LOGISTICS
CASE STUDY :
Reece Allison , Equipped Gym
Equipped Gym is a fast-growing ecommerce brand specialising in home gym equipment , with a showroom in Topcliffe , North Yorkshire .
Owner Reece Allison started the business from scratch , importing equipment from rubber gym flooring to power racks and everything in between from oversea suppliers , to allow customers to kit out a space in their home or garage to create a personalised training space .
Reece approached PD Ports ’ freight solutions team in 2022 to assist with bringing goods into the UK and direct to his company base . With PD Ports ’ support , he has
grown the Equipped Gym customer base to more than 2,000 .
Reece said : “ Thanks to their professional communication , up-todate knowledge and quality contacts in international trade , cargo has repeatedly been delivered efficiently to support Equipped Gyms ’ demand to ship out more than 20,000kgs of equipment every month .
“ We started working with PD Ports ’ freight solutions team back in 2022 and have never looked back . It has been great to work with a team of experts who have taken pressure off the business by providing solutions to cover the full supply chain .”
Jackie Sexton , acts as agent for customers , handling every aspect of getting a piece of cargo from A to B .
Paul explains : “ We act as a facilitator and touch every part of the supply chain . We have direct links with the port terminal , our freight operations , warehousing , you name it .
“ We manage the supply chain for a customer from start to finish , or guide them through specific parts of it , to move goods across international borders , directly to the final destination .
“ In effect , we buy space on a truck , a liner , an airplane – whatever is most time and cost-effective for the particular customer and their cargo – and manage that whole process , including paperwork and customs .
“ Our role doesn ’ t end once the cargo reaches the UK – PD Ports offers logistics , warehousing and freight solutions across the country .”
The freight forwarding team can leverage their position at the heart of PD Ports , particularly for goods coming through Teesport , to offer a service that is cost-effective and secure .
Costs are reduced by the freight forwarding team ’ s centralised process , which minimises transport movements , storage periods and unnecessary paperwork .
Cargo can be anything from documents to cars in containers or tractors on trailers , along with regular movements of containerised goods .
Jackie adds : “ We are in every part of PD Ports ’ business – we can offer a
“ Our team have the full range of skills needed to handle cargo from any country in the world , by any means .”
Support – PD Ports ’ freight forwarding solutions team , led by general manager Paul Bramley and business development manager Jackie Sexton , handles every aspect of getting a piece of cargo from A to B .
first-class port-centric service with a cost model that is superior to every other operator in the region .
“ We have a partner network that extends across 34 countries , touching every key market across the globe , in 120 offices .
“ Everything we do is customer servicefocused – we ’ re incredibly flexible and offer solutions that fit a customer ’ s need in a way that is timely and cost effective .
“ We carefully monitor the item in question every step of its journey and take the pressure off when it comes to customs paperwork .”
Successful customer relationships working with PD Ports ’ freight forwarding team include Darlington-based manufacturer Beanies Flavoured Coffee , which receives regular shipments into Teesport from India , and AK Charcoal , which supplies restaurants across the north of England with charcoal brought from global suppliers via monthly shipments .
Paul said : “ We ’ re particularly well suited to working with SMEs – if you ’ re new to import and export , or even if you ’ ve been doing it for years but want to be more streamlined , we can guide you through the process and handle everything from start to finish .
“ Our team have the full range of skills needed to handle cargo from any country in the world , by any means .
“ If you ’ ve got an idea , our key account managers will work with you to make it happen .”
Teesport is the sixth-largest port by volume in the UK and welcomes regular vessel calls from Europe and beyond . Its multi-modal offering includes a dedicated rail freight terminal within the port , an in-house freight transport fleet , warehousing and added-value services , including pick and pack and returns management .
For more information on PD Ports ’ freight forwarding services , email paul . bramley @ pdports . co . uk or jackie . sexton @ pdports . co . uk
For more detail on the full services PD Ports offer , visit pdports . co . uk / solutions
The voice of business in the Tees region | 39