Exhibition Masterclass

On a surprisingly hot summers day in July, 500 eager business attendees gathered at the NEC for this year’s FacetimeUK Exhibition Masterclass. Now in its third year the packed day served up fun, informative and inspirational presentations and speakers, not forgetting some fantastic catering. With sessions including Rob Brown Networking Coach, Rachel Elnaugh ex Dragon and Red Letter Days Founder, and all things tech savvy it was a real opportunity to learn and engage with success stories and suppliers on how to take your exhibiting to the next step. The opportunity to reflect on your previous achievements and how you can implement even small changes to move forwards is priceless and something that should be applied to all aspects of business.

Now how would your business look if you applied this to your day to day operations and took a moment to literally think outside of the cardboard box?  Everyone is so busy and powering on full steam ahead to get the task in hand complete and finish the job in front of them, but if you took a moment to stop, reflect and review your packaging, what would you learn? How could you streamline your supply chain packaging to reduce costs, minimise waste and increase efficiency?

Working with PPS can help you implement all the opportunities you might be missing out on and even get you ahead of your competitors in this market. With our knowledge we can review your current supply chain practise and analyse how to move it forward with ReturnableTransit Packaging. PPS have been managing supply chain packaging for nearly 15 years and will tailor a solution to your business. Whether that be pallet pooling, complete supply chain management, roll cage rental or washing of your own crates, PPS have a solution to fit with your business.

To take the opportunity and speak to the PPS team call 01283 821 502. 

Andy treks China for charity

As you may be aware PPS’s Operations Director Andy Flynn will be taking a journey across to China with fellow volunteers to tackle the Great Wall of China. 

Training hard Andy has been preparing physically and mentally for what lies ahead in China. Whilst he is physically active being involved in the air cadets and taking part in numerous Duke of Edinburgh awards, preparation will be key. Walking in humid heats with no toilet facilities on the wall the hike will be no casual stroll.

However it is important to be aware of the reasons behind such a big excursion. Andy will be raising money for the Boparan Charitable Trust who support children with disabilities, life-limiting conditions or are in extreme poverty. Last month PPS Midlands had the pleasure of presenting Liam Hallet who suffers with autism, a specialist trike to help him keep active.

Liam has trouble speaking and with his movement due to autism, the specially designed trike will give him the opportunity to interact with other children and play outside as well as strengthening his limbs. 

The BoparanCharitable Trust provide such aid to children on a daily basis, this makes the gruelling trek along the Great Wall of China so important, to raise money to fund such aid. Andy will also be placing a commemorative brick on the wall in Liams name.

If you would like to sponsor Andy please visit his Just Giving page by clicking here.

Hygienic Swab Testing

Here at PPS one of our primary focuses is on the washing we provide to our customers. In this blog we give you an insight into the science behind us achieving the highest quality of washing standards for our food industry clients.

Alongside our state of the art industrial wash machines, we operate a swab system to keep track of our wash standards to ensure hygiene is always maximised. The most frequent swab tests that we carry out are ATP swabs, these are completed on site. Our BRC accreditation requires us to perform ATP Swab tests 4 times a shift however, we can swab test equipment more regularly at the request of a customer. These give an overall cleanliness rating for the washed equipment. The rating is measured in Relative Light Units (RLU’s,) a large proportion of the food industry manufacturers use these as on site tests also. We conduct external lab swab tests where we test for various bacterial hazards.

Should you require any information on washing please do not hesitate to call the sales team on 01283 821502.

A Sunny Thursday In The Peaks

When I was asked if I would like to join our bank, RBS/NatWest, on a Corporate Day I quickly said yes as the venue was Matlock Golf Club. Then I noticed I hadn't read the small print, I realised my day out of the office would be a Cycling Sportive which comprised doing 55 miles around the Peak District and a total elevation of 5,000 feet!

 Since buying a road bike earlier in the year and having only ridden a maximum of 35 miles at a time, to say I was nervous in the morning was an understatement. My main motivation for taking part was knowing that if I could complete this challenge, it would be good preparation for my bike tour of Belgium in July. With a nice sunny day, a group of 15 of us set out for our ride around the Peak District. The route consisted of 4 major hills which were the toughest I have faced to date however the views were spectacular which made the climbs worth it. At some point during the day a fellow rider pointed out that the elevation gain was more than Everest.

What turned out to out to be a well organised event ended 7 hours later with only 8 riders making it to the finish line. Apart from the hills my biggest challenge turned out to be avoiding getting sun burnt! Jeremy Tutt, Finance Director.

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.

PPS INVEST IN THE FUTURE WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW ENGINEER

Returnable Packaging specialists PPS have made an investment towards the future of its operations team with the appointment of an in house engineer. With continued growth over previous years and future plans in place, PPS needed to look at a more cost effective and efficient service strategy for maintaining its state of the art wash equipment. Whilst outsourcing this work provides you with expert knowledge and a point of communication should a problem occur, quality service providers can prove to be busy and difficult to commit to your time frames.

The benefits of employing an experienced engineer can outweigh the costs and at times the hassle involved with external contractors. The complexity of the machines requires regular routine maintenance and improvements to ensure a high operating level of efficiency. For PPS the greatest advantage is gaining an enhanced knowledge of the machinery and the ability to react before the production of the wash plant if effected.

 “We understood the skill level and positive attitude required which made Alan the perfect candidate for the role. Having committed substantial financial investments towards new machinery it is essential that we have the facility in place to preserve the longevity of the assets. As we work to build a quality team for the future, Alan's 40 years of knowledge is proving invaluable,” commented Operations Director Andy Flynn.

Also speaking with Alan, he reported “it gave me the opportunity to work with a focused and driven company. As an engineer I’m passionate about ensuring all machines are working to full capacity and delighted to take ownership of this role.”

This investment for PPS enables them to continue to offer a high standard of hygienic washing of returnable packaging at their BRC approved facilities. Currently servicing a high calibre of customers from various industries including food, retail and automotive, PPS are committed to building improved services for the future.

To find out more about the wash services available contact PPS on 01283 821502.

Factory Tour In Pictures- Washing

At PPS washing is not a dirty subject it's what we do best! Both of our equipment wash sites hold BRC accreditation in warehouse and distribution ensuring hygiene is of the highest standard. We take our equipment cleaning seriously which is why we have made substantial investments into modern machinery. 

We are able to offer washing to a variety of industries with the infrastructure we have in place. Take a look at our wash tour below to see for yourself. 

Our main wash line is less than 12 months old and cleaning around 3,000 crates per hour. 

Trays are decanted at the 

dirty end.....

...cleaned through our

 high pressure system...

...and re stacked at the clean end. 

Our other wash line sits proudly alongside the new machine giving us capacity to meet growing customer demand.

Our trio of machines is completed with our pallet wash line. 

Originally installed to clean and maintain our own pool, we now also clean customers own plastic pallets to food industry standards with a high pressure wash and rinse.

For those trickier pieces...we know that returnable equipment comes in all shapes and sizes which is why we built our own industrial wash bay to cater for bespoke and larger packaging. 

The high pressure wash and chemicals work their magic on heavy soiling and label removal. 

Washing to such a high standard means we also need to keep the equipment protected when in storage and transit. Our automated pallet wrap machine is very efficient and also prevents our warehouse staff from getting dizzy!

Once wrapped the stack is then barcoded with traceability labeling. 

We take great pride in our wash service which is why we have committed to our future with the employment of an in house engineer in order to conduct regular services and inspections on the machinery to protect the longevity of our assets.

Have you got dirty crates, trays, boxes, totes, pallets or Dolavs? We'd love to have them in for a wash- call us on 01283 821 502 to organise your trial.

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.

When Sales Met Ops

Normally your first port of call when contacting PPS with sales enquiries, Lucy recently switched roles and spent time working in our operations team over the summer to help assist with the day to day reporting while the team continues to grow since our move to Marchington.

With our warehouse operating 24/7 and thousands of equipment movements each week, it is essential that the day to day tasks are up to date on Enable, stock sheets and wash reports.

“It was an ideal opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the business and the varied aspects involved in running the warehouse operationally. Having been using Enable for over 4 weeks, you appreciate how essential this system is for our business and see ways in which other customers could benefit from using it.

Whilst it was a great experience I am now looking forward to getting back into the sales vibe, catching up with customers and seeing many more as we start to look ahead to upcoming events, exhibitions and the New Year.” 

Meet the Team- Lucy Allsebrook

Name: Lucy Allsebrook

When did you join PPS? May 2013

What is your role at PPS? Sales Administrator

What was your first ever job? First Saturday job was a waitress. First full time job was lettings assistant.

How do you take your tea? No sugar, milk, couple of squeezes of the tea bag.

What is your favourite food? Cake and curry- maybe there’s an experiment in that.

What are your hobbies? I love socialising with friends and family over some good food and wine, running, baking and long walks with the dog. 

Could PPS improve your supply chain sustainability?

PPS are specialists in the world of Returnable Transit Packaging (RTP) and have many years experience in the field.

Our expertise ensures we are able to work closely with you to develop and implement a sustainable supply chain strategy to fit your company requirements, whilst also working towards waste legislation targets.

It is important across all sectors to review the sustainability of your supply chain in order to consider the key issues of economic growth, social impacts and environmental protection.

New developments through RTP is an important drive towards sustainability.

We are continually noticing increases in companies wanting to move away from single trip packaging such as cardboard boxes and polystyrene, to consider their RTP options through bale-arm crates, tote boxes, pallet boxes and other equipment.

The use of RTP will reduce your carbon emissions through lessening the disposal of packaging and transport with maximised design for storage on vehicles.

With the benefits of full service management and tracking systems, PPS are able to deliver an efficient supply chain while maximising your opportunities for sustainability.
 

Movember!

PPS Complete Movember Challenge supporting Mens Health Causes

The PPS Mo Bro’s have successfully completed the Movember challenge raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health, with the aim to change the face of mens health.

What started off with a very small group from Melbourne, Australia back in 2003 with a team of 30 Mo Bro’s, the independent global charity now sees moustaches sprouting internationally every year during November.

Our Financial Controller Jeremy Tutt led the way to raising £125 so far for this great cause. “The hardest thing about growing a moustache is not to shave it off in the morning when in autopilot mode. Movember is a great cause however I must be honest, I couldn’t wait to shave the moustache off on the 1st December - kisses from the wife and children were reluctantly given during the month! Only 11 more months to go until it's time to do it all again.

Is Tray Washing a dirty subject?

Tray Washing at PPS

At PPS it’s not – it’s what we do every day!

We wash thousands of supermarket style bale arm trays 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

We do this because our customers don’t want the hassle of washing their own trays, that’s our problem and a problem solved for our customers, leaving them to get on with their core business.

We take tray washing seriously and we have exacting hygiene and quality systems.

These systems have enabled us to be certificated to BRC standard, which is recognised widely across the food supply chain.

So, if you have a tray washing problem don’t delay – contact PPS and let it be our problem.