How Cannock APC drivers are playing their part as crisis goes on
Staffordshire-based national parcel delivery network APC Overnight is offering up its support to help NHS, medical suppliers and supermarkets during the coronavirus crisis.
The company is part of the effort to get essential supplies to the public during the lockdown.
APC's chief executive Jonathan Smith said: “We’re committed to providing essential parcel collection and delivery services nationally on behalf of our small and medium-sized enterprise customers during these times of need.
"The logistics industry has been thrown into the limelight in recent weeks, with delivery companies playing an integral role in keeping essential items moving and supplying communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Delivery drivers – now classed as key workers – are quite rightly being increasingly recognised as unsung heroes, with so many of them committed to keep serving the needs of the nation.
"Though recent weeks have proved challenging for the industry – with daily changes and increased demand for essential goods being seen across networks – the dedication of workforces across our network has been critical in ensuring that we can help keep the country moving.
"But while the coming weeks and months are uncertain, one thing that is certain is our industry must continue to rise to the challenges, remaining focused to ensure we can fully utilise any capacity across the network to help those that need it most, in the communities that we serve."
More Covid-19 coverage:
Mr Smith said the Midlands would play a pivotal role in this. He said everyone at the Cannock-based firm had stepped up to show their commitment at an important time.
"As a region that has had long significance to the UK’s logistics infrastructure, the Midlands' position and accessibility means that it is perfectly placed to be at the hub of movements across the UK. Now, more than ever this role is key and it’s vital that we manage this carefully.
"While there are processes being put into place to ease the safe transportation of goods, more must be done to ensure that the entire capacity of the logistics industry is employed to full effect during this crisis period. Safety is central to the industry successfully doing its bit for the national effort, with contactless collection and delivery – something that APC put into place three weeks ago – paramount to driver safety and social distancing rules," he explained.
Mr Smith said that properly supplying the thousands of communities across the country was critical to weathering the storm during the pandemic.
"For delivery companies such as APC, which is the only delivery company that specialises in SMEs, ensuring that these businesses continue to have safe access to their communities remains a priority," he said.
"SMEs have long been the backbone of the UK economy and they will now play a major role in helping consumers through this crisis."
He added that data from business intelligence organisation CACI estimates that 59 per cent of shoppers expect to do more buying locally, rather than at major shopping locations.
"This clearly demonstrates that the delivery of items from SMEs has never been more important to benefit both their economic future and their consumers’ wellbeing.
"While the Midlands has a proud heritage in logistics, our network of over 100 depots across the UK remain ingrained in the local communities they serve and dedicated to supporting those in need. Increasingly we are seeing some fantastic examples of this across our network – just this week one member depot, Swift Logistics, has announced it will be working alongside Age Concern and other local businesses to help deliver hot meals to the most vulnerable elderly in West Berkshire.
"In these unprecedented times it’s incredible to see examples of such resilience and commitment from all of the brilliant delivery teams and other front-line workers across the country. We want to continue to do everything possible to help support those in need, across the communities we serve, and to play our part in helping businesses and consumers through this crisis.
"APC is offering to support the NHS, medical suppliers, supermarkets, Government and all of those that are trying to get essential supplies to the public. We encourage them all to get in touch – our network of SME depots cover the length and breadth of the UK and are eager to help the communities we have served for over 25 years," Mr Smith urged.
The company currently has job vacancies in its central warehouse operation, particularly for experienced forklift drivers. As other businesses may have needed to reduce their headcount, APC is actively recruiting, dedicated to maintaining its workforce and utilising any capacity across its network.
APC, which has its head office and sortation base at Blakeney Way, Kingswood Lakeside, and a site at Essington employing 600, has launched a ‘no contact’ collection and delivery service to help essential businesses in the virus crisis.
It recently announced an ownership restructure that enabled every depot within its network to have the opportunity to own a part of the company and also allowed employees of the company to become shareholders.
The company, which started as the Alternative Parcel Company and now trades as The APC, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It had a successful 2019, with 3.5 per cent year-on-year growth in turnover to £109 million, and a total gross profit of £15.6m.
It saw a boom in its ‘fragile and liquids’ sortation following investment in 2019 to expand its sortation facilities, enabling it to process more fragile deliveries per hour in line with a rise in consumer demand amongst online retailers for these kinds of products.
This year was to have seen APC expanding its capacity, customer base and services. It saw an 18 per cent growth in its workforce last year recruiting night warehouse operatives and forklift operators his new national post.
The APC moved from its then head office at Warstone Road, Essington to the 12-acres site in Cannock in 2013.
