CML is an award-winning 3PL with 29 years of retail and fulfilment experience providing warehousing, value added services (VAS), freight forwarding, Green GOH and Customs Brokerage. Part of the Rhenus Group since 3rd January 2019.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
CML is an end to end warehousing and logistics provider, specialising in retail, e-commerce and wholesale fulfilment solutions.
Which industry sectors are your customers in and which ones are growing fastest?
E-commerce is our quickest growing industry sector with most of our customers experiencing 20-30% order growth year on year. We have seen exceptional growth in health and beauty and fashion products online.
What are your most recent product innovations?
Our systems technology is constantly developing and evolving in-line with the growth in online ordering.
What are the major trends and developments affecting your category and your customers, and how are you responding?
Increasing the speed of chain for our customers is now the biggest driver in our company development. The expectation on delivery time from when they place the order to when it is delivered is becoming shorter, which means we need to constantly look at ways to speed up our processes.
Whether this is through improved technology, automation or robotics we have to continuously improve and adapt to the speed of change.
Can you tell us about any recent customer contracts and how you helped the customer meet their challenges?
We recently won a new contract with a well-known beauty and cosmetics brand. They needed a Logistics Provider who could quickly take over their warehousing and distribution in order to meet a significant increase in their order book. The whole process was seamless and completed within a four week period with no disruption whatsoever. Our customer is delighted with the move to CML and their sales continue to grow strongly.
How does business in 2019 compare to previous years? What’s your strategy for succeeding in the current climate?
We have seen a significant increase in online e-commerce demand which requires a different business model and approach to more traditional wholesale pallet business. CML has adapted quickly and has recently built a 4 storey, 80,000 sq ft mezzanine floor which is perfect to grow in-line with the demand for growth in this area.
What’s the latest news from your company?
In January, CML was acquired by Rhenus Logistics. Becoming part of the Rhenus group is a significant move forward for our company as it brings financial investment and the opportunity to learn from a wealth of experience and knowledge within the global Rhenus group.
Can you tell us about any areas where you’re currently making technical advances eg safety, sustainability, environment?
CML has invested significantly in its ‘green’ environmental policy. We recently purchased a fleet of CML branded electric cars to enable employees to move between warehouses without using fuel. We have also changed our company car policy which means all employees have to have an electric car, petrol or diesel cars are no longer an option. We have also installed LED lighting in our three warehouses which has reduced our electricity usage and carbon footprint by over 50%.
Are you investing in staff training and skills development?
We recently won the UKWA Training award and have been shortlisted in two other prestigious industry awards for our future skills and investment in our training and development program. Our e-learning centre, which was built last year, has delivered more than 5,000 training courses to our employees so far. We also have twelve apprentices working at CML in collaboration with two local colleges.
Are you taking part in any major trade shows? Can you tell us what you’ll be exhibiting there?
CML will be having stands at the Richmond Supply Chain Forum being held in St Albans on 15th October and also at the Total Supply Chain Summit being held on 4th and 5th November in Manchester. Both events bring logistics professionals and industry suppliers together and involve 1-2-1 meetings with a matching process that allows both the retailer and CML to pre-select who they would like to meet.
CML
t: 01455 200 700
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