Pall-Ex increases hub capacity as freight volume soars

Pall-Ex has significantly increased its East Midlands hub capacity to accommodate rising freight volumes and growing demand for its services.

The logistics giant has opened a new 210,000 sq ft facility at Watling Park, Northamptonshire, as it handles an additional 3,000 pallets per night, compared to 2019 freight volumes.

The Pall-Ex South Central Hub, operating on the same site as the Fortec Distribution Network, will also improve efficiency for Pall-Ex members south of the Midlands.

It will prove vital for freight handling for onward distribution during peak periods, such as Black Friday and Christmas, alongside its Ellistown Central Hub, and for supporting Pall-Ex’s on-going growth within the B2C market.

The site is fully secure and benefits from a 126-camera CCTV system, which tracks the movement of every pallet that enters the hub.

Pall-Ex is currently the UK’s fastest growing pallet network, with a year on year increase of 11% in freight handled during Q1 and Q2 of 2020, compared to the sector average of -1.1% as recorded by the Association of Pallet Networks (APN).

Barry Byers, UK Managing Director at Pall-Ex, comments: “Despite major interruption and an unpredictable trading period, the Pall-Ex hub in Ellistown has seen daily pallet volumes increase significantly due to B2C market growth through ecommerce.

“The additional capacity we can now utilise in Northamptonshire is an essential resource for our pallet network.

“This is a strategic move that will support Pall-Ex through this period of rapid growth and enable us to provide our members with access to additional first-class facilities while speeding up handling processes.

“The new hub will be of particular benefit to Pall-Ex members that are located across the south by reducing mileage and driver journey times. The site also has excellent links to the M1, M6 and A5.

“The fact that we have been able to grow during what has been one of the sector’s most challenging years is testament to our members and their collective dedication to our customers.”