Three of the UK’s most respected, family-run road transport companies have joined forces to secure and deliver a multi-year storage and distribution contract with international packaging manufacturer VPK Group.
Campeys of Selby (North Yorkshire), Premier Logistics (Leicestershire) and Wrings Transport (Gloucestershire) have formed a powerful partnership allowing them to provide the national scale and reach of a major third-party logistics provider (3PL) underpinned by the local knowledge, commitment to service excellence and customer-centric focus associated with family businesses.
As award-winning members of the Transport Association (TA), the three partners have combined their expertise to manage the transport of full load, high-volume packaging from three main VPK manufacturing sites to customers in the food, retail and e-commerce sectors.
As all three businesses are also members of Palletforce, smaller consignments will be efficiently routed through the network, providing a sustainable and high-quality solution for smaller loads of palletised freight.
Sustainability and decarbonisation are central to the partnership’s approach. The alignment of trunking routes and freight flows across all three businesses enables full-load backhauling, minimising empty running, reducing emissions and generating both financial and environmental efficiencies for VPK.
Premier Logistics in Leicestershire will act as a central hub, providing warehousing and acting as consolidation hub.
Shunting, stand trailers and traffic planners will be embedded at each VPK site to provide seamless co-ordination, while a dedicated customer portal on the TMS system will provide full visibility of freight with live updates and full POD documentation.
There will also be a focus on technology-driven continual improvement with the partnership using its decades of experience to challenge current practices, drive innovation and analyse real-time data to improve booking slots, enhance fleet utilisation and load fill.
The collaborative solution is attractive, replicable and scalable. It offers a robust framework capable of supporting future expansion of VPK’s UK manufacturing network with the option to add further TA members across further regions. The guarantee of quality, reliability and service consistency that is synonymous with SME family businesses and TA membership was a significant selling point to VPK.
Harry Campey, Commercial & Operations Director at Campeys of Selby, said:
“Collaborating on this level gives us the collective strength, scale and reach to compete with the larger 3PLs. However, our SME family business approach ensures we go above and beyond to provide an enhanced level of service, a commitment to quality and an ability to build strong customer relationships. We will bring a fresh perspective to enhance operations and generate value for VPK.”
Macauley Christopher, Client Relationship Manager at Premier Logistics, said:
“Our solution is inherently sustainable with optimised full load movements between each of our sites eliminating empty running, reducing distribution miles and emissions. With smaller consignments routed through Palletforce, we are delivering environmental benefits and supporting VPK’s mission to decarbonise its distribution chain.”
John Cook, Operations Director at Wrings Transport, said:
“TA membership is a hallmark of quality, and our partnership has the strength to attract national customers seeking innovation and a fresh approach to help deliver renewed impetus to their distribution. The model is agile, scalable and can be easily replicated for other similar customers and industries thanks to the might of both the TA and the Palletforce network behind us.”
Paul Barber, Interim MD at VPK Packaging UK & Ireland, said:
“We’re always looking for partners who share values and commitment to continuous improvement that we have at VPK. This collaboration with Campeys of Selby, Premier Logistics and Wrings Transport reflects the way we want to work, combining innovation, transparency and sustainability to deliver real value for our customers.
“By aligning three family-run operators under one national framework, we gain the scale, flexibility and visibility to strengthen our UK supply chain while reducing emissions and improving efficiency. It’s a model built on trust and shared purpose, and it demonstrates what can be achieved when businesses collaborate to move the industry forward.”
