A new warehouse on wheels concept launched by a North Lincolnshire timber specialist is about to be expanded, creating jobs and cutting miles.
The roll-out by New Holland-based Arbor Forest Products, the UK’s leading independent importer and processor, is putting sustainability at the heart of its growing fleet of new-look lorries, while initiating a recruitment drive to build a bigger transportation team. Agency workers will also become permanent as it shores up its distribution.
Arbor, a £125 million turnover firm, supplies 300,000 cubic metres of timber annually from its dedicated 90-acre site, thought to be the largest terminal and processing facility in the UK.
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With hundreds of orders to process daily, Arbor’s team has continued to look for greener solutions that reduce carbon emissions, improve efficiencies, and optimise its fleet of lorries. This led to the creation of the one-stop shop concept that provides mixed product deliveries nationwide, removing the need to use separate suppliers.
Now the new-look lorry fleet introduced as part of the strategy that has seen 4,090 miles a week cut, saving 2,237 litres of diesel, needs more drivers.
Arbor’s operations director, Phil Yell, said: “One aspect to sustainability is to drive forward greener practices, but it’s also about helping local communities thrive by creating opportunities. The bottom line is that we genuinely care and many of our employees already come from the surrounding area. We hope many people will be interested in joining Arbor and being part of our continued growth story – not only will it accelerate their careers, but it will contribute strongly to the local economy.”
Warehouse on Wheels has improved trailer fill rates by 25 per cent, while eliminating 70 customer deliveries across the UK each week. Arbor’s commitment has already been recognised by the industry, with the company nominated for an Environmental Achievement Award at the Timber Trades Journal Awards
An employer of 169 people, most live within 10 miles of the Humber Bank base.
Logistics manager David Garbutt said: “We have a fantastic transportation team, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to fulfil our orders and keep our customers happy. An integral part of the business, the transport team literally keep the Warehouse on Wheels spinning. It’s an exciting time to join the business so we’d encourage experienced drivers to apply.”
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