read the rest of the interview here: https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=5f3d1fcf3160d#50

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