ACS&T Logistics, the UK’s pioneering providers of logistics solutions has recently become one of the first temperature controlled logistics companies to achieve British Retail Consortium (BRC) certification (Storage and Distribution) across all of its working sites. After an extensive auditing process by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) throughout 2008, certificates were approved and awarded in November.
The BRC certification has been awarded at ACS&T’s sites in Grimsby, Wolverhampton, Tewkesbury and Scarborough and covers both the temperature controlled operations and the Just-In-Time ambient Production Support services.
The BRC Standard is widely regarded as the benchmark for best practice for organisations involved in the storage and distribution of products to retailers and suppliers. It requires companies to adopt and implement hazard and risk analysis (HACCP), have a documented and effective Quality Management System and to control Environment standards, products, processes and personnel.
Malcolm Johnstone, Managing Director of ACS&T commented: “We are delighted to have achieved BRC accreditation, which is testament to ACS&T’s continued commitment to quality of service, hygiene and product safety across our many sites. Though the certification is entirely voluntary, we wanted to prove that we are the industry leader in our field.”
He went on to say. “The BRC will allow us to give assurances to existing and potential clients that we are committed to constantly improving our services and delivering the best value.”
The accreditation is the culmination of ACS&T’s continuing programme of quality, safety and hygiene management. In 1993, ACS&T Logistics implemented a Quality Management System accredited to ISO9001 which it continues to develop and is currently certified to ISO9001:2000.
ACS&T Logistics began life as the London Ice & Cold Storage Company Ltd in 1921 and built the country’s first ever cold store for fish underneath Billingsgate Market. The business went on to open the country’s first low-temperature cold store, at Grimsby, in 1934. Today ACS&T’s services are provided from four centres: Grimsby (Headquarters), Wolverhampton, Tewkesbury and Scarborough. The business currently operates 14 cold stores, 2 ambient stores, extensive co-packing facilities and large, dedicated and shared-user multi-temp transport fleets.
ACS&T Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Camellia plc. Camellia is an international investment company with a long-term outlook on each of its trading companies. The turnover of the group is £160M, and it employs 75,000 people in 15 companies. Forty per cent of the group’s revenue is generated from UK operations. In addition to food storage and distribution, Camellia operates in engineering, agriculture, banking and pharmaceuticals. The company is also the world’s largest independent tea producer.
ACS&T Logistics
Sara Olivant
Tel 01472 358207
Email: sales@acst.co.uk
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