Held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on the 3rdFebruary, the event was a celebration of Pall-Ex Group’s ‘World of Excellence’, incorporating elements of the food, culture and entertainment of its key locations across Europe, including Irish dancers, Italian opera singers and Spanish flamenco dancers.
Over 700 guests from Pall-Ex Group’s 170 network members, European partners and staff attended the event, alongside a number of special guests including the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire Mike Kapur, Alan Jones CVO OBE ex-CEO of TNT Express, chairman of the APN Paul Sanders, and Jenny King from SSAFA, the armed forces charity.
The Group used the event to launch its new charity partnership with SSAFA, the oldest and largest armed forces charity in the UK, as it looks to strengthen its ties to the military community and build upon the support it provides to veterans. Through the silent auction and charity casino, the event raised a total of £3,283 for SSAFA, with the Pall-Ex Group Charitable Foundation topping up this donation to £10,000 to kick start the partnership.
The event, sponsored by Gallagher, celebrated the Group’s achievements over the previous year, which saw it launch its best-in-class pallet size offering and drive home with the Livery of the Year Award at the Motor Transport Awards. It also celebrated the accomplishments of its members and European partners, welcoming celebrity guest Keith Lemon to the stage to present awards to the highest achievers from across its two networks.
The Pall-Ex Business Development Award, sponsored by Microsec, was presented to Synergix Logistics Solutions, with the Fortec Business Development Award, sponsored by Falcona, going to UCLS.
Gerry Jones Transport was named Pall-Ex New Member of the Year, sponsored byHoneywell, with FreightForce taking home the Fortec New Member of the Year Award, sponsored by Intu Veritas.
The European Network of the Year Award, sponsored by Service Express, was presented to Pall-Ex Romania for the second year in a row following another strong year of growth for the network.
The Member of the Year Awards, sponsored by MRS Hire, are voted for each year by the network members and are the most prestigious awards of the evening. Devereux Transport and Distribution was honoured with the coveted Fortec Member of the Year Award for the eighth time since joining the Fortec network in 2005. The Pall-Ex Member of the Year Award was presented to Severn Transport Services for the third consecutive year, in recognition of the excellent service it provides to the network.
Alongside recognising its members, individual contribution to the network was also highlighted at the event.
The Pall-Ex Group Star Awards, sponsored by Barcode Warehouse, were given out to employees from across the network who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to their work. Nominated by their colleagues, these people form the beating heart of Pall-Ex Group and are essential to its mission to achieve excellence.
In addition to this, the Group also gave out the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ian Hooper, who has worked for its owned operation, Intercounty Distribution, for over 45 years and is Pall-Ex Group’s longest-serving employee.
Maggie Larimore, owner of PMB Pallets, was recognised with the Outstanding Contribution Award in honour of the unwavering dedication she has shown to the network since becoming a founder member in 1996 and playing a huge role in the member-management buyout in 2019.
J.T Leyland’s Mike Leyland was also praised in the Outstanding Contribution Awards for the service his business has provided to the network in a challenging part of the country over the last 20 years.
Speaking of the awards event and the Group’s successful year, Group CEO Kevin Buchanan commented: “We greatly value the opportunity to unite our members, European partners and employees in what was a true celebration of our international success.
“The resilience of our network as we strive towards our collective goal of excellence is nothing short of remarkable and is highlighted by Pall-Ex Group’s strong performance throughout 2023 despite bleak market conditions.
“I am proud to recognise our award winners for their hard work and dedication to the network and I look forward to the next 12 months of achieving excellence.”
