LPR UK appoints operations manager

Europe’s second largest pallet pooling provider La Palette Rouge (PR) has named Simon Wood as its new operations manager in the UK

Wood will be heading operations for the UK division of LPR and will focus on standardizing its operations structure

LPR is a division of Euro Pool System and specializes in pallet pooling for suppliers and retailers in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.  LPR operates throughout Europe, providing a full service between its customers and their European retail partners and drop points. It collects pallets in 12 countries across Europe through almost 100 local depots and handles more than 53 million pallet movements a year across the continent.

Wood will be heading operations for the UK division of LPR and will focus on standardizing its operations structure to ensure customers continue to receive high levels of support and customer service as the business grows. Core to his work will be introducing even greater standards of professionalism and encouraging team development, LPR said.

After completing an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering, Wood spent eight years at Ford, followed by eight years in the chemical industry in an engineering role. He then moved to the logistics industry, working as technical manager and plant manager with CHEP for a further eight years.

Since November 2013, Wood has acted as a consultant in pallet pooling, specializing in the white pallet sector.

Wood said: ‘I am thrilled to be joining LPR because of its reputation as a dynamic, growing business which does what it says on the tin.

‘I feel I have a real opportunity to make a difference and look forward to working with an incredibly talented and supportive team. My aim is to ensure the LPR UK team is the best in the industry by continuing to deliver first class customer service and supporting the team from within.’

Jane Gorick, managing director at LPR UK, said: ‘I am pleased to welcome Simon Wood as our new operations manager. LPR UK is celebrating fantastic year-on-year growth and has appointed a number of new recruits this year as part of our expansion in the UK market.

‘Over the next few months, we can see a big trend towards automation, as warehouse managers, retailers and manufacturers all look for a more hands-off approach with an aim to move to a proper service industry.

‘Lessons could be learned from the just-in-time drive in the automotive sector a few decades back – which parallels what is currently happening in FMCG retail.

‘With Simon’s wealth of knowledge from his time at both Ford and in the logistics industry, I have no doubt that 2015 will be even more successful still.’