Winter 2014
NETWORK NEWS
Page 9
Network update
Construction
for the new
German hub
will start
early 2015
Although relatively
new to the industry,
Wolfgang brings a wealth
of experience in the
areas of commercial
development and
marketing. Here, he
explains the marketing focus
he intends to bring to the business.
Marketing functions across the countries in
which we operate are well established and I
will be working alongside Group Marketing
Manager, Jeff Nicholas, to raise the profile of
the business.
Firstly, I want to focus efforts on customer and
market research to really understand what our
customers want. Then secondly to coordinate
product development; ensuring we share best
practice around the Group and harmonise our
international product portfolio.
I want to do all I can to strengthen the brand
and one of the most efficient tools to help
us do this is through PR. We are working on
a coordinated PR calendar and importantly,
will be measuring the success of all of our
marketing activities.
It's crucial that our existing members and
customers fully understand our brand
messages. It is my responsibility to ensure
these are delivered in a clear and consistent
way across the Group in order to maintain
the momentum we have enjoyed over the
last few years.
Donald is in charge of
Palletways' operation
in Germany - the
company's emerging
market and the gateway
to Eastern Europe. He
talks about some of the
immediate areas of focus which
will form the building blocks for the future.
I am really happy with our development
in Germany. The market is extremely
competitive with 13 established networks
and our development over the past couple
of years is quite impressive. We have 52
members with 26 recruited in the last 12
months alone and aim to have 62 members
by the end of the financial year, so in terms of
coverage, we are progressing well.
Our volumes are increasing and the quality
of our service is going in the right direction.
My thanks must go to the people in our
business who are doing a very good job in a
really competitive environment.
We are constantly pushing the envelope to
keep our customer service levels high, whilst
growing at the same time. We are investing
energy into expanding the network whilst
ensuring that the members we have recruited
are becoming successful in their own right.
Member development plays a crucial role in
our mission in Germany and once again, this
needs to be supported by our people.
International services in Germany are very
important. As you probably know Germany
is an export machine in Europe but also the
imports are quite important too. Our pan
European network of 300 depots will be
important to German small and mediumsized
enterprises as they have a lot of
international trade relationships and we
can provide a high quality and cost efficient
solution for their delivery requirements.
We have a number of unique advantages
which will help us to grow the German
network. Following the introduction of
the Austrian territory, we have been able
to recruit a new member in this country
which will provide opportunities for our
members and their customers. Our thoughts
have since turned to Switzerland and
Eastern Europe. There are lots of future
potential opportunities here, particularly
for customers of German members in these
countries.
Plans for the new Hub are progressing well.
Construction will start in quarter one next
year and will be up and running by the end
of 2015 - this will reaffirm our position as a
robust and competitive player in the market
and is crucial for our future development
in Germany.
First up is James,
who highlights positive
signs of growth and
reveals ambitious plans
for the future.
I am pleased to report
that results during the first
half of the year show strong signs of
growth and it's encouraging to see that our
businesses, whether they are in the south of
Europe or in Germany, are all responding to
an increase in optimism in the marketplace.
Our business is well established in many
European countries and looking to the
future, I'd be disappointed if we weren't
providing services in Switzerland and the
Nordic countries, as well as further afield in
Eastern Europe in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria
and Romania in the foreseeable future.
This is both an ambitious, yet realistic, plan
and our international division is spending
a lot of time building relationships that
will take us into these countries. It is also
no secret that we need to open our own
network in France which will be a big
development for us and one that I would
estimate to be a year or so away.
We have recently launched our Vision 20:20
initiative which will help us support our
members' plans to grow their businesses,
manage their companies more effectively
and provide them with opportunities to
strengthen their position in the markets in
which they operate. It will also help us focus
on how we can add value to our members
and help with their performance.
Our international division is currently
growing more than 30 per cent per annum.
Given the fact that we have a higher density
of volume which allows us to put on more
direct linehauls, along with our plans to
increase our international footprint, I expect
this to grow even further over the coming
years. Indeed I wouldn't be surprised to see
the business grow by 50 per cent over the
next 12 months.
I believe the things that differentiate us
from our competitors are passion and
enthusiasm, both in terms of developing
the business and supporting our
members and their plans for growth.
We are very open in saying where we are
today, where we want to be tomorrow and
how we're going to get there. This focus will
stand us in good stead as we embark on our
plans for dynamic growth.
In the latest Quarterly Video Review, Chief Executive, James Wilson, is
joined by two of his colleagues from the management board - Wolfgang
Neumann, Palletways' new Group Commercial Director and Donald Pilz,
Managing Director of Palletways Deutschland.
James Wilson
Wolfgang Neumann
Donald Pilz
Click on the button to watch the full review
or go to http://vimeo.com/113077385