Torque is renowned for its warehousing and logistics services for the fashion industry but its expertise is no means limited to this sector. Exciting recent additions to its portfolio are the US Step2® and Infantino companies. Step2® has its headquarters in Streetsboro, Ohio and is the American market leading manufacturer of preschool and toddler toys as well as the world’s largest rotational molder of plastics. Step2® UK Ltd has its administration centre in Bolton, Greater Manchester and a distribution centre in Wigan.
Step2® boasts two large US plants in northern Ohio, one in Streetsboro and one in Perrysville and its products are distributed to select retailers throughout the US, Canada, and over 70 other countries including the UK.
Infantino is the sister brand to Step2®. The company designs toys, carriers, playmats and baby-gyms for babies and toddlers. Its ethos being to amuse, stimulate and comfort small children during their first very important growing up stages.
Torque’s remit for both Step2® and Infantino is to provide warehousing for their UK and European operations. Goods arrive in containers from the Far East and the US and products are sorted and stored in specific locations for each company ready to be sent out.
Deliveries of all Step2® products are handled by Torque with products going to major toy retailers such as Argos, Toys R Us, Amazon as well as the key smaller independents. Torque organises drop ship deliveries for Tesco and also fulfils all online orders placed directly on the Step2® website. Torque provides the same comprehensive service on behalf of Infantino whose customers include Boots, Mothercare and Tesco.
Additional services for Step2® and Infantino include dispatch into Europe via pallets and courier shipments, the handling of outer carton labelling for individual stores plus the more complex re-labelling of inner cartons together with the management of all returns. The Step2® business is very seasonal so a warehouse and logistics company that is flexible enough to cope with the peaks and troughs of its business, especially leading up and during the Christmas period, is an absolute priority.
Speaking for both Step2® and Infantino, Rob Tinniswood, European Finance Director commented: “Our contract with Torque went live at the end of April and we were delighted with how well they handled the transition stage – all our orders were met and dispatched on time and Torque’s service levels continue to impress us. Our decision to chose Torque was partly based on location as its Wigan DC is very convenient to our Bolton UK Head Office but also, and more importantly, we really liked the company’s ‘can do’ approach and its ideas on how it could help us improve our own customer services.”
Torque
Tel: 0800 0855510
Email: enquiries@torque.eu
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