PPS Equipment Management Ltd, based in Measham in the Midlands (and known for their specialist services in crate hire) has announced its successful acquisition of the Grimsby based TFA Box Company that has a long history of supplying the East Coast fishing industry with a wide selection of plastic fish boxes plus collection and hygienic washing services.

PPS has built up a solid reputation in providing a very similar service connected with returnable transit equipment (RTE) and hygienic wash services – mainly plastic pallets and crates primarily to customers in the dairy, poultry and fresh produce sectors, where volumes tend to be much higher. They are delighted by this acquisition as this is considered a complementary business with many synergies to PPS and forms part of its strategic plan for controlled growth.

In 2009 the Directors of PPS began to investigate opportunities to expand their business, not only organically, but ambitiously towards a potential acquisition. Their attention was drawn to the TFA Box Company in Grimsby, whose business operations are very similar to those of PPS – both owned a fleet of returnable transit equipment, managed it on behalf of customers and washed the products. The only fundamental difference in the business model being that TFA operated exclusively in the fish industry, an industry segment where PPS had no previous involvement.

Following a number of meetings an agreement was finally reached with both sides acknowledging the many synergies of their respective operations. For PPS it provided an established and respected entry into a new market segment, whilst for TFA it provided investment and access to the special operational practises employed by PPS.

TFA Director Peter Davey commented, “TFA has been a key player within the Hull & Grimsby area for many years and has recognised that to continue to meet the growing expectations of our customers it was necessary to invest and upgrade current facilities. Therefore, the acquisition was timely and is certainly seen as a very positive move for all those involved, as PPS Equipment Management aim to take the company forward and invest in the business.

TFA management and all the staff will actively continue within the company and will shortly re-locate operations to new, modern premises on the Omega Industrial site in Grimsby. To increase the capacity at the new facility, operational staff from both sides are now working closely together to eventually install a large twin lane high volume wash line in the new plant and are looking to establish the same high wash standards as accredited to the PPS plant at Measham (ISO 22000:2005 – Safety in the Food Industry).”

PPS Equipment Management Director David Peggie reported, “We are delighted with this acquisition as it strengthens the position of PPS as we diversify with an established complementary and established business. TFA will continue to be strategically located in Grimsby to service the fishing industry and PPS will bring to them a wealth of experience in washing and equipment management as we look to grow the business.

We are also committed to expansion at the PPS – Measham site, as proven with the recent introduction of two new services. Two specialist repair services have been introduced for repair of plastic pallet boxes, pallets & trays, crate hire and also, metal roll cages as used in many logistical operations.  Although other companies provide such a service we are the only company who use a mobile workshop – meaning we can undertake repairs on site.”

PPS Directors David Peggie and Iain McArthur will continue to drive both sites forward and are looking forward to reporting further controlled and strategic expansion in the future.

You can find out more about PPS Direct’ services via their website and contacting them either via their ‘Contact Us’ form or by calling 01530 515 333.

PPS is an established company that has many years experience within the Returnable Transit Equipment trade. To see how they can improve the efficiency of your business, visit ppsequipment.co.uk.

The use of plastic crates within the food industry is now so widespread that although extensively used, are seldom seen to hold any intrinsic value. And, as a result like most packaging formats are often viewed as the property of the purchaser. This may mean that the original crate owner or goods provider must either shoulder the cost of the crate – or look to a specialist crate hire company.

PPS Equipment Management Ltd, based in the Midlands has for years been providing a realistic solution to losses incurred by users of plastic crates. Crate hire is increasingly seen by the industry as an effective way to control the use, and very often misuse of plastic food crates.

Specialising in crate hire, pallet rental and critically the management of these resources, PPS prides itself on its reputation as an “honest broker” that provides its customers with crate hire, but vitally takes responsibility for the retrieval of crates and pallets from third parties. In effect should a supplier provide goods to a customer who subsequently “loses” the crate PPS takes appropriate action to either get the equipment returned, or charges the party who has lost it. This removes a potentially embarrassing encounter between a supplier and a customer who has lost crates but either denies it or does not want to pay for their replacement.

Right from their earliest days, the PPS management team realised that a potential pitfall when it came to crate hire would be the possibility of its equipment disappearing – in effect being misused or just taken away unjustly. So, from day one and continuing to the present day any company wishing to hire crates from PPS must sign a Users Agreement stating that they will return used equipment (or make it available for collection). The early days saw some unscrupulous customers deliberately flaunting the system, but PPS adopted a very robust procedure for having their equipment returned and today crate hire customers seldom abuse the system.

It is for this very reason that crate hire has become more popular over the past few years. Customers who send out products – e.g. food are indeed specialists in that product but not in the management of returnable transit equipment. Someone needs to pay for this equipment and unfortunately it is often the manufacturer of the products who simply acknowledges that their customer is improperly keeping the packaging medium – e.g. food crates – and just accepts that he must bear the cost of its replacement.

Crate hire through a specialist company like PPS virtually eradicates this issue. After all the crates or other returnable transit equipment represent the assets of PPS so the company ensures that it goes to every length to ensure its assets are returned and then re-introduced into the equipment pool as quickly as possible.

There will always of course be a degree of “shrinkage” in any crate hire system – this may be a crate coming to the end of its working life (in which case it is sent for re-cycling) or it is genuinely lost or broken. PPS over the years has adopted the policy of having sufficient crates within its crate hire pool, plus a buffer stock to satisfy unexpected demand or seasonal peaks. This means that the assets work very efficiently to ensure good return on the investment.

Crate hire operations at PPS are mainly concerned with the food industry. These tend to use the larger volume throughputs and PPS has made crate hire within the food industry a key priority in its ongoing business development.

PPS decided to base its main operational hub for its crate hire business in the Midlands; geographically suitably close to the business centre of the UK, the operation at Measham also includes an industrial scale wash plant where all equipment, both pallets and crates is washed prior to being re-introduced into the crate hire pool. Working with a number of blue chip companies and key retailers the company decided to work towards the highest standards of efficiency, cleanliness and hygiene and last year became accredited to ISO 22000:2005.

Expanding their operation both in crate hire and equipment management, PPS will open a new state-of-the-art wash site in Lincolnshire in April 2010. The location of this site is strategic from both a crate wash and crate hire perspective. This geographic region is home to a large number of fresh produce companies all of whom are using plastic crates and / or plastic pallet boxes today.

Director of PPS, Iain McArthur commented “While the core business of PPS is undoubtedly crate hire, pallet hire and other transit packaging rentals we have consciously made the effort not to spread ourselves too thin and have concentrated on certain market segments. Most of our business, certainly in crate hire is to the food processor arena where we have built up a solid customer base through the UK.

Space restrictions meant that we were unable to expand our Midlands operations, so we looked at where the potential markets lay, then decided to set up a new site in Lincolnshire. Not only will we offer the same crate hire services there, but we will open a high-tech wash plant capable of washing crates, pallets and pallet boxes. So far there has been a high take-up of interest from local food companies – some of whom are impatient for us to commence operations!”

All of the services PPS provide are viewable via their website. To find out more information you can contact a member of the PPS by calling 01530 515 333, or by filling out their ‘Contact Us’ form.

PPS is an established company that has many years experience within the Returnable Transit Equipment trade. To see how they can improve the efficiency of your business, visit ppsequipment.co.uk.

The company has its head office at Measham in the Midlands where crate hire, mainly within the food industry, has been at the heart of its steady growth over the past seven years.

Now, however PPS has acquired a new business, also responsible for food crate hire, in Grimsby which mainly services the fishing industry. Reusable food crate hire is a very topical subject with an ever-growing emphasis on tackling excessive waste packaging in the food industry.

PPS realised this some years ago and continues to work within the food sector promoting the use of reusable food crates and particularly food crate hire. The company offers a comprehensive service including rental, management tracking, washing all under the reusable food crate hire banner.

Crate hire is viewed as an integral part of the supply chain, especially the food sector, but PPS believes crate hire is only one part of the process and offers not only food crate hire to clients but also the wherewithal of collection and retrieval of food crates from third parties using its proprietary online asset tracking system.

But why consider crate hire when surely it would be easier (and cheaper in the long run) to simply buy these crates?

For the answer to this question, look no further than PPS Equipment Management, based at Measham in the Midlands. PPS has been involved in crate hire for a number of years and will gladly explain the advantages to a crate user, especially in the food sector, of crate hire versus outright purchase.

Take the food sector for instance; there are large volumes of various foodstuffs moving around the country and crates are a convenient load carrier in so many cases. A large crate requirement of course means considerable investment in the equipment and in these financial times, even large companies or organisations may find there are restrictions on capital expenditure. Add to this the fact that it is seldom that the food company has an efficient method of retrieving used trays from third parties, thus leading to “lost” crates and possible strained relationships when it comes to putting pressure on customers to return what many simply view as non-returnable packaging.

So, this is where PPS can help – for them crates are the assets of their business and therefore have a defined value, so their retrieval is essential. It means their clients can avail themselves of the PPS crate hire system and concentrate on their own core business.

As well as crate hire, PPS offer a full option service which includes the wash and sterilising of the crates prior to re-use.

Plastic re-usable i.e. returnable crates are increasingly replacing one-way trip cardboard packaging not only within the food sector, but also in pharmaceutical, retail and logistics application areas.

PPS specialises not only in crate hire, but probably more critically equipment management The company offers a service known as the “total management option” where not only simple crate hire but online asset tracking, retrieval from third parties and return to its Midlands centre where they have an industrial wash site, washing crates, boxes and plastic pallets to the highest standards of cleanliness.

Crate hire is increasingly attractive to companies who may wish or need to use returnable transit equipment, but do not have ready access to a capital expenditure budget and who have no desire to try to retrieve possibly far-flung crates.

These plastic crates are attractive and have many uses outside those of their primary function – as such many may often get “lost”. This is where PPS steps in, employing their own Enable online asset tracking system which allows easy retrieval of equipment. Furthermore, using a specialist crate hire company like PPS removes any potential conflict between supplier and customer in the event of lost or damaged equipment.

If you transport or store goods, it may be that returnable and reusable equipment is a must for your operations. And if yes is your Accounts Department ready to sign off on the necessary capital expenditure needed?

If capex is unavailable, you may wish to speak to a Midlands-based specialist in RTE, already providing equipment such as food crates, pallets, wire mesh containers and roll cages across a broad range of industries.

Not only will they supply your equipment – on short- medium- or long-term contracts, they will  use their own proprietary online asset tracking software system to allow them to retrieve the equipment from your customers, they will bring it back to their Midlands depot and wash or sterilize it prior to returning it to the pool.

PPS specialise in crate hire, crate rental, roll cages and storage boxes

This wash contract was chosen for a number of reasons:

•    Professional wash standards – washing to ISO 22000
•    Ability to deep clean the boxes which may have varying degrees of soiling.
•    Flexible working times allowing Wilkinsons to book in loads at differing times of the day.
•    Proximity to Wilkinsons distribution operations.

As well as the attached lid boxes, the wash contractor can wash nestable crates, collapsible boxes and plastic pallets.

PPS specialise in crate hire, crate rental, roll cages and storage boxes

PPS has a large fleet of plastic food crates and plastic pallets used by clients in an integrated loop system. The company rents out this returnable transit equipment, retrieves it from third parties in the marketplace and returns these goods to its Midlands base where state-of-the-art washing lines clean and sterilize returned equipment.

What products can PPS wash? Plastic nestable crates, collapsible boxes, attached lid boxes and plastic pallets are all washed to exacting standards. After washing, all equipment is shrink-wrapped and made ready for collection. A bar coding system allows PPS to track all washed equipment.

Does PPS only wash its own equipment? No, they offer wash facilities to clients on an ad hoc basis, or term contracts, to cater for seasonal spikes in client’s production or just when a client needs a single “one-off” wash.

Can PPS wash equipment irrespective of what has been carried in the equipment? No – because much of the washing carried out by PPS is in the food sectors, they must be very careful of what comes onto their site in case of possible contamination. For example they recently turned down the opportunity to wash crates for a well-known health food company as some of the test boxes sent in contained slivers of broken glass.

PPS specialise in these main areas, crate rental, crate hire, roll cages and storage boxes.

Measham, Derbyshire April 2009

Aware of the trend from all business sectors not only to become more cost-effective but to lessen their carbon footprint, PPS answers the need for a food crate that is not only re-usable (in fact some crates within the PPS system have been in continuous use for more than five years) but is also fully recyclable.

It’s a simple system – PPS rents a food crate to the food processor that in turn uses this to package his goods which are sent to the wholesale outlet. This transaction is entered onto Enable, which is the PPS proprietary online asset tracking system. From this information, PPS will arrange collection of used crates which are washed at a PPS location before being re-introduced into the system.

Crate hire is a viable alternative to outright purchase by food processors – why? Renting crates and using a professional company such as PPS to manage them (and their whereabouts) offers a number of advantages such as no need for initial and ongoing capital expenditure, no repair costs involved, no embarrassment or awkward confrontations at customers who have “lost” your equipment.

Plastic crates are more robust than a cardboard equivalent and will hold more products without the risk of collapse or crushing under load. If there is a downside to these plastic crates it is that they are very attractive and so are very easy to “misplace”! And this in another reason to use PPS who will actively manage any crates rented from them on your behalf and take responsibility of retrieving them from your customers.

Hiring plastic crates relieves the headache of firstly finding sufficient capital expenditure to feed the logistics requirements. During peak production periods or spikes, PPS will provide extra crate hire on an ad hoc basis.

PPS has several years experience in crate hire and will work closely with customers and all third parties to ensure smooth movement of crates and trays throughout the supply chain – in the food sector from ambient to chilled to frozen PPS crates are used in the poultry, beef and pork sectors with a substantial new outlet for crate hire into the fish farming industry currently under way.

As well as crate hire and rental, PPS have invested heavily in large scale, state-of-the-art wash lines that allow them to add the extra service of washing and sterilizing crates returned from hire.

At their Midlands location large industrial wash lines continuously wash plastic crates, plastic trays and plastic pallets. Spare wash capacity is sold on the open market.

Crate hire has now become a mature aspect of the PPS operations with hundreds of thousands of crates circulating throughout the UK on short- medium- or long-term rental contracts. The addition of the wash operations in the Midlands around two years ago has given PPS the benefits of an all-round crate hire and equipment management system bringing extensive benefits throughout the supply chain.

Iain McArthur, Managing Director of PPS Equipment Management Ltd added “Our crate hire operations started with a single account at a poultry processor in North Wales around six years ago, although it took almost two years of negotiations to bring the client on board!  At that time we were a bit green when it came to managing a pool of rented crates, but fortunately all ran smoothly from day one. In fact this client saw such an immediate benefit to his business not only in financial terms, but using us to manage the fleet of rental crates freed up a considerable amount of management time and resources, that we were recommended to a sister site that started crate hire with us within weeks of commencement of the original contract.

There is no doubt crate hire is here to stay and PPS is at the forefront of not just crate hire but the consolidation of tray and crate hire into a complete equipment management system.”