European sales boost for Devon logistics company

Kay Transport Ltd, based in Cullompton in Devon, has contributed to the phenomenal growth in pan-European volumes announced by Palletways, Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised freight network, and of which Kay Transport Ltd is a member.

Deliveries across Europe for the network increased by 35% last year and are forecasted to rise by 50% in the 12 months ahead. Kay Transport Ltd collects goods from their local area and through the network delivers to 14 European countries.

Tim Prout, Depot Principal at Kay Transport Ltd, said: “These are very exciting times for both the Palletways Group and Kay Transport as together we can collect and deliver all pan-European consignments on one vehicle. Being a member of Palletways allows us to grow our business beyond borders and we have never been more proud to be part of such a well-established and robust network.”

Key to the expansion and success of the Group’s operations across Europe has been its investment in IT to provide a value-rich service for customers. This started with the development of a bespoke pan-European IT platform that enabled deliveries between its different networks in Europe and has continued with the recent introduction of the Digital Information Hub, a tool designed to greatly enhance operational efficiencies and the customer experience by optimising the use of live data.

Other recent key developments driving growth include: offering services to Austria; the creation of a centralised customer service in Madrid; increasing the frequency of line hauls through the introduction of daily services between several hubs including London and Nijmegen, London and Paris, Paris and Madrid; and investment in domestic networks such as a new hub in Milan.

James Wilson, Group Chief Executive at Palletways added: “Our strategy has been to establish our domestic markets in Europe and then offer services between those countries. This is where we see significant new business opportunities as borne out by the cross border growth over the last year, which is predicted to rise by another 50% over the year.”

“Unlike most of our competitors who have gone down the route of sub-contracting pan-European services, we have focused on developing our own infrastructure over the last decade. We were confident that we could mirror our success across Europe, particularly as express palletised freight networks were a niche opportunity, and that’s what we’ve done. We now offer an extremely efficient logistics solution, providing both cost and service benefits.”

Palletways consists of 300 depots across Europe of which over 100 are in the UK. The company’s distribution networks are made up of independent transport companies, including Kay Transport Ltd, who share each other’s resources to deliver consignments of palletised freight to market faster and more cost effectively than ever before. The Group is now looking to extend its services into Switzerland and six Eastern European countries, as well as completing a new increased capacity hub in Germany.