Last month, some 500 UKWA members and their guests attended UKWA’s 75th Anniversary Lunch and Awards event at London’s Dorchester Hotel.
UKWA’s Annual Lunch and Awards has always been widely regarded as one of the premier occasions in the logistics industry’s calendar, but this year felt extra special. Perhaps it was the presence of HRH The Princess Royal or the fact that throughout 2019 UKWA is commemorating its 75th year, but there was certainly a ‘buzz’ among the sell-out crowd at the Dorchester throughout the day.
Our Awards are established as symbols of achievement that emphasise the importance of logistics within today’s economy and the high number and quality of the entries we receive each year underlines the professionalism that runs through the modern logistics industry.
The Awards reward the developments in new technology that are shaping the way supply chains operate, highlight the importance of training and education within our industry and show the career opportunities that the modern logistics industry offers to ambitious and hard working young people.
By showcasing all that is good about our sector UKWA’s Awards amply demonstrate that our industry is fit for purpose and ready to meet the challenges of the digital world today and in the years to come.
A total of 10 UKWA Awards were presented and the winners were:
• Karl King Transport (Best New UKWA Member)
• Ryan Walker, 3P Logistics (Young Employee of the Year)
• Craig Perrin, Hemisphere Freight (Warehouse Manager of the Year)
• Pallite (Award for Innovation)
• Core Management Logistics (Training Award)
• Durable UK (Environment Award)
• Expect Distribution (Infrastructure Project)
• Arrow XL (Customer Service)
• Culina Logistics (Logistics Service Provider of the Year)
• Tony Mannix, Clipper Logistics (Chairman’s Award)
The final award of the day – the UKWA Chairman’s Award – is presented to an individual or company who, in the opinion of the Association’s chairman, has made a real and lasting contribution to the logistics industry and I was very pleased that our Chairman, Graeme Undy, chose Tony Mannix, Chief Executive of Clipper Logistics, as this year’s recipient.
Tony Mannix started his career in logistics some 32 years ago working as a warehouse manager in the distribution arm of the Burton Group. He went on to work for a number of retailers before joining the Clipper Group in 2006.
Through his drive and enthusiasm Clipper has grown over his 13-year tenure to become a £500 million company, and was floated on the stock exchange five years ago at which time Tony became Chief Executive of the Plc group.
Tony is also the driving force behind Clipper Logistics’ Fresh Start initiative – a group recruitment strategy that addresses the labour and skills shortage facing our sector by providing career opportunities to exoffenders, people from minority groups and those living with physical and mental health challenges.
Since its launch, Clipper’s Fresh Start campaign has given employment opportunities to 500 disadvantaged people – people that are, sadly, all too often overlooked in the job market. Tony is a fine example of all that is good about the logistics sector and the award is recognition of UKWA’s appreciation of everything he has achieved – and, no doubt, will go on to achieve in the years ahead – in a highly successful career.
Commemorative publication This year UKWA celebrates its 75th anniversary and to mark this milestone anniversary, we have produced a high quality commemorative volume, looking back over the history of the warehousing and logistics industry and the association since its inception in 1944.
We are very proud of this carefully curated and beautifully designed collection of images, news stories and personal memories from across the years, and are most grateful to the many contributors involved. It’s a fascinating record of how the world has changed over the decades and will no doubt will make the perfect coffee table book for businesses in our industry!
All UKWA members will receive a free softback version of this limitededition souvenir while additional copies are available to order, in softback or hardback, and can be personalised or branded if required. Every copy sold will include a donation to Transaid’s MAMaZ Against Malaria campaign, as part of UKWA’s drive to raise £75,000 for the charity in its 75th year. Visit www.ukwa.org.uk for details
PETER WAR
UKWA, CEO
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