New Directors Welcomed At KNAPP UK.

As part of planned management changes, three senior executives at KNAPP UK have been promoted to the company’s board. Nathan Billing (Customer Service Director), Tyrone Driscoll (Projects Director) and Phil Houghton (Business Development Director) join existing board members, Craig Rollason (Managing Director) and Tracey Sanderson (Company Secretary).

“We are delighted to welcome Nathan, Tyrone and Phil to our board,” commented Craig Rollason, Managing Director. “Between them, they have clocked up 24 years’ service at KNAPP UK, so they bring a wealth of experience to the boardroom.”

David James (Director, Subsidiary Management for KNAPP AG) and Ebb Kretschmer (Director, Global Resident Business Solutions for KNAPP AG) – who were both previously on the board – have stepped down to focus on their global roles within the KNAPP group. “David and Ebb have made invaluable contributions to the growth of KNAPP in the UK market since they joined the company in 2006 and 2007 respectively,” explained Craig Rollason, “but their appointment to roles with a worldwide focus for our parent company, KNAPP AG, within the last few years has inevitably reduced their day-to-day operational involvement with KNAPP UK. Both of them had the foresight to suggest that the board should, in time, comprise directors who were exclusively focused on KNAPP UK’s business operation and development. The composition of the new board has their full support, as well as that of the Executive Board of KNAPP AG.”

Blue-chip brands

KNAPP UK, which celebrates 21 years of operation in the UK market this year, has enjoyed phenomenal growth in recent years. The company has delivered logistics automation solutions and software to blue-chip brands that include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Boots, Amazon, Staples, Clarks, British Gas, Alliance Healthcare, Boden, Primark, Kuehne + Nagel and Draper Tools. The company’s ability to combine its expertise in the automated handling of unit loads with hanging garment systems – through the technology of KNAPP group member, Dürkopp Fördertechnik – has made KNAPP UK a magnet for many top retail brands in response to the challenges of multi-channel logistics.

Business buoyant

With a strong pipeline of orders, KNAPP UK has steadily recruited more staff and now employs 210 people. “We have built a reputation for delivering solutions that are efficient, flexible and robust,” said Craig Rollason, “giving our clients a competitive edge in the supply chain. Another critical factor in securing a number of prestigious projects recently has been our Customer Service offer. Many of the larger systems we have delivered are supported by an on-site team of KNAPP Customer Service technicians who carry out preventative maintenance as well as dealing swiftly with any operational issues that may arise.”