APC News
APC OVERNIGHT RETAINS ‘BUSINESS OF THE YEAR’ AWARD
The UK’s largest independent parcel network, APC Overnight, is celebrating after being crowned ‘Business of the Year 2013’ at the Express and Star’s Business Awards for the second successive year – the first time any organisation has won the award two years in a row.
APC Overnight, which comprises 115 independently-owned depots across the UK, was singled out for its performance during the 2012 Olympics and its outstanding profit growth, which has enabled the firm to invest £16.5 million in a new 138,000 sq. ft. national sortation centre in Cannock, Staffordshire.
Having won the award for the first time in 2012, APC Overnight’s successful defence of its title underlines the achievements and continued growth of the business over the last two years. This progress has been thanks to the firm’s increased levels of customer service, which is founded upon a rising number of referrals and repeat business.
The award has raised the profile of the logistics industry in the West Midlands, not least thanks to the Express and Star’s status as the biggest-selling regional evening newspaper in Britain.
Syed Ziaullah, chief executive of APC Overnight, said: “To claim the award for a second successive year is an unbelievable achievement and underlines the high levels of expertise and commitment consistently demonstrated by our staff.”
“Our continued achievement is largely thanks to the co-operative structure of our business, which allows everyone employed by the organisation to play their part in maintaining outstanding service levels for our customers.”
For more information about APC Overnight visit www.apc-overnight.com
AWARDS RECOGNISE APC OVERNIGHT DEPOTS’ OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Saturday 8th June saw APC Overnight host its annual awards ceremony, in celebration of twelve months of delivery success.
Winners of the coveted awards included Leyland-based ABC Limited, which received special recognition for exceptional service by winning the ‘CEO’s Award’, while Rapid Dispatch took home the ‘Sales Development Award’, having overseen a 274 per cent increase in sales over just twelve months.
Also topping the bill were joint winners of the ‘Depot of the Year’, West London’s Point to Point, and Thetford’s Team C Express Logistics.
As well as the national awards ‘Regional Depot of the Year’ trophies went to
APC Hereford
APC East Kent
Celtic Couriers
Direct Express Parcels Ltd
Direct Logistics
Gazelle International Ltd
Hand Delivery Ltd
20 ‘Certificates for Excellence’ were also given out at the ceremony in recognition of those depots that went above and beyond to deliver exceptionally high levels of customer service.
The awards ceremony, which was held at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham, was attended by 500 representatives from APC Overnight’s 115 depots across the UK and Ireland, and was hosted by Olympic gold medallist and former television presenter Kriss Akabusi MBE.
Speaking of the awards, APC Overnight CEO, Syed Ziaullah, said:“These awards recognise the stand-out achievement of individual depots, but more than that, it gives us a chance to shine the spotlight on all of those companies throughout the network who work hard day in day out to ensure successful deliveries.”
“APC Overnight depots are all independently owned and managed businesses that are committed to offering the best service for local customers. It is a testament to the whole of the network that this year’s winners had to demonstrate exceptionally high standards of customer service and professionalism to set themselves out.”
TWO AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR UK’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PARCEL NETWORK
The UK’s largest independent parcel network, APC Overnight, has been nominated for two prestigious industry awards.
A panel of industry experts has shortlisted the overnight delivery specialist in both the Innovation and Network of the Year categories as part of this year’s Motor Transport Awards, the UK’s biggest awards ceremony for the road transport industry.
The Network of the Year nomination will look at how the company’s unique structure saw its 115 independent member depots make excellent use of local knowledge to provide an outstanding on time delivery service last year.
The Innovation nomination meanwhile is a collaboration between APC Overnight and Cartwrights, and looks at the two companies’ development and trial of bespoke extended trailers across APC Overnight’s delivery network in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and improve efficiency.
“We have a firm commitment to offering fast and efficient on-time delivery, with a friendly, local service,” said APC Overnight chief executive, Syed Ziaullah. “All of our depots are independently run businesses and I believe customers can see the benefit of working with a local company and the commitment to customer service when they use APC Overnight.”
Syed continued: “Being recognised by industry insiders is a fantastic endorsement and it’s great that these two awards represent two very different sides of our business. We constantly look to be ahead of the competition by investing in our business and the introduction of these four extended length double deck trailers is a key part of this.”
APC Overnight will open its new £16.5 million national sortation centre this summer. To find out more about APC Overnight visit www.apc-overnight.com
NATIONAL COURIER NETWORK PLACES IN TOP 100 PROFITABLE COMPANIES
The UK's largest independent parcel network, APC Overnight, has ranked as the 23rd fastest-growing company in the UK, according to PwC and The Sunday Times.
The ranking was achieved as part of the prestigious Sunday Times PwC Profit Track 100 table of privately owned companies with the fastest-growth in profits over the last three years.
The courier company raced past the competition, jumping 43 places in the table, having been ranked in 66th position twelve months ago.
“This is a fantastic achievement for the company and our network of 115 independently owned depots across the UK,” comments chief executive Syed Ziaullah. “This is the second time we.ve been listed in the top 100 and it is a testament to the hard work that.s gone into creating a reliable and professional overnight delivery service for customers wherever they are in the UK. The independent nature of our depots means that customers benefit from a personalised service with the added reassurance of a national network.. ”
Syed attributes in part the company's on-going success to the rise of online retailing, which according to him, has allowed independent companies to access a wider customer-base.
“Online retailing has made a significant impact on our business, since we launched in 1994,” continues Syed.“Latest trends, including the rise of discount and voucher websites have seen demand increase across the network for volume deliveries from independent companies. We expect this trend to continue, as retail increasingly moves online.”
For APC Overnight finance director, Mark Fletcher, Profit Track listing is the product of outstanding performance throughout the business. He says: “Moving so far up the league table in just twelve months is a fantastic result, particularly when you consider that we haven't introduced any price increases in that time. Our focus has been on providing a quality service and the efficient utilisation of resources. Coupled with a strong sales performance from the network and increased referrals, we continue to have an extremely healthy company.”
The Sunday Times PwC Profit Track 100 is now in its 14th year and ranks companies according to growth in profits over the last three years of available audited accounts.
APC Overnight will open its new £15 million national sortation centre this summer. To find out more about APC Overnight visit www.apc-overnight.com
Senior Appointments Focus on Marketing and IT
APC Overnight is delighted to announce two new senior appointments, as part of our on-going growth strategy. Tara Barnes, formerly of DHL, joins as Head of Sales and Marketing, tasked with improving national brand awareness and providing strategic marketing direction for the company. Former Cluttons LLP IT Director, Mark Clemence, has also been recruited as Head of IT to develop the company’s information technology systems, ensuring it maintains its leading position.
Speaking of the appointments, CEO Syed Ziaullah said: “We’re really pleased to be able to welcome on board both Tara and Mark. APC Overnight is at a key point in its development as a business, having seen record growth over recent years. Both appointments will see us build on our current strengths and develop strategic plans for the future.”
APC Overnight Unveils Our New £15 Million Logistics Hub
Our new £15 million logistics hub, which will more than double the capacity of the existing centre in Essington, was unveiled at a ceremony which marked the completion of all external construction. Based in the Kingswood Lakeside development in Cannock, a former open cast coal mine, the new hub has been designed to be sensitive to the surrounding environment having achieved a BREEAM Good rating.
APC Overnight’s decision to move to new premises follows record growth over recent years, culminating in the company posting £65.76 million turnover and a 30 per cent rise in pre-tax profits for the year 2011-2012.
Speaking at the unveiling CEO Syed Ziaullah said: “This new development is the result of more than four years planning and development; although in truth it is something we have been gearing up to for a lot longer.”
Syed added: “With a belief in personal service and an extensive delivery network we’re able to ensure customers’ parcels get to where they need to be when they need to get there. Whether delivering a snorkel to an F1 pundit or electrical components, our reliability is unquestioned.
“Dependability and professionalism are what our company is built on, and it’s this that has helped us grow from delivering a few hundred parcels in 1994 to where we are today.”
Busiest December On Record For APC Overnight
APC Overnight has revealed its December trading figures which mark a record Christmas in the company’s 19-year history. Our 115 depots increased their standard delivery fleet by over 20 per cent and an overall 30 per cent rise in freight volume based on the same period the previous year. We also increased staffing levels by 18 per cent to help account for the additional volume that went through the network.
Chief Executive Syed Ziaullah said: “Christmas is the busiest time for the industry but owing to the huge surge in demand for our services over the past two years, it was important that we put systems in place to cope.
“Our planning started in September when we held regional meetings with depot principals to discuss logistics. We also sent out delivery projections to each depot to help them plan resources to manage the uplift.”
The firm, which is the largest independent overnight parcel company in the UK, also increased its trunk levels by an average 35 per cent in December compared to the same period last year to stay ahead of expected demand.
It promises to be an eventful year for the courier firm as they prepare to move into their new £15 million hub in Cannock this spring.
Syed continued: “I predict a huge year for us. With the move to our new hub just a few short months away and following the record-breaking Christmas, we are set to meet ambitious growth targets in a stronger position than ever.”
APC Named In Top 100 Companies
APC Overnight has been named as one of Britain’s top-performing private companies in the Sunday Times Profit Track 100 listings. These companies, billed as “role models for others that want to pursue growth,” demonstrate that it is possible to grow profits even given the recent challenging economic backdrop, as performance was measured over the financial years 2008-11. APC Overnight’s impressive 55% growth over the period is attributed to restructuring and efficiency savings.
“I believe this is a significant milestone in the history of the company and one we should all be extremely proud of,” says Syed Ziaullah, CEO. “Being recognised by The Sunday Times PwC Profit Track program as one of the top 100 companies in the UK for profit growth is an immense accolade and endorses the hard work of everyone at APC.”
Head of Sales and Marketing Steve Salt added: “To be listed among the top 100 companies in Britain is a huge achievement. We take pride and care in the levels of service we provide and this placement shows we are a company people want to do business with.”
APC Win ‘Business Of The Year’
APC Overnight triumphed over strong competition to be named as ‘Business of the Year’ at a prestigious awards ceremony on Thursday 22nd March. The awards – sponsored by the UK’s biggest selling regional daily, the Express & Star – are designed to showcase the best businesses in the region, and are a fantastic endorsement of the company values. Choosing us as their overall winner, the judges said that APC had achieved an impressive revenue and profit improvement, based on providing superb customer service. They tipped us as a business to watch for the future.
APC CEO Syed Ziaullah told the Express & Star: “This is truly amazing. This is a true endorsement and demonstrates the passion and hard work of everyone at APC. It’s not just down to one person or even the board of directors; its everyone. It’s humbling to be standing here holding this award. We normally just get on and do what we do, so to receive an award like this is absolutely fantastic.”
Congratulations to everyone who has worked hard to achieve this tremendous accolade.
New APC Chief Aims to Build on Success
APC Overnight CEO Syed Ziaullah predicts a record-breaking year, building on the reliability and quality of service that defines the network. In an interview with the Express & Star, the UK’s biggest selling regional daily, he outlines the goals and standards which underpin the company’s continuing upward growth, despite the current economic challenges.
“We have had fantastic success in growing the company over the past three years and we are on track to break all records in 2012. I am looking forward to driving APC forward and building on this strong foundation. It is a tough market, but we are proving to our customers that APC is the key ingredient they need to ensure the success of their own business. We are dedicated to providing the best possible service for all our customers throughout the UK and will not falter in achieving our goal.”
Syed Ziaullah leads a recently restructured senior management team to ensure that the company continues its terrific growth – APC turned over £58 million in the period 2010-2011 with pre-tax profits of £3.4 million. It delivers 1.4 million parcels a month throughout the UK, via the 120 strong network of local depots. APC’s ‘Handled with Care’ services, in particular, have helped wine, beer, and fine food retailers extend their reach across the UK.
Syed Ziaullah has a wealth of hands-on experience inside and outside of APC. As APC operations director from 2008, he was responsible for driving operational improvements across the organisation, which included the implementation of new systems as well as the modernisation of the trunking fleet with environmentally friendlier trucks and trailers and vans. He also leads the project team for APC’s new purpose-built £14 million, 128,000 sq ft national hub at Kingswood Lake, Cannock, Staffordshire which will more than double the capacity of the current site.
