Autumn 2008

A group sales director has been appointed by pallet delivery specialist Fortec to drive a network-wide marketing expansion initiative.

'The members are in this together, and we're here to make a profit,' chief executive Rod Abrahams told F& e. 'We need to be more sales-focused as we go forward.'

Fortec, which is unique among pallet networks in being owned by a major international freight operator (Geodis), is seen as a medium-ranking player by size, but Abrahams says it is the leader in terms of quality of service.

'We're not volume-driven, and we don't look for *ugly' or difficult freight,' Abrahams says. 'We tend to look for higher-value commodities. Typical traffics include computers and peripherals, and more recently pharmaceuticals.

 

Abrahams says the credit crunch and world financial crisis have not so far dented Fortec's business much. 'We're still busy,' he says, though he adds that Christmas has definitely started late this year.

Currently Fortec is rolling out enhanced consignment tracking. Pallets are already scanned through the company's hubs, and next year depot scanning will be added. The POD information is available online. But Abrahams has resisted issuing all drivers with handheld terminals. 'We've avoided getting dragged into what others are doing without knowing there will be a pay-off.'