Arriving as new United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) CEO in January, Peter Ward – an industry stalwart with 30 years’ experience in the sector – immediately began to drive the Association forward, setting out UKWA’s role in a logistics world being rapidly transformed by global mega trends. Growing and increasingly urban populations, making little and often shopping trips with high expectations of omni-channel delivery are just a few. While posing risks these also create opportunity for UKWA’s agile members, who are well placed to provide solutions.
These issues, which Ward has been speaking on at forums throughout the year, were examined in detail in front of a global logistics audience in Liverpool in June during the IFWLA Convention 2015, which was opened by HRH The Princess Royal. Ward also raised them at UKWA’s annual House of Lords reception in February, attended by leading industry representatives and members of both houses of parliament.
Gaining the attention of policy makers is an important part of the Association’s vigil for potentially onerous regulations.
As an example, UKWA commissioned research to present a clear understanding of how proposed sprinkler regulations would affect warehouse operators. This report was discussed at the Health & Safety Event at the NEC, Birmingham last February. Also, following successful pressure and campaigning by UKWA, HM Revenue & Customs reviewed the timescales taken to approve applicants to operate excise businesses and the conditions imposed on such approvals.
Warehouses, distribution centres and fulfillment centres play a vital role in supporting communities. They also provide an entry point for a dynamic career, which is unmatched by other sectors. UKWA has, this year, been developing partnerships with a range of providers to meet members’ needs for training and qualifications at all levels.
As Lord Digby Jones said at the annual UKWA Awards in July, we need to train if we are to boost our productivity. The Awards themselves celebrated best practice in our industry and it continues to be a favourite networking event for the industry.
2015 also saw UKWA focus on the warehouse infrastructure dichotomy by commissioning Savills to profile the UK’s warehouse property sector. Published in September, the resulting report confirmed that demand is outstripping supply and provides the data to put the issue on policy maker agendas.
This was just some of the activity in a busy 2015 for the Association and the momentum will continue into next year.
UKWA CEO, Peter Ward commented: “As we progress into 2016, UKWA will be addressing these, and other issues, and lobbying policy makers as the voice of the logistics industry to ensure its needs are heard, understood and addressed. We will also be announcing a number of additional and exciting benefits that will be rolled out in the new year to members whilst broadening the scope of the Association’s appeal to the wider logistics sector.”
0207 636 8856
Comments are closed.