More than 150 people gathered in Northamptonshire this week to celebrate the county’s thriving logistics sector and to acknowledge the fantastic achievements of individuals and teams in the sector.
Organised by Charlotte Patrick and the Northamptonshire Logistics Forum – a forum facilitated by Northamptonshire Growth Hub and made up of over 115 logistics companies county-wide – this year’s Northamptonshire Logistics Awards saw a record number of entries, with nine categories up for grabs and a new bursary scheme unveiled.
Tony Bellott, Chair of the Northamptonshire Logistics Forum, said:
“We wanted to ensure this awards ceremony had a lasting legacy in the county and in particular support young people in the sector, so part of the ticket price from this evening will enable us to set up the Northamptonshire Logistics Forum Bursary. A huge congratulations to all our finalists and winners – testament to the thriving logistics sector we have here in Northamptonshire.”
The first award of the night, Young Person of the Year, went to Kizzy Minter, an apprentice at Teamwork Trust, a local charity which supports adults with learning and physical disability and mental health issues and includes logistics work experience for its members.
Kizzy said:
“If I can make a member smile or make a difference to their day in a positive way then I have achieved something great. The best thing about being an apprentice is learning on the job and being able to put theory you learn into practice on a daily basis.”
CILT presented an educational award to Cordelia Oti in recognition for her achievements on the MSc International Logistics course at the University of Northampton and is going on to begin her PhD in September.
Achiever of the Year was awarded to Elaine Harries, from Action Express, for her commitment to tackling driver shortages, offering free training and guaranteeing jobs and the evening was capped off with a special Chairman’s Award, presented to Adam Ludford from Kuehne & Nagel, who joined the company in 2014 and has overcome the challenges of his speech impediment to excel in the workplace.
An award for Innovation was presented to Wellingborough based Pallite – chosen for its use of 80% recycled paper and child friendly glue with a product that is fit for purpose and can be bespoke to customers’ needs and deliver marginal gains to the sector on land sea or air.
Family owned Corby business Route Logistic scoopedSME Business of the Year, Northampton’s Panther Warehousing was crowned Large Business of the Year and Team of the Year was presented to Fortec Distribution Network.
Judges chose two winners for the Temp Agency of the Year category, with Merlinand NN1 Personnel sharing the accolade.
There were also two winners in the HGV Driver of the Year category – Bartek Kowalczyk from NN1 Personnel and single mother of seven Roseanna Pisani from Brackmills based Action Express, who passed her qualification this January and now works for the company on a part time permanent basis so she can still be with her family.
Inspirer in Schools and Community was awarded to Nicky Holdcroft for her work as an Enterprise Advisor with Kingsthorpe College and her role at Northampton College’s Logistics Career Academy.
The judging panel comprised of senior representatives from leading logistics companies as well as the awards headline sponsor MHA MacIntyre Hudson and all category sponsors.
Northampton College Performing Arts students provided the entertainment while hospitality students from the college provided additional support for the dinner.
A reminder of the winners:
CILT Educational Award
Cordelia Oti
Young Person – Sponsored by Wilson Browne
Kizzy Minter – Teamwork Trust
Inspirer in Schools – Sponsored by Institute of Logistics, Infrastructure, Supply & Transformational Travel (iLISTT)
Nicky Holdcroft
Team of the Year – Sponsored by Action Express
Fortec Logistics
Innovation Award – Sponsored by Northamptonshire Growth Hub
Pallite
SME Company of the Year – Sponsored by Brackmills Industrial Estate BID
Route Logistics
Large Company Award – Sponsored by John Lewis
Panther
HGV Driver of the Year – Sponsored by Pallite
Bartek Kowalczyk – NN1 Personnel
Roseanna Pisani – Action Express
Achiever of the Year – Sponsored by Panther Group
Elaine Harries – Action Express
Logistics Temp Agency of the Year – Sponsored by Chandler Communications
Merlin Supply Chain Solution
NN1 Personnel
Chairman’s Award
Adam Ludford, Kuehne & Nagel
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