Logistics company on the road to success with site expansion

Andyfreight, which delivers a range of products to retail outlets including Tesco, Aldi, Screwfix and Sainsbury’s, has used the loan to build a new covered loading area and yard after purchasing two derelict warehouses close to its existing premises. This will create additional warehousing space and yard facilities for an additional 30 articulated vehicles.

The family-run business, established in 1986 by current managing director Andrew Pountney, has seen a growth in demand in recent months, helping to provide hospitals and supermarkets with hygiene and cleaning supplies throughout the pandemic, including all the Nightingale Hospitals. The company will now continue to deliver cleaning equipment to vaccination centres across the UK.

Andyfreight has had to ramp up its capacity by 44 per cent some weeks to meet this demand, from delivering an average of 900 pallets per day to as much as 1,300 pallets per day. It also means the business, which currently employs 55 people in the area, is looking to grow its team further.

The additional space will also enable the company to increase its barcode and scanning capabilities to help manage stock for customers, as it looks to expand beyond its core freight service and grow its warehousing operations in the months and years ahead.

Andrew Pountney, managing director at Andyfreight, said: “We’ve been growing continuously for a number of years now and the new development was an important next step to help us maintain this rate of growth. It means we can meet the increasing demand we’ve experienced over the past few months and expand our business into different areas.

“We’ve come a long way since I started out on my own with just a single van 35 years ago. Lloyds has been a long-term partner in that journey and has been by our side since 1991. They really understand our business and have supported our growth while still helping us to maintain our small business values. We hope to carry on working with them as we continue to grow.”

David Chance, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Companies like Andyfreight are so often the unsung heroes of our country, putting in the miles to ensure we have access to the products we need. Their work has never been more important than during the pandemic as they have maintained supply of vital products for the NHS and supermarkets up and down the country.

“We’ve been working with the team for some time and it is fantastic to see them continuing their growth. We will carry on supporting them and other ambitious local firms to achieve their goals as part of our ongoing commitment to helping Britain prosper.”