The Rack Group Ltd are specialists in reducing pallet racking repair bills. Located in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, The Rack Group have worked with some of the largest businesses in the world to reduce unbudgeted and uncontrollable racking damage. We’ve created countless innovations that aim to reduce and eradicate pallet racking damage on customers’ sites, in some cases saving millions of pounds in the process.

Jenny-CharltonWLN – As a leading supplier in the Barriers & Protection category, what has the last year been like for your business? How about for the rest of your sector?

Business is better than ever. We specialise in reducing costs for companies which is fortunately what most businesses in the UK are looking at doing year on year.

We pride ourselves on our ability to constantly innovate and create new products and services to reduce pallet racking damage, and this year has been no different with the launch of our new range of barriers.

WLN – What are your best-known products and services?

I would have to say the ever popular Rack Armour pallet racking upright protector would be our most popular product. Sold in over 70 countries and manufactured on three continents, over the past ten years we’ve sold the upright protector to some of the world’s biggest names including Coca Cola, BMW, Disney, Wal-Mart and many more. A close second has to be our Front Upright Reinforcement Section (FURS) for pallet racking. This product means racking repairs are a thing of the past, an obvious benefit to many. (To find out more please turn the page)

WLN – What makes you the first choice supplier in your field?

As with all our products, we developed our barriers with our customers. We didn’t tell them what they wanted, we listened. By doing this we’ve created a range of barriers which fulfill genuine needs of the varying warehouse environments out there.

WLN – What changes have you made to your core offering in the last year?

The launch of our original barrier range was so overwhelming that we were inundated with requests for additional shapes and sizes for differing requirements.

We originally thought end of aisle protection would be our forte, but our customers trusted us enough to create a range of pedestrian and bumper barriers for other applications that can rival that of other barrier manufacturers in the UK, in a cost effective way.

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WLN – What new products and services have you introduced?

Our new pedestrian and bumper range offer customers a wide variety of safety and segregation at a great price. Created to fill a void in the market, these new barrier varieties give our customers the chance to create a safe working environment for their staff whilst not breaking the bank, with a product that carries on working, flexing and diffusing impacts in situations where metal systems would need to be replaced.

WLN – What industries are your customers in?

Our customer base is made up mostly of logistics FMCG businesses, although since our barrier range launched earlier this year we have seen huge interest from a wide variety of industries. The barriers really are opening new doors for us into areas of business we didn’t think we would explore.

WLN – How do your products and services help customers become more efficient, greener or work safer?

Compared to the metal alternative, our barriers can be up to 8X lighter which saves substantial amounts on delivery costs. The plastic used to create the barriers is also made from 100% recyclable materials and creates far less Co2 emissions in manufacturing than its steel counterpart.

The barriers also require zero maintenance in regards to their upkeep. Metal systems often look tired and unpleasant once they’ve been hit a few times, requiring painting to maintain a clean look. Our plastic barrier is made from a solid HDPE material which means it doesn’t chip and flake once hit, further more saving time needed to repaint and maintain.

Generally our barriers also offer the customer a much longer life span when comparing to metal systems. Our barriers flex and absorb impacts where metal systems bend and dent. This often means metal systems are replaced often when comparing to their next generation plastic counterparts.

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WLN – Can you tell us about some of your customers and the work you do for them?

We have an impressive array of customers and clients that use our products and that we’ve worked with over the years. They include McDonalds, B&Q, Wal-Mart, Coca Cola, Superdrug, Tesco, DHL, Krispy Kreme, IKEA, Kellogg’s, Kraft and some we cannot name due to contractual agreements. The work we undertake varies significantly depending on their needs and requirements. We tailor packages to suit not only budgets but also the stipulations given by the customer.

WLN – Is there a recent or current project that stands out as a showcase for your company? Can you tell us about it?

We had the fantastic opportunity to collaborate on the new barrier range with one of the biggest companies in the world. They contacted us as they felt their current system no longer worked for them. We worked with their team to develop a range that outperforms rivals.

WLN – What were your company’s biggest achievements in the last 12 months?

As a business we’ve had a number of achievements this year, but one that stands out is our recent award success at the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. Taking home first place in exporting excellence for our Rack Armour range (including barriers) and also a first place for innovation regarding our Rack Aid Management System (Please turn over to find out more.) We also came highly commended for our training programs for those working in and around pallet racking.

WLN – Are you currently investing in the business, taking on staff or going into new markets or countries? If so, how’s it going?

Export markets have always been a large part of our strategy as a business. We now sell in sell over 70 Countries and manufacture our products on three continents. Business has never been better but especially in the USA where sales have climbed substantially. We continue to welcome new dealers of the product across the 50 states who promote Rack Armour to their new and existing customers, furthering our reach substantially in the process.

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WLN – What are you doing to bring on new talent and raise skills levels in your company?

The Rack Group have always trained its staff and equipped them with the right tools to do the best job possible. Our team is our most valuable asset, they have been so important to Rack Armour’s success around the world. Our in house training department, Rack Training Ltd has created an abundance of material to train not only our team but others working in and around a warehouse environment. Health and safety is of paramount to us as a business, culminating in our entire team holding either NEBOSH or IOSH qualifications respectively.

WLN – What are the major issues facing the Barriers & Protection category as we go forward? How is your company addressing them?

The biggest issue before we started producing the barriers for the industry was the severe lack of choice in regards to the next generation of barrier systems. We now offer a superior product at a competitive price for the market which is a breath of fresh air to some businesses that felt the current options were few and far between.

Our entire product range has been tested at our purpose built testing facility.

This has ensured that each of our products meet and exceed the industry standards. This ensures the products don’t have to be replaced after each impact, giving the customer years of service, in turn saving them time and money on replacements.

WLN – Will you be exhibiting at any major trade shows in the coming year?

As always The Rack Group will be exhibiting at numerous tradeshows throughout the year, ranging from logistics to health and safety shows.

Not only that but we’ll be exhibiting at a number of export tradeshows throughout the US and Europe with our Rack Armour protection products.

WLN – What other big news from The Rack Group can our readers look forward to reading in Warehouse & Logistics News in 2016?

We have big plans for next year, new products, new strategies and new targets to beat. I don’t want to give away too much but keep your eyes peeled.

01226 784 488

info@therackgroup.com

www.therackgroup.com

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