Local Businesses Unite to Reduce Freight on the Regions Roads

Two successful Norfolk businesses have announced a new partnership which will prove an important step in helping to reduce the amount of freight being carried by road in Norwich city centre and across the region.

Determined to place environmental issues firmly at the top of the agenda, The QD Stores Group is delighted to be working closely with Foulger Transport Ltd, an exponent of the Portal Norwich initiative with long-standing logistical expertise in achieving economies of scale through freight consolidation.

QD Stores has experienced phenomenal national growth in recent months, with the opening of eight new high street stores across the country in just six months. QD has outlets from Doncaster in the north, to Grays in the south of Essex, and has recently expanded its network in the south-east, opening high street stores in Wellingborough and Kettering, with a shop in Bishops Stortford due to open on 20^th November. The company plans to open further stores over the coming months.

Following an exhaustive review of its logistical operations, the Group, which has its headquarters and two of its largest stores in Norwich, together with a number of outlets and garden centres throughout the East, has appointed Snetterton based Foulger Transport as its distribution partner. QD is keen to take advantage of the transport companys expertise in logistics and green credentials in its role as a key player in the Portal Norwich scheme.

Foulger Transport proved to be the clear leader in providing the most efficient, flexible and cost-effective means of country-wide transportation to service the QDs ongoing expansion plans. Justin Farrington Smith, QDs Group Managing Director, explained the wider benefits of QDs choice of Foulger Transport as its haulage partner. We conducted a very thorough selection process in our search for a distribution partner and drew up very specific criteria which Foulger more than satisfied. Both QDs distribution centre and Foulger Transports depot are located in Snetterton, so the number of journeys, mileage and vehicle emissions to and from the point of loading is being kept to an absolute minimum.

By choosing this local company to meet our haulage needs, the benefits extend beyond pure logistics, as we can access the Portal Norwich initiative for freight consolidation which prioritises environmental issues. Its beneficial to the local economy to develop strong local partnerships; both companies are proud of their Norfolk heritage, have highly regarded standards of service and are major employers in the county. The first deliveries by Foulgers new QD fleet commenced at the beginning of November.

Under the Portal Norwich initiative, introduced by Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council, goods vehicles are permitted to use designated bus lanes in and around the city, such as the route on Newmarket Road, thus reducing congestion and improving local air quality. Most importantly for an historic city such as Norwich, the scheme operates urban freight consolidation to relieve congestion within the city limits. This enables goods to be grouped into a single batch for delivery to sites outside the city centre. They are then dispatched using smaller, lower emission vehicles which are more suited to the citys narrow streets.

Established in 1935 Foulger Transports fleet is a familiar sight on the regions roads. Ten of these vehicles will be dedicated to the QD Stores Group, displaying the QD livery and transporting goods to their rapidly growing chain of high street stores, out of town outlets and Cherry Lane garden centres across the UK.