Asda rewarded its distribution suppliers with a gala awards ceremony in Leeds last week, with Derbyshire chilled specialist NFT Distribution walking away with the top title of Carrier of the Year. More than 350 people representing 40 different transport firms attended the inaugural event, which Asda has created as a means of rewarding excellence in its supplier base.
Chris Hall, Asda network logistics manager, says: "Two years ago we only had a small number of carrier relationships. Now we have more than 70 carriers working on imports and primary distribution across all product categories. This is an opportunity for Asda to say thank you and to recognise world-class performance and sustainability. If you live to raise the bar, all of our business is stronger for it."
Andy Clarke, chief operating officer at Asda, adds: "We have a world-class logistics function in this country. Wal-Mart is an international business and [our UK logistics] stands out as being world-leading."
NFT was the big winner of the night, winning both Carrier of the Year and Primary Carrier of the Year.
David Frankish, chief executive at NFT, says he is delighted to win: "It's a fantastic acknowledgement of our hard work. I wouldn't say I'm surprised, as that sounds as though I didn't think we could win. But we were up against some very credible opposition and I'm delighted to win it. When a customer recognises you for service and your ability to control costs, then that's the best accolade you can get," he adds.
The awards were decided based on monitoring of the companies' performance against six Asda KPIs, including:
- Staff development
- Service
- Legal compliance
- Reducing empty miles
- Equipment
- Improvement in mpg.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...