Factory Tour In Pictures- The Office

It’s not every day that you get to design your own office, but here at PPS we embraced the opportunity. Here is a little insight to what life is like in our office.

 When you walk into reception you are greeted with a range of art work along with brochures on display to provide details of our returnable packaging services. You will also find our BRC certificate in storage and distribution on show.

The office is based on an open plan design so all departments can work hand in hand yet still have their own productive space.

 Sales and Marketing are the first port of call at the top of the office being available to meet and greet visitors.

The office then follows down to Operations who have members in both the open plan space and the transport office. 

From there they run a drivers reception where all delivery and collections are logged.

Finance have a private section of the office due to the confidential information dealt with.

From here you come to the conference room which holds internal and external meetings. The artwork on display demonstrates our warehouse facilities showing an operational wash machine and loading bay.

Throw back to life 

during the build.

Meet the Team- Joanne Moss

Name: Joanne Moss.

When did you join PPS? April 2010.

  

What is your role at PPS? Sales and Marketing Director.

What was your first ever job? I was an internet shopper at Sainsbury’s.

How do you take your tea? Very milky, no sugar.

  

What is your favourite food? I love curry and most cheeses!

  

What are your hobbies? I enjoy going to the gym, reading and going to the theatre.

Taking the stress out of Foodex.

The food industry is one of our biggest markets through poultry, meat, fresh fruit and bakery, and Foodex 2014 was a fantastic visual event for PPS to showcase The Complete Package and Returnable Transit Packaging options. With the launch of our new animated video, show banner and merchandise it certainly gave us the right elements to highlight the range of services available.

Our merchandise was on hand to demonstrate just how our PPS pool trays are used in line with our hygienic plastic pallets. Stacked and filled with PPS stress apples and chickens, they soon became a hit and were popping up all over the exhibition.

Have you got a chicken on your desk?

All Change at PPS Returnable Packaging Specialists

We are experiencing exciting times at PPS with continued growth in all areas of our business.  In the last two weeks we have welcomed two new members to our growing team. 

Lucy Allsebrook has recently joined our sales department.  Our sales team provides customers with a large variety of returnable equipment including plastic pallets, crate hire, pallet boxes, trays and roll cages on a purchase basis.  They are on hand to advise customers on the best equipment for their business.  Lucy will also be involved as part of the sales team in the organisation of short term equipment rentals and ad hoc washes.

Our operations department has also expanded with Helen Adams joining the team as operations assistant.  She will be largely working on our full service customer accounts and using our online asset tracking system, Enable.  The management of equipment is of upmost importance when using returnable equipment and the Enable system prevents losses.  

Joanne Moss at PPS said ‘We are really excited to be welcoming Lucy and Helen to our growing team.  The use of returnable packaging has increased rapidly in the last few years with many users seeing the benefits of cost savings and a lower carbon foot print.  At PPS our customers have been pleased with the variety and quality of service that we provide.

We have been meeting the needs of our customers who already use RTP or wish to start by offering a selection of services including hygienic equipment washing, rental, pooling, management, sales and equipment repairs.   I am sure that Lucy and Helen will be valuable additions to our team as we continue to grow.’

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 Transit Packaging for Christmas Food Deliveries

Christmas in Retail and Food Processing Industries

Plans for Christmas in certain retail sectors started in January and now there's Only 4 months to go!

I can’t believe that we have reached August bank holiday weekend already!  Summer has been and gone (was it ever here???) and before we know it the shops will be full of Christmas merchandise!

I know, I said the dreaded ‘C’ word, in August. Personally I love Christmas and I bought my first Christmas presents in January. I love all the build-up, the excitement on children’s faces and most of all the food!

Sometimes as consumers we don’t realise all the time and work that goes into making sure that all the edible Christmas delights arrive on our supermarket shelves ready for the festive period.  Since working closely with the food processing industry supplying them with various types of returnable transit packaging including plastic trays, crates and pallets alongside providing hygienic equipment washing I have begun to realise the lengthy process Christmas entails. They need to make sure that we have enough mince pies, turkey and of course brussel sprouts to fill our plates and at PPS we have to provide the food processers with enough plastic pallets, trays and crates to store their important produce in.

Christmas preparation in the food production industry starts as early as January but at PPS we notice a big increase in our tray rental in the summer months.  As soon as the sun comes out all the seasonal tray hire enquiries come in.  Luckily at PPS we have over 10 years of experience in the supply of returnable transit packaging and we have become accustomed to industry trends making us well prepared for the seasonal spikes.  We always ensure that we have a large rental pool of equipment ready for our customers including plastic pallets, trays, crates and returnable fish boxes.

I know some of you will be reading this and think I’ve gone mad talking about Christmas but everyone in food processing and retail will have started thinking about Christmas months ago to make sure we have everything we could possible want during the Christmas period.

Contact us for more information about seasonal rental.



PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. Contact us with regards to reusable equipment services including pallet pooling, crate rental, tray rental, tray washing, plastic pallet washing, reusable fish boxes, pallet boxes and returnable transit equipment repairs

Reusable Pallet Boxes in Demand

Reusable Plastic Pallet Boxes a Winner with the Supply Chain

Increasing Demand for PPS Range of Reusable Plastic Pallet Boxes.

PPS have experienced an increase in demand over the past months for the rental, sale and washing of pallet boxes at both their Midlands and Grimsby facilities.

collapsible pallet boxes

The reusable pallet box is proving to be an increasingly flexible solution for the transportation and storage of goods for a variety applications and industrial sectors. Pallet boxes can be rigid or collapsible and where necessary an insulated double skin pallet box can be supplied where insulation and/or strength are key requirements.

PPS offers for sale both new and used pallet boxes and Dolavs. We also offer pallet box rental solutions for both ad hoc and long term rentals. In addition at both our sites in Grimsby and Measham where we have state of the art pallet box washing facilities for our own pool of plastic pallet boxes we also offer this wash service to customers that require a pallet box washing or a Dolav washing service for their own equipment fleet.

To highlight the versatility of our range of plastic pallet boxes we have detailed below some of the current applications:

•    A fleet of 2,000 collapsible pallet boxes are currently on hire to a supplier to the National Health Service to facilitate an equipment move between hospitals in different locations throughout the UK. The collapsible pallet box proved to be the most cost effective solution due the distances involved and the need to keep transport costs to a minimum.
•    We currently provide our full service reusable pallet box solution (rigid pallet box rental, pallet box washing & transport) to a food processor for the transportation of fish by-products for processing into fish meal prior to forwarding to the Far East.
•    We have been providing a pallet box rental and pallet box washing service to a food processor for a pool of rigid pallet boxes for use within their manufacturing facility that are used for the storage of oils and breadcrumbs within their value added process.

The recycling industry is another sector where PPS is receiving increasing enquiries for the rental and purchase of reusable pallet boxes. DEFRA statistics highlight that the UK generates approximately 300 million tonnes of waste each year. There is an increasing legal requirement being place on both manufacturers and users of products and packaging to ensure that a proportion of the materials is recovered and recycled.

The PPS range of reusable pallet boxes are particularly suited to pallet box loops set up to facilitate the recycling process and are suitable for a range of recovery operations including batteries, glass, paper, food waste, oils and fats.

Our plastic pallet boxes come in a variety of sizes and specifications, are durable and can withstand cleaning temperatures up to 100 degrees C. Our products are available in virgin and recycled food grade approved HDPE in both solid and perforated plastic pallet boxes. PPS can put in place a range of long term and short term packages to meet all customers’ needs including pallet box rental, pallet box washing and transportation if required.

Returnable Packaging Equipment Company PPS Supports London Olympics and Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

PPS has been very active in recent months putting together equipment rental and washing packages to support a number of contractors that are preparing the Olympic venues for the start of the Games at the end of July.

PPS has long been really active in recent months compiling equipment rental and equipment washing packages which includes plastic trays, plastic pallets, plastic crates and plastic pallet boxes to support a number of contractors that are preparing the Olympic venues for the start of the Games at the end of July.

We have supplied a considerable pool of our collapsible pallet boxes to a company engaged in the construction of temporary seating arenas at a number of sporting venues across the London area.

We have also supplied a pool of solid pallet boxes to be used for the storing of nautical equipment for the Sailing event to be held on the south coast. We are at present in discussions with a range of other suppliers to the Olympics as diverse as the supply of our plastic pallets for the transportation of hay at the equestrian events to the supply of our plastic food trays for a business involved in catering for the thousands of athletes that will be competing at the Games.

PPS also supplied a pool of collapsible pallet boxes for the transportation of equipment used for the erection of the stage and temporary arena for the concert in front of Buckingham Palace as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Once the Olympic games are finished we at PPS are expecting to be extremely busy at our wash plants when the trays, pallets, crates and pallet boxes are returned to our pool for washing at one of our wash plants to be made ready for the next rental assignment.

PPS prides itself on our adaptable and responsive approach to customers and we are very confident in our capability to provide all tray hire and pallet rental requirements together with tray washing or pallet washing services for both customers who own crates and pallets as well as our own crate and pallet pools. PPS offer the most comprehensive range of crates, trays, pallets and pallet boxes in the industry and we can supply both rental and equipment washing services for both small volumes on an ad hoc basis or high volume crates on a longer term basis.

With an rising trend towards environmentally friendly packaging returnable transit packaging (RTP) is replacing single trip packaging such as polystyrene and cardboard boxes for the transportation of food products.  PPS’s trays, pallets, crates and pallet boxes are manufactured from durable plastic and are especially designed for several trips over a protracted life which ensures that in the vast majority of applications we can offer a lower cost per trip in comparison with single trip packaging products. PPS manage pools of equipment and part of that equipment management is the hygienic washing of all used packaging.

PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. If you are interested in reducing your costs, waste and environmental footprint, then you should contact us with regards to reusable equipment and pallet pooling, plastic crates, plastic pallet boxes, container rental and supply, product repairs and equipment washing.

Tray Washing - BRC Accredited

The process of Tray Washing could be one of the most overlooked factor of many firms that carry food and other products into and around the supply chain. Traceability of all goods within the supply chain, even those that carry the produce has to be managed, as well as the associated tray washing and management of the Plastic Returnable Trays.  

PPS Midlands and PPS East deliver a ”BRC” accredited tray washing & crate washing service, tray hire & crate hire, bulk bin washing and hire, satisfying many customers’ requirements.  

Our site in Grimsby, has recently invested in a whole new tray washing line, to focus on the Non Fish food production around the South and North Humberside areas. The Crate washing line has been set up to accept the industry standard 600mm x 400mm tray/crate, with a high flow rate through the line we are able to deliver on short, long and adhoc tray washing requirements.  

BRC Accreditation -  What’s involved? 

• Washing and sterilisation of plastic crates, Trays, bins and pallets

• High Pressure and high temperature cleaning   

• Swab Testing   

• Logistics and transport of the washed equipment.   

• Wrapping of clean trays for transit   

Crate washing is at the very heart of PPS and our client base extends all across the UK, into a range of markets places, fresh produce, poultry, red meats, automotive components and fish.  

There are many environmental benefits to using returnable plastic containers;   

• Reduced waste  
• Sterilised containers reducing the risk of contamination  
• Reduced vehicle miles – Consolidation  
• End of life recycling factors   

Read this WRAP report - a more comprehensive breakdown of the benefits & environmental performance of single-trip and reusable packaging systems.  

PPS Midlands state of the art crate washing lines, are ready to wash variable sized units either rigid side nestable crates or bale arm trays, collapsible trays, tote boxes, plastic pallets, in addition we also offer pallet washing amenities with our automated pallet washing machine.  

Replacing cardboard within the supply chain is often simple to achieve and in most cases can bring about reductions in operational costs and time spent managing waste materials.   All of the equipment that is managed by PPS undergoes a series of inspections while in service, these include visual inspections for any damage and signs of deterioration within the tray or crate structure, removal of labels and other debris from the tray/crate prior to washing, visual inspection and periodic swab testing of the trays/crates once through the tray washing plant. The clean equipment is then stacked on to plastic or timber pallets and wrapped in shrink wrap to make certain that the trays remain clean for their next use. The stacking heights for the trays can be varied depending on the type and size of vehicle that is to collect the washed trays.

PPS Midlands Limited and PPS East Limited are returnable transit packaging specialists. If you are interested in reducing your costs, waste and environmental footprint, then you should contact us with regards to reusable equipment and pallet pooling, plastic crate, box, container rental and supply, product repairs and equipment washing.

Equipment Wash Facility awarded BRC Certification

Returnable Transit Packaging Company PPS Midlands Ltd gets BRC Certification for State of the Art Industrial Washing Facility in Measham

PPS Midlands Ltd is pleased to announce that they have been awarded BRC Certification under the Storage and Distribution Standard at their state of the art equipment washing facility in Measham.

The principal trade of PPS Midlands is management of returnable transit packaging. This incorporates the supply of returnable equipment such as plastic crates, trays, boxes and pallets in addition to collapsible pallet boxes and bulk bins. PPS manage pools of equipment and part of that equipment management is the hygienic washing of all used packaging.

Operations Director Andy Flynn said “We already held ISO22000 at Measham but felt that BRC Certification was more applicable and a more recognisable standard. Most of our clients supply the primary retailers so having BRC certification demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with a returnable packaging solution that is second to none. We now have both Grimsby and Measham operating within the standards of the BRC Standard, having obtained certification for PPS East Ltd at Grimsby in December 2011”

The scope of the certification comes under the Consumer Products and Packaging Category and reads “Washing and sterilising plastic boxes, pallets and bins: delivering logistical support to the Customer”. This is the perfect fit for our operations in the Midlands where we provide tray and crate washing for a big number of customers within the food processing trade.

We also offer a pallet washing service. PPS has been washing plastic trays, crates, boxes and pallets for a number of years at Measham and has traditionally washed for different sectors, including food, retail and pharmaceutical industries The PPS site at Measham, just north of Birmingham, offers contract washing at its state-of-the-art industrial wash facility where it can wash a variety of different box dimensions to the highest level and degree of cleaning.

Plastic boxes, crates, attached lid containers and collapsible boxes can all be catered for, and there's also a pallet wash facility on site. All equipment washing including Tray, crate and pallet washing is completed to the highest standard and we are very proud to have BRC certification

Returnable Transit Packaging

PPS Appoints New Business Development Manager

Returnable transit packaging continues to catch the interest of a range of businesses interested making savings on the cost of packaging. Cardboard boxes especially are being replaced by plastic crates or plastic boxes that not only provide savings on disposal and labour costs, but also help improve carbon footprint.

PPS specialises in a range of services associated with returnable transit equipment (RTE) such as nestable crates, bale arm crates, plastic fish boxes, plastic pallets and large plastic pallet boxes and tubs. PPS has a pool of returnable packaging that they rent to their customers who then use it to dispatch their products to third parties. PPS then arranges to collect the used equipment and return it to one of their commercial wash sites for hygienic cleaning, after which it is either returned to the customer in an integrated loop system or to the equipment pool.

With wash sites at Measham in the Midlands (accredited to ISO 22000 Food Safety Management) and Grimsby (accredited to BRC Storage and Distribution Standard) PPS wash a broad cross-section of returnable packaging, including bale arm crates, plastic tote boxes, plastic fish boxes, plastic pallets and plastic pallet boxes or tubs. PPS has a wide customer profile but with a big emphasis on the food sector – beef, poultry and retail. The Grimsby site, known as PPS East had for  years concentrated on the fish and seafood industry but in addition to this core business have now established a separate wash station for plastic boxes, crates and trays in its own building and which is dedicated to non-fish food wash applications.

Now, as part of the continued expansion of the business, PPS has appointed a new Business Development Manager to replace Iain McArthur who is moving to Scotland to develop business opportunities there. Jonathan Issatt has joined PPS with responsibility for developing new business in all industry sectors. Jonathan brings a wide range of innovative skills, having worked before for a large pallet pooling business in a business development role. He will look at new projects for returnable transit packaging within the supply chain in the food, retail, and automotive, engineering and electronic sectors. Other development areas include waste management, anaerobic digestion, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care.

Director of PPS David Peggie said, “We are excited to have Jonathan join our team. He has wide experience in returnable transit equipment and pallet pooling systems through the supply chain and will be looking to develop new business for both our sites that will contribute to the continued expansion of our company. His wide experience in pallet pooling systems has meant that he has hit the ground running in terms of operational activities”