A NATIONAL campaign highlighting the importance of warehousing to the UK economy is under way.
The 2024 Year of Warehousing campaign was unveiled with a visit to the Visku warehouse at Wellingborough by Clare Bottle, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association. It is the first visit of a series to 80 warehouses all over the UK.
Warehousing remains one of the fastest-growing yet least understood sectors in the UK. The public rarely sees what happens inside these vast buildings, where millions of products are processed every day. The essential work warehouses do has always been ‘behind the scenes’, says the UKWA, yet the warehousing and logistics sector contributes £163 billion GVA to the UK economy and is a major employer and force for social mobility.
The 2024 The Year of Warehousing campaign aims to turn the spotlight on to the million-plus people who work in warehousing, dispel outdated perceptions and celebrate the role of the sector in national life.
Visku’s warehouse at Wellingborough was chosen to start the campaign because of the town’s importance to the logistics sector.
Ms Bottle said, “Visku was chosen to be the first of my 80 visits not only as the location of its headquarters and one of its flagship warehouses, partnering with Prologis in the ‘Golden Triangle’, but also as an impressive example of state-of-the art-warehousing. This 335,000 sq ft development offers the ultimate in storage flexibility with customer-centricity at the heart of its business. The occasion was a great success.”
UKWA chief executive Clare Bottle (right) with Visku’s chief executive Andy Kaye and Cllr Valerie Anslow, Mayor of Wellingborough.
Wellingborough Mayor Cllr Valerie Anslow joined the visit – her first time inside a warehouse, she admitted.
The visit was hosted by Visku’s chief executive Andy Kaye. He said: “We are delighted to support UKWA’s ‘2024 The Year of Warehousing campaign and are honoured to be the first company to welcome Clare on her epic 80-site tour of UK warehousing.
“In its long history, UKWA has achieved great things for the warehousing sector and it is only right that in 2024 – this important 80th anniversary year – we recognise and shout about the vital role warehousing plays in keeping the UK running.
“Visku believes flexible warehousing is the future, providing businesses with the agility needed to respond quickly to change. So, by supporting UKWA with this event and also in sponsoring the Association’s National Conference in March, we celebrate innovation and advancement in this wonderful ‘Year of Warehousing’.
“This has been a great opportunity for us to continue to support the warehousing industry and to provide a first-hand insight into our business through the Mayor of Wellingborough.”
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