Wardle-based Boughey Distribution, lead operator in the UK’s ambient grocery distribution and storage sector, has appointed Bernard Murphy as Depot Operations Director, and Iain Lochrie as Customer Service Manager.

In the current climate, these appointments are significant, as Keith Forster, MD of Boughey explains: “This reorganisation signals commitment to the growth of the business. Boughey aim to provide the ultimate tailor made logistics package for clients, whatever their size, and the important investments we make in developing our staff and advancing our facilities, ensures we continue to deliver above and beyond our customers’ expectations.”

In the past year alone, Boughey has invested over £1 million in personnel development programmes, alongside staff facilities, driver training and recruitment. The new roles aim to enhance strategy toward customer servicing throughout the logistics business’ operation.

Bernard joins the team, having held senior positions at Princes Foods, Iceland, and S&A Foods, and consequently brings substantial experience of Boughey’s customers, their customers and their suppliers. On his new role, Bernard says: “I know first hand the difficulties to be faced in this business - and it’s all linked to the bottom line. Boughey recognises this and seeks to operate as much more than a haulage business. We need to offer 100% service level and give each customer what they need in order not to push any additional costs, or operational obstacles, along the chain. It’s all about pro-activity in every aspect, reading the market and anticipating and servicing immediately the expectations of the retailer – reactivity is not enough. ”

Keith Forster endorses this view: - “Retail strategy dictates how we develop. The move to de-stock is a case in point. Boughey benefits from a healthy customer spread - from large companies holding stock of up to 38,000 pallets, to smaller customers with just 20 pallets. Mutual benefits exist and everyone gains from the established consolidation expertise that Boughey offers.  All within the chain have their value and we must understand and focus on delivering excellence against their understandably varied demands. Bernard’s experience will shape a smarter customer interface and will be invaluable to the development of the Boughey business operations as a whole.”

Iain Lochrie’s new role as Customer Service Manager will encompass the administration, scheduling, quality control and returns functions – all of which have been amalgamated into a single department for more efficient, responsive customer servicing. Of the new approach, Iain says: - “Boughey has grown dramatically in the last 5 years and maintained good rapport with customers. But more can be done to monitor customer needs and build dialogue to sharpen the service we offer. The newly restructured department, with a Customer Service Advisor allocated to each customer, will guide customers through all aspects of the business, improve communications and ensure that satisfaction is a priority.”
One area of immediate change is with Boughey’s telephone priority system, ensuring all enquiries are handled efficiently. Additional training for Customer Service staff – involving immersion in all areas of the business, to broaden exposure to customer issues and expectations - aims to create a closer ‘team’ culture and promote more flexible, responsive customer servicing.

Forster concludes: “Boughey’s investment in people with industry foresight, new technologies and process improvements assists greatly in responding to the developing needs of customers and is key to success in our service offering. These new roles will help evolve the service to deliver against the rapidly-changing retail pressures and put more commitment toward working in tandem with our customers to provide a fully integrated logistics solution at all times.”

Boughey Distribution has announced one of its biggest contract wins since the recent launch of its new state-of-the-art warehouse facility.

The Wardle-based logistics specialist has won a two-year contract with leading international food group, Associated British Foods (ABF).

ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £6.8 billion and 85,000 employees in 43 countries. The major international manufacturer produces branded and private label grocery products, many of which are market-leading household names. Following the acquisition of Patak’s Foods last year ABF has brought their ethnic brands together under a single division known as AB World Foods which includes G Costa as well as Patak’s. 

The contract commences on 31st March and involves the storage and distribution for AB World Foods’ brands at the new £15 million Wardle storage development – G Costa (Blue Dragon, Maille mustards, French’s mustards and Tabasco sauces) and Patak’s.
 
Boughey has previously provided logistics solutions for Patak’s 300-strong product range and will now additionally store approximately 10,000 pallets of G Costa’s 800 product lines. The new total combined annual pallet throughput will be in excess of 140,000 pallets.
 
Paul Wildman, Supply Chain Director at AB World Foods said: “The logistics package that Boughey Distribution is able to deliver for these two brands will undoubtedly offer increased efficiencies and support the streamlining of these key brands’ UK logistics.”

G Costa manufactures a proportion of its products in Poland and imports a substantial volume from SE Asia, Continental Europe and the Americas. Until moving to Boughey, it operated its own warehouse in Aylesford, Kent and used a number of third party hauliers on a regional basis throughout the UK. Boughey’s 140-strong fleet will now deliver to the brand’s complete UK distribution network and service all the major retailers, including Tesco, Asda and J Sainsbury.

Keith Forster, MD at Boughey Distribution, added: “Delivering daily to all the major retailers enables us to develop and invest in leading consolidation programmes which save our customers time and money. This new contract is testament to how well our dedicated staff and service have supported Patak’s UK distribution over the past 2 years. Now with the additional G Costa brands we can strengthen the offering and efficiencies for ABF even further.”

A significant proportion of G Costa’s throughput (15%) is exported to a variety of countries in Europe and further afield; Boughey’s tailor-made logistics service will also incorporate a large stickering operation within its co packing facility to facilitate the sale of products via multilingual labelling.

Forster concludes: “We provide the ultimate tailor-made logistics package for all our clients, whatever their size, and pride ourselves on our dedicated approach to customer service. Our unique expertise enables us to offer truly seamless solutions.”

This will be one of the most important years for local Wardle-based Boughey Distribution, a pioneering player in the UK’s ambient grocery distribution and storage sector.

The distribution division of NWF Group plc has opened the doors to its brand new £15 million storage facility and staff recently celebrated moving into their new head offices.

The investment made by the leading local employer doubles the distribution company’s storage capacity and is creating over 250 new jobs for the area, including clerical, technical, management and warehousing roles. Boughey currently employs over 600 people at its Wardle and Deeside sites and invests heavily in supporting the local workforce.

Keith Forster, MD of Boughey Distribution, describes the new development as a key milestone for the company and adds that investing in the right people is crucial: “We provide the ultimate tailor made logistics package for all our clients, whatever their size, and the important investments we make in advancing our facilities and developing our staff ensures we continue to deliver above and beyond our customers’ expectations.

“We pride ourselves on our dedicated approach to developing our people and invest heavily in training and staff performance.”

In the past year alone, Boughey has invested over £1 million in developing personnel development programmes, staff facilities, driver training and recruitment.

Forster concludes: “Investing in new people, technologies and initiatives is key to Boughey’s success and we are proud of the company’s achievement to date.”

The company previously doubled its storage facility five years ago and has since increased its turnover from £8.5 million to £27.5 million, this new £15 million storage development is expected to further increase the company’s turnover to over £40 million this year.

When a product idea takes off quickly, good distribution to major retailers becomes a priority. So how does a small business enter into the competitive world of the multiples and not only survive but succeed?

New start-up company The Juice Doctor had its work cut out when it launched its soft drinks range – The Juice Doctor Hydration Fix – in April 2006. The concept of a drink specially formulated to improve water, vitamin and mineral uptake and fight the everyday effects of dehydration took off quickly, and the company needed a reliable distributor which could smooth the way with the large multiples ready to take the drinks.

Having been involved with Food Masters, The Juice Doctor looked at Boughey Distribution on their recommendation, as well as considering two or three other distribution companies.

Said Matt Crane of The Juice Doctor, “We needed a supplier that could get us into the multiples without us having to worry about automated delivery notes – we weren’t prepared to invest in EDI systems at such an early stage, and we knew that Boughey had the right systems in place.

“As a small company we also wanted to feel that we would be given the attention we wanted, which we weren’t sure we would get from much larger distributors.”

The Juice Doctor has been pleased with Boughey’s performance with Sainsbury’s and Boots: “Boughey’s service for big drops into large warehouses for the multiples is good. It’s not without challenges: our business is massively seasonal and apart from a busy December things are quiet till April, which means that responsiveness to fulfill orders is important.”

The Juice Doctor is headquartered in Kent, but distance hasn’t been a problem when working with North West-based Boughey, as Matt explains: “Boughey has done well for us as it can be hard to manage logistics from a distance, and we have only been to Boughey’s office once or twice. We haven’t had the resource to work more closely with only three of us in the company, but we have now appointed someone to manage the supply chain and stock control, which should increase overall efficiency.”

With Boughey’s help The Juice Doctor has tackled the logistical teething problems that face a new business and is going from strength to strength. The future looks bright: in its first year The Juice Doctor sold over 2.5 million drinks, an amazing achievement. Concludes Matt, “When we appointed Boughey they got us out of a big hole very quickly – consolidating the working relationship is the next stage.”