New logistics specialist for Yearsley Group

Yearsley Group, the UK cold storage and distribution provider, has appointed Mark Haslam as new head of logistics. Based at the Groups Heywood headquarters in Greater Manchester, Haslam will oversee the operation which takes in a national network of 12 cold stores and a fleet of more than 300 temperature-controlled vehicles.

Mark Haslam, 40, from Bury has more than 20 years experience in the sector, with Wincanton, TDG and, more recently, as managing director for the UK transport operations of Suttons Group.

Mark joins Yearsley Group as part of the firms strategic commitment to supply chain optimisation and cost reduction. Managing director Harry Yearsley welcomed Mark to the group. He said: With rising fuel costs and increasing sustainability demands, pressure is on distributors to maximise efficiency without compromising service delivery.

Yearsley Group is responding to the needs of both manufacturing clients and retail customers by implementing a strategy that increases efficiency by improving consolidation and cutting waste delivery miles. Mark has a strong track record in the sector and we have brought him on board to spearhead this programme. We are confident that both Yearsley Group and our customers will soon start to realise the benefits and are pleased to welcome him to the group.

One of Marks first tasks will be to implement a new fleet management system which will provide additional control over the response time and flexibility of collections and deliveries. This will enable managers to better map journeys, ensuring more outbound deliveries link with inbound collections, thereby reducing both fuel usage and carbon emissions.

Mark said: Im delighted to have the chance to build upon the great work Yearsley Group is doing in terms of consolidation and efficiency. The industry is fast moving towards this model as manufacturers are keen to cut food miles by delivering into one hub, and retailers prefer to reduce the number of deliveries into their stores with mixed loads.

This is ideal for Yearsley Group which already consolidates stock from hundreds of manufacturers at its national network of 12 cold stores, from where we can provide bespoke deliveries. This benefits our manufacturing customers who can entrust their collection and delivery to our fleet of vehicles, any time of the day or night. We can also satisfy retailers who want more flexibility in their orders and the 24-hour, seven day delivery capability, which allows them to reduce their own storage requirements.

I will be leading an experienced team of logistics professionals to identify further opportunities for consolidation and optimise the efficiency of our delivery management, providing savings across the supply chain.

Within its broad client base, Yearsley Group can take on the logistics requirements of small scale manufacturers while also providing off-site frozen storage solution for larger producers. It has relationships and agreements to deliver into all of the countrys largest retail multiples and food service companies. Customers include Heinz, Youngs and Brakes.