Pallet pool operator LPR UK has signed an initial one-year contract with Soleco, producers of the market-leading Florette range of bagged salads, for UK palletised transportation to major retailers' regional distribution centres (RDCs). The 12-month deal, which will involve up to 100,000 pallet movements, will see LPR providing a quick turnaround service out of Soleco's state-of-the-art production facility in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Gerard Wilson, logistics manager for Soleco, explained: "We decided to make the move towards a fully outsourced pallet solution and LPR's comprehensive offering, combined with the extremely high quality of its pallets, made the red pallet company the ideal partner for Soleco. The service is extremely simple to use and the administrative part of the service is all handled by LPR on our behalf, which allows us to focus our energies on our core business.
"Furthermore, LPR's pallets are always in excellent condition, so the presentation of our goods when they reach our customers is superb, which helps maintain the prestige nature of our brand. Overall, the service provides excellent value and removing our responsibility for the administration of the pool has enabled us to make significant cost savings."
Jane Gorick, managing director of LPR UK, said that the new contract represents a significant move in to the chilled produce sector for LPR: "We have expanded rapidly over the last five years and currently operate mainly in the ambient marketplace. However, we feel that we can offer potential customers in other sectors an equally excellent service and demonstrate that our 'one way trip' business model is just as competitive in this environment as it is for goods with a longer shelf-life."
LPR
The LPR company specialises in pallet pooling for suppliers and retailers in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. The LPR Group operates across Europe, providing a full service between its customers and their European retail partners and drop-off points. In 2006 its turnover increased by 10% to reach 87 million euros. LPR handled 33 million pallet movements throughout Europe in 2006.
www.lpr.eu