At a time when the economy is under pressure, the performance of the logistics industry is something to be celebrated, according to the Transport Minister, Jesse Norman MP. During a presentation at the first annual FTA Logistics Awards, held on the evening of 13 December at London's InterContinental, the Minister praised the contribution of the logistics sector to the UK economy, as the event recognised the achievements of the country's leading supply chain organisations.
The FTA Logistics Awards 2017 celebrate supply chain leadership and excellence, and recognise leaders who have made a significant contribution to the industry, either as individuals or as businesses.
Among the organisations recognised in the awards which were hosted by leading entertainer Alistair McGowan and supported by Multimodal, were representatives of all modes of freight transport, including air, sea and road transport, as well as the industry's buyers and support sectors.
The awards were hosted by FTA Chief Executive, David Wells, who says the event showcased the very best of British industrial delivery and innovation: "FTA is the only organisation to represent all of the logistics industry, so we are ideally placed to recognise the achievements of our sector's leaders. The inaugural FTA Logistics Awards have proved a great success, celebrating outstanding performance in multimodal supply and logistics from businesses both big and small. It's wonderful to see multinationals such as thyssenkrupp AG being recognised alongside household names like TomTom Telematics and local government heroes, such as the London Borough of Croydon's pollution team.
"The logistics sector often goes unrecognised, and yet its work forms the backbone of British industry – without it, Britain simply would not keep trading. Our members supply everything from raw materials for our factories, to high-tech devices and medication for hospitals, along with food to every single supermarket and corner shop in the UK. These awards have given companies and organisations the opportunity to highlight their achievements and it's particularly heartening to hear the Transport Minister speak so highly of the sector's role in driving the future growth of the UK economy."
Leigh Pomlett, the FTA's President, and Executive Director of CEVA Logistics, reflected on some of the current key issues surrounding transportation and logistics. "We are a hugely resilient industry and have a remarkable bounce-back ability," he said. Pomlett added that even though the skills shortage, the uncertainly of Brexit, and environmental and infrastructure issues pose challenges, the industry still produces remarkable results.
He pointed out that around 2.5 million people work within the industry – some 8% of the UK workforce – and it amounts to a revenue worth 121 billion. "Without the logistics industry, shelves wouldn't get stocked, manufacturing would grind to a halt and schools and universities would not get their books delivered," he said. "We keep Britain operating no matter what the world throws at us." Pomlett concluded by thanking FTA staff for their incredibly hard work "at this is a very challenging time".
Winners
The full list of winners in the FTA Logistics Awards 2017 is as follows:
Freight Carrier of the Year sponsored by Port of Dover:
Delamode
Retail Shipper of the Year:
John Lewis Partnership
Manufacturing Shipper of the Year sponsored by Santander Corporate & Commercial:
thyssenkrupp AG
Logistics Partner of the Year sponsored by Howard Tenens:
TomTom Telematics
Most Innovative Product of the Year sponsored by ASB Law:
Cartwright Group
Most Innovative Company of the Year sponsored by Associated British Ports:
Freightliner
Logistics Champion of the Year for Essential Services sponsored by Romex:
Flogas Britain Ltd
Logistics Champion of the Year for Public Services:
London Borough of Croydon – Pollution Team
Logistics Lifetime Achievement Award:
James Cooper of Associated British Ports
The Freight Transport Association is the UK's largest and most influential membership association in the freight and logistics sector, with more than 16,000 members operating over 220,000 goods vehicles – half the UK's fleet. Established in 1889, FTA's members move goods by road, rail, sea and air, consign over 90 per cent of the freight moved by rail and 70 per cent of sea and air freight.
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