On-site pallet repair cuts cost

Bridgwater, Somerset, UK: Gerber Juice Company, working with Chep UK,  has reduced transport costs by repairing and refurbishing pallets at Gerber’s production site. This has resulted in cost savings and substantially reduced the carbon footprint of both businesses.

Previously, Chep pallets from customers were sent from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to Avonmouth, near Bristol for repair and re-distribution. Under the new arrangement, Chep pallets are repaired at the dedicated Pallet Repair Centre at Bridgewater.

This has resulted in the following savings for both businesses.

  • Removal of 330,000 dedicated UK road miles plus an additional 40 road journeys annually from the UK to Europe and back, to sort and repair pallet equipment
  • Eliminates 763 tonnes of Co2 produced by road haulage and saves 200,000 litres of diesel
  • The repair centre has sufficient capacity to allow additional repaired pallets to be supplied to other local manufacturers saving them thousands of road miles

Gerber’s repair facility has been shortlisted for an innovation award at the Somerset Business Awards 2012, which are now in their eighth year.  Finalists will be announced later this month at
an awards ceremony on November 16.

Alan Armstead, logistics manager, Gerber Juice Company says: “We are delighted to be short listed for the award.  Our on-site repair centre provides a sustainable way of reducing costs and environmental impact, across the supply chain.”

“Our objective was to create a long term environmentally friendly and commercially viable solution to pallet sortation and repair in the South West.