Geared for growth
December 1st 2010

Fortec continues to build up business in the UK leveraging its relationship with parent company Geodis.Plans include an expanded West Midlands presence

The Fortec Pallet Network has sustained growth levels in the first half of the year and has continued to invest significantly in IT systems and the recruitment of quality executives to support its 67-strong licensee network.

Fortec's commercial ties to its parent company Geodis have continued to grow closer, resulting in an increase in tender invitations for corporate accounts.

The Fortec/Geodis service offering embraces pallets to parcels through air, sea and road throughout the UK, Europe and worldwide.

Fortec invested heavily in IT systems in 2009 and will continue to invest in its IT programme, supporting Fortec's Investors in Excellence philosophy.

MD Neil Hodgson also stressed that Fortec will continue to be a quality driven pallet network and although sales growth is important there is no pressure to hit volume targets. "We don't want to grow volume for volume sake," he says.

"We aim to work smarter and licensee profitability is a high priority." Fortec is also currently reviewing its West Midlands presence, partly fuelled by the new Fortec Birmingham regional depot that will help the pallet network to expand in the region.

The new facility may also lead to the appointment of new licensees in the West Midlands, says Hodgson: "We are always on the lookout for quality licensees.

"The new Birmingham depot is part of our overall strategy to have representation in all the major areas of the UK." In addition, the pallet arm of Gateshead-based transport firm Transpeed UK is going from strength to strength.

Since joining the Fortec Pallet Distribution Network in November of last year the company has recorded double digit growth in the number of pallets into the network.

Alan Thompson (pictured), operations manager of Transpeed says he is delighted with this growth.

"We have built up a fantastic relationship with Fortec over the past year.When we first joined we were delivering 10 to 20 pallets a night. Now we are delivering 80 to 100 and putting 25 to 30 a night back into the network.We are hoping by Christmas we will be putting around 50 pallets into the network every night.We are delighted with the way the business is expanding – it seems we are on an upward spiral alongside Fortec."

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