UKWA Awards for Excellence 2026 winners announced

Major brands, family firms and rising stars in logistics were celebrated at the UKWA Warehousing Association’s Awards for Excellence, in a ceremony held at Royal Lancaster London on 15 July.

Sponsored by IMHX, this year marked the 25th anniversary of the awards. The ceremony was hosted by Spencer Kelly, known for his 20-year stint as presenter of the BBC’s technology programme, Click.

As the dedicated trade association for the warehousing sector, the UKWA’s awards are always hotly contested by third party logistics providers, property developers, and technology companies.

In addition to the judged categories, a Chairman’s Award is given to an individual who has made a particular contribution to the industry. This year, the recipient was Duncan Pannell, formerly of Aztek Logistics. Colleagues and peers provided moving testimony about Pannell’s dedication to excellent service, and the support he had provided to others over his career.

Clare Bottle, CEO of the UKWA, said:

“Since the first UKWA awards were held 25 years ago, the warehousing industry has changed almost beyond recognition. Whether that’s trends in business and technology, like the growth of online retail and automation, or external shocks like Brexit, Covid and tariffs, our members have kept on innovating.

“The Awards for Excellence showcase the extraordinary adaptability of our members, the commitment to finding a way to meet their customers’ needs, whatever it takes. Without warehousing, every supply chain, from retail, to manufacturing, food and pharmaceuticals would fall over. With well-run and innovative warehousing, we can keep the economy moving, increase productivity, and create good jobs.

“Congratulations to all the winners on their well-deserved recognition.”

Chris Morley, Group Director of Maritime and Logistics, Informa Markets, added:

“It’s a real pleasure for IMHX to support the UKWA Awards for Excellence. As a partner to industry, we believe recognition of success and innovation is vital to growth and prosperity for all.

“IMHX exists to stimulate progress, connect stakeholders and foster collaboration across the UK’s intralogistics, material handling and warehousing sectors. We’re thrilled to be able to celebrate with the winners, and excited to be continuing our support of the awards into next year, as we look towards IMHX 2027.”

The UKWA would like to thank the Headline Sponsor, IMHX, the Champagne Sponsor Mercurius, charity partner, Transaid, and media partner, Warehouse & Logistics News, for their support.

List of winners