Bouncebackability
October 1st 2009

Tim Judge, storage industry stalwart and all round top bloke, has launched Rack Nets – a rear of rack protection system. A year in development, it is now ready to roll out across the UK and beyond.Brendan Coyne reports

The Rack Nets proposition isn't new: as it says on the tin, it's a netting system that stops goods being pushed out of the rear of racking and shelving systems, thereby avoiding product – and people – damage. But Judge has spent the last year looking at what is wrong with such systems, and believes his refined product is good news both for racking suppliers and their customers.

"I'd seen a similar product from the States, but it had design and support issues, and so never really took off in the UK," says Judge. "I thought it just needed some improvements to be a viable business proposition. So I shadowed a similar business in the States and gained some good ideas about what worked, what people are looking for – and what we could do to deliver it." Much of that time was spent designing a universal bracket that doesn't intrude on storage space and fits any manufacturer's systems. Afterwards, Judge researched suitable raw materials partners, before approaching Tecnologica Deportiva, in Alicante, Spain.

Once the system had been devised, Judge had the kit tested at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London. Then he approached those in the industry whom he knew would be interested in the product, primarily Link 51 sales director, Keith Evans. "We don't aim to work exclusively with any one manufacturer, but when you get positive feedback from the market leader, it's a good thing. Link 51 supported us and gave us some racking to conduct more tests and trials to improve it further," says Judge. "So it's not something that has been dreamed up on the back of a fag packet.We've spent considerable time and effort to ensure the product is right, and that the market fully understands it." As well as the obvious health, safety and product damage benefits, Judge says significant bottom line gains are available: "It's relatively low cost and much easier to install than alternatives, which means less time on site, less disruption and downtime – and therefore reduced cost. Versus other rear of rack protection systems, we believe Rack Nets reduces the time on site by up to 50 per cent." Rack Nets is now building its preferred partners network – racking manufacturers, integrators and distributors – and is training those partners' employees both to install the system, and champion its benefits to their customers. In this way, Judge hopes to achieve exponential growth. "It's good for both our partners and their customers: because they can offer it as a businesswinning differentiator; or they can help existing clients solve problems." In this way better partnerships are developed. By way of example, Judge says Rack Nets is currently in discussions with a distributor for "probably one of the largest retail organisations in the UK", to combat dropped product when picking from pallets.

Should Rack Nets solve the problem, says Judge, it will be rolled out across the whole group. "That's great for us and for the distributor because you become more than an equipment vendor; you're solving their problems – and that's all anybody really wants," says Judge. "You become a partner not just a supplier." Once the UK and Ireland is up and running, Judge and business partner Tony Gresty, owner of labeling firm, ASG Services, believe Rack Nets could go global. "The next thing is to roll the model out into Europe using some of the European manufacturers and integrators that we know from their UK operations," says Judge."We could also have some conversations in parts of the States with European manufacturers that want to deal with a European-based company rather than an American firm. I don't want to upset those I worked with over there, but it's a big country and a global market. So who knows?" Naturally, Tecnologica in Alicante is delighted, according to Judge. "They see the strength of the proposition – a good product in the hands of people who know the industry and what it requires," he says. "Their business development director is over the moon."

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