It could soon be crunch time for ‘empty running’, the scourge of the supply chain, as Tayto Group Ltd, one of the UK’s largest snack manufacturers extends its long-term partnership with Pooling Partners, Europe’s leading manufacturer and pooler of wooden pallets.
Following a year of sustained business growth and investment, the renewal will guarantee increased productivity and step up the ‘WOW factor’ – the ongoing war on waste.
Building on more than a decade of collaborative working between the two businesses, continuous improvement will be one of the key performance indicators (KPIs).
Empty running, which accounts for around 25 per cent of all logistics transport on the road, is a major industry, issue causing inefficiency and environmental damage by clogging the UK’s highways with inefficient journeys because the vehicles have no payload.
Pooling Partners, the only pallet pooler to be able to manufacture its own products, also retrieves, repairs and repatriates pallets as part of its so-called circular economy model. On behalf of another customer, the company successfully cut 50,000 miles of empty running and saved five metric tonnes of CO2 emissions on behalf of another client in 2017.
This will now look to take a bite out of any redundant miles driven on behalf of TGL, the name behind brands including Golden Wonder.
It will further help drive efficiencies through its bespoke account management approach that will be continually responsive to TGL’s needs.
Nigel Smith, TGL's group supply chain director, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our long-term partnership with Pooling Partners, a relationship which has been blossoming for more than a decade.
“Effective collaboration is at the heart of how we do business with each other and both our businesses have grown alongside each other.
“Pooling Partners is as committed to the War on Waste as we are, so it continues to be a fruitful relationship and one we hope will continue for many years to come.
“Pooling Partners has already worked alongside our biggest customer in Ireland and has supported a closed loop collection to back haul any empty legs, which adds a great deal of value to our supply chain.”
TGL, best known for manufacturing the Golden Wonder crisp brand, first started working with Coventry-based Pooling Partners in 2005.
From small beginnings supplying the family-owned company in Northern Ireland, Pooling Partners now delivers more than half a million pallets a year into its network.
TGL added Freedom Refreshments, Tavern Snacks and Portlebay Popcorn to its roster in 2017 – with the former boasting a turnover of £16 million in 2016, with more than 7,000 vending machines in its portfolio.
TGL has also been investing heavily in its infrastructure, with a new tortilla line increasing capacity from 1 ton to 2.5 tons per hour, and new fryers and bagging machines to increase production capacity and meet demand.
Phil Storer, director of Pooling Partners, said: “We have worked with TGL for 12 years and our relationship continues to be a mutually beneficial one. We are delighted to extend our contract with them yet further.
“TGL describe our supply to them as a partnership because we are always looking at ways to improve their supply chain, including working with their third-party logistics providers to cut down on wasteful empty running.
“The quality of the pallets we provide for their network adds value for money, and we are reactive to their increases in production, meaning we can quickly and efficiently meet their pallet requirements.
“Like ourselves, TGL has a major focus on reducing waste arising from the production process – we both recognise the need to achieve greater efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Saving pennies also means saving the planet.”