London, UK: The UK Warehousing Association is upbeat about the future, despite the coronavirus epidemic, says its chief executive Peter Ward.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in our membership and high levels of engagement with our activities and communications,” he said at the association’s annual general meeting lasat week.
Ward said that UKWA “has continued to develop and expand the benefits of association membership and the range of member services, in a quest to ensure the association’s continued relevance to the changing nature of the sector and the opportunities for future growth.”
Ward was confident of a positive future, but “mindful of the challenges faced by many businesses”. The global pandemic and consequent lockdown have accelerated the growth of e-commerce, which UKWA predicts will generate significant new opportunities for members, he said.
“While there are undoubted potential positives for our industry, I understand fully that for many members the immediate focus is on survival, and over the coming weeks the challenge of liquidity will be severe for some, given the reduced activity during lockdown.
“Accordingly, we continue to press the government for support of our sector and are currently pursuing the Chancellor for a period of business rates relief to help our members through the immediate aftermath of this crisis.
“As always, UKWA stands ready to support our members in every way possible, conscious that the warehousing and logistics industry – and UKWA members in particular – will be vital in helping our economy back to its feet as the country recovers from recession,” Ward said.
