UK Warehousing Association chief executive Clare Bottle (in red) is pictured with staff at XPO Logistics in Milton Keynes during her visit to the facility as part of the national 2024 Year of Warehousing campaign.
She toured the warehouse to see the results of the company’s investment in upgrading its facilities and to hear about the importance of warehousing to the region’s economy.
XPO Logistics operations director Glen Brotherton and Lynn Brown, vice president, human resources – UK & Ireland, showed off the new highly efficient spare parts delivery service to ensure commercial vehicles, including emergency services fleets can be kept on the road.
XPO has also created more than 100 new jobs in Milton Keynes, including for warehouse operatives, HGV drivers, supplier workers, security guards and cleaners.
Ms Brown said: “Our warehouse in Milton Keynes is positively impacting the UK economy. We are committed to being a positive contributor to our local community.”
Warehousing contributes around £163 billion GVA to the UK economy and the 2024 Year of Warehousing marks the UKWA’s 80thanniversary. Ms Bottle is to visit a total 80 warehouses this year across the UK as part of the campaign.
She said: “Warehousing remains one of the fastest growing yet least understood sectors in the UK. This is partly because people rarely see what happens inside these often-vast buildings, where millions of products are processed every day.
“Accordingly, the essential work warehouses provide has always been ‘behind the scenes’. 2024 The Year of Warehousing aims to turn the spotlight on the million-plus people who work in warehousing, dispel outdated perceptions and celebrate the role of the sector in our national life.”
