Factory Tour in Pictures- External

Since moving to our site at Marchington a year ago, it's not just the interior of the warehouse that has had a revamp. The outside area has to gone under some significant changes.

                                       

Due to the increasing number of lorries passing through our gates, two security barriers have been put in place to increase security and assist operations.

All drivers must then report to the operations office before proceeding to a loading bay, making tracking equipment simple as well as accurate.

Once entering the PPS premises lorries are loaded and unloaded with returnable packaging from a total of seven loading bays. Three of which have been installed with high quality Thorworld dock level doors, platforms and ramps increasing efficiency and bringing down turnaround time.

A range of equipment passes through our doors, this includes plastic crates, collapsible pallet boxes and plastic pallets. 

  

Drivers must also report to the operations office when leaving the premises to ensure they receive correct dispatch information. 

To arrange your site tour contact us on 01283 821 502.

Automotive RTP boxes, crates and washing services

The automotive industry in the UK has taken a beating over the last 2 decades, losing out to cheaper foreign production and labour rates, however with investment increasing in UK manufacturing and a higher than expected new vehicle registrations in March are we seeing a turn round for vehicle sales and manufacturing in the UK.

Emerging markets in China and India are seeing a large demand for British Marquees, like Bentley, Jaguar, Range Rover and Rolls Royce.

With an increase in production volume, comes an increase in the reliance on parts supply and the use of packaging materials.

Playing your part within this complex supply chain means you have to think carefully about generating waste for your customer, that’s where PPS Midlands can help.

As a business, PPS midlands has been involved with RTP (Returnable Transit Packaging) for over ten years, providing bespoke RTP solutions to all forms of industry including Food, Meat, Automotive and Electronics industries.

Our standard range of products are in regular use within the food industry, along with bespoke tailored solutions for both the automotive and electronics industries, catering for specialist needs such as ESD (Electro Static Discharge)

Specialist plastic crates, boxes and larger collapsible pallet boxes can all be controlled and managed from site to site by using our simple on-line tracking software “ENABLE”, which has be designed by PPS from the ground up to offer a simple and effective way of managing RTP.

PPS Midlands is seeing a steady growth with component manufacturers looking to take a greater responsibility for packaging waste and environmental issues created by using disposable packaging materials. Many manufacturers are still reliant on the use of cardboard to supply their customers and this in turn has an impact on the receiver of the components.

Attention to details can make the change to RTP simple, e.g. when approached by a manufacturer of component parts of electrical motors we discussed the ratio of one component to another to establish the best configuration for shipping, this ratio was 12:1. Then taking into account the weight of each of the components calculating the maximum permissible lifting weight under the health and safety guidelines for manual handling laid down by the supplier, we set about looking for the right sized RTP. As with most solutions it is best to keep it simple, understanding the weight limits, and the parts ratios, we are able to provide a solution that not only satisfies the requirements for the supplier it also reduces the costs associated with packaging, simply one box caters for both elements.

With so many suppliers manufacturing parts and components to the automotive industry, the use of disposable packaging materials needs to be reduced to aid the green credentials and reduce the CO2 attributed to production of finished vehicles.

The key question is; what is your business doing about it?

If your need is large or small, if you need a complete start to finish solution or just need help to manage or wash your existing RTP, contact Jonathan at PPS Midlands on 01530 515333 or 07896 430047 or email Jonathan here

PPS Midlands “RETURNABLE TRANSIT PACKAGING SOLUTIONS” an alternative to packaging waste

Halal Chicken producers favour returnable transit packaging (RTP)

As the Muslim population within the UK rises, the demand for Halal slaughtered chicken is increasing. Cardboard for many years has been used to package whole birds, filleted portions and other cuts to the wholesale meat trade, but the use of Plastic Returnable Transit Packaging is becoming the choice for many leading businesses within the sector.

Recent changes within the supply chain influenced Iqbal Brothers Poultry of Bradford to look at other options to their existing use of a mixture of cardboard and their own self-managed plastic crates.

Having looked at all aspects of using plastic crates, Iqbal Brothers decided that the best option is to work with PPS Midlands and develop a pooling solution using PPS Midlands standard RTP consisting of plastic trays and plastic pallets to service their larger customers predominately sited within the East and West Midlands.

Initially the process would start with 2 customers using approximately 5000 trays and 125 pallets per week, however due to the demand for the high quality chicken produced by Iqbal Brothers, the use of PPS equipment has more than doubled over the first 2 months of the operation.

The required levels of equipment by Iqbal brothers have been seamlessly increased as the market continues to grow, PPS midlands are able to cater for the growing demand.

Acceptance within the market has been excellent, with a number of receiver’s of equipment asking PPS Midlands to contact others suppliers to provide a similar service to them.

How Pooling Works? 

In simple terms, it starts with clean equipment delivered to our customer, they load their product into the RTP supplied, and ship to their customer, informing PPS Midlands via our online tracking service “ENABLE” of the volumes of plastic crates/trays and pallets for each of its customers, once the equipment becomes empty collection is arranged. Our Full Service Pooling solution is simple in terms of operation and costs with all equipment charged at an agreed single fee at the point of despatch.

All equipment that is delivered to the receiving locations is collected by a dedicated 3rd party logistics company that have been working with PPS for many years, ensuring that trays/crates and pallets are returned to PPS midlands to undergo the rigorous washing and condition service that all our equipment goes through, once cleaned the equipment is then ready to start the cycle again.

According to an in depth report completed by WRAP, available from http://www.ppsequipment.co.uk/environmental/wrap-report CO2 savings when compared to cardboard use; see a reduction of over 50% over a 5 year period. Indeed in most cases not only are there environmental benefits, there are financial ones when compared to cardboard boxes.

PPS Midlands are offering the opportunity to have a free, no obligation survey of your supply chain completed, to see if your business would benefit from using  RTP supplied by PPSMidlands, contact Jonathan Issatt on 07896 430047 or email me here

Returnable Plastic Packaging - How does it help your business

With Easter fast approaching and the new tax year, isn’t it about time that more business started to benefit from using Returnable Plastic Packaging (RTP) pooling services.

RTP not only helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint, if this is used with a pooling service provider, other efficiencies can add more benefits.

PPS Midlands provides a service that allows businesses to concentrate on what they do best, taking away the day to day headaches of managing RTP from there large customer base.

Our on line tracking and management system “ENABLE”, along with tailored service offers, means you have the flexibility to use our standard range of trays, crates, pallets to provide your customers with a level of service that is highly prized.

Make that change today! Contact PPS and see how we can help your business benefit from Returnable Plastic Packaging

2012 A year of growth for PPS Midlands

2012 was an exciting year with the national pride and feel good factor created by the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee.  It made a wonderful change for the news to be full of positive and inspirational achievements as opposed to the normal doom and gloom.

At PPS Midlands we have a great deal to celebrate at the end of 2012.  We have seen continued growth in our main service area, with new customers signing up to our full service option where we rent, manage,  pool and wash all types of returnable equipment.  The main equipment on hire is our plastic crates, pallets and bulk bins which are very popular within the food processing and distribution sectors.  Not only have we added new customers but our existing clients have increased their volumes.  Returnable packaging is now well established within the food industry and we hope 2013 brings more customers making the switch from cardboard.

PPS Wash Plant Busier than ever

Our wash plant has been busier than ever, the amount of returnable equipment washed by our machine has increased greatly this year.  Alongside the extra washing for our full service customers we have experienced a growth in our wash only service.  For customers who own their own equipment PPS can provide a wash service at our state of the art BRC accredited wash plant.  This service has become very popular with our food, automotive and retail customers.  Our wash plant has also seen the addition of a wash bay designed to allow us to wash larger types of equipment such as Dolvas, bulk bins and pallet boxes.  The addition of this bay had enabled us to wash all types of returnable equipment.

The PPS Midlands repair facility is well established and has gone from strength to strength in 2012.  We are set up to repair all types of plastic and metal equipment and the service is becoming ever more popular.  Companies are increasingly looking at ways to cut their costs and it is often far more economical to have your equipment repaired than replace to it.

PPS Midlands

Most excitingly 2012 has seen PPS Midlands expand into a brand new sector.  We are now offering crate rental to the commercial moves industry.  PPS Midlands has invested in a pool of plastic removal crates that are available to hire to removal companies and individual companies conducting their own move.  2012 was spent setting up this new service with it launching towards the end of the year.  We will be able to bring all the experience that we have gained in the rental and management of returnable equipment over the past 10 years to this new sector and hope to see it expand in 2013.

Certainly, 2012 was an exciting year for PPS Midlands, which saw us, continue to grow our existing services and enter into a whole new industry sector.  We are now all ready and looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2013 will bring.  We hope to develop relationships with new businesses and continue to work closely with our existing customers.  Hopefully 2013 will be the year that even more companies realise the benefits of returnable packaging.

Happy New Year from everyone at PPS Midlands!

Office Churn - Crate Hire for Business Moves

Office Churn - Business Regorganisation of Workspace

David Peggie & Joanne Moss - PPS Equipment

PPS has recently entered into a new industry – the removals industry!  We now not only rent and wash returnable transit equipment (RTE) for the food, retail and automotive industries.  We now hire removal crates and equipment.  Our removal crates are being rented out to commercial removal companies as well as schools, colleges and businesses conduction their own moves.

Throughout the process of launching our new service we have found ourselves learning all about the removals industry.  Everyone within this industry has been with welcoming and has provided us with insights into their area of expertise.  It is through them that we discovered the term ‘office churn’.

Office churn is where companies regularly reorganise their workspace.  People often move departments within a company and sometimes whole departments can move to make the workspace more efficient.  Obviously when people move all their equipment and files have to move with them. 

PPS can help companies with office churn by providing a constant supply of rental crates onsite.   We can arrange to have crates permanently onsite for companies who regularly reorganise their space.  The crates can then be used as when they are needed giving staff time to unpack.  If at any time extra crates are need PPS would be able to supply them from our pool.

We also have specific computer crates that allow all the important IT equipment to be packed together.  We appreciate that it is important equipment is not damaged whilst it is transported so we can supply bubble wrap to complement our sturdy removal crates.  Handling equipment is also available to prevent any health and safety problems.

See our recent article published in "The Mover"

Contact Joanne Moss for more information about our competitive crate rentals. Alternatively visit our website