Leicestershire based Translink Express Logistics has grown by 32% over the last two years has made four senior leadership appointments as it approaches its 40th anniversary.
The company has promoted three members of its team to senior roles, with Lee Barrett becoming head of traffic; Dan Green taking up a newly created position of head of project management and Shanice Walsh promoted to head of operations.
The fourth appointment is a new hire, with Ryan Wallis joining the firm as head of warehousing.
The business has also announced plans to transform its 66,000 square foot Narborough headquarters into an indoor palletised freight sortation centre, which will become one of the largest operations of its kind in the county, once complete.
The family owned and run business will celebrate its 40th anniversary next July and will look back on the summer of 1987 when it started out as a small parcel delivery company with just one vehicle and driver.
It now handles more than 1500 pallets a day, via dedicated loads throughout the UK and its shareholder membership of Wolverhampton based, Pallet-Track.
The new management team will take on responsibility for the day to day running of the business, enabling the directors to devote more time to long term strategy.
Chris Hobbis, director at Translink Express Logistics, described the appointments as the most significant programme of management development and leadership change in the company’s history.
He said, ‘In two years we have seen record growth – just shy of 32%, which is phenomenal.
‘The growth is twofold, coming from new customers and existing customers expanding the range of services they use from us. Now what we must do is plan for future growth.
‘We have got to the stage where we need to let somebody else take control of the day to day running, and that is what these new appointments are about.
‘Lee, Dan, Shanice, and Ryan will all play an important part in the future of the business. Between them, they bring enormous operational knowledge, experience, and energy to the senior management team.
‘We are particularly proud to continue developing talented people from within Translink Express Logistics, while Ryan’s appointment also demonstrates our willingness to bring new experience and ideas into the business when they can make us stronger.’
Chris said the indoor pallet sortation centre is highly unusual for a transport company, as warehouses are typically dominated by storage and loading often takes place outside under canopies.
The new operating model will allow pallets, full loads, and part loads to be handled indoors, while storage operations will be moved to the firm’s 62,000 square foot facility in Whetstone.
The latest addition to the warehousing portfolio is the new low carbon 3PL site at Bilton Way, Lutterworth, which will become fully operational from September 2026. The facility will feature solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, lithium powered forklifts, and pump trucks.
It takes its overall warehousing capacity to 170,000 square foot, with more than 14,000 storage spaces and the latest warehouse management software.
‘It is almost unheard of in the industry, having a warehouse of this size with no storage. It is a really exciting development for us and a vital part of our long term growth strategy,’ Chris added.
‘Our focus now is on 2027 and making sure we hit the ground running. We have big ambitions for the year ahead and really want to make it a standout year.’
Stuart Godman, CEO of Pallet-Track, said: ‘The figures posted by Translink Express Logistics over the last two years speak for themselves – fantastic! This is a phenomenally successful business which has accelerated its growth in a hugely impressive way, and we are so enormously proud to have the company as part of the Pallet-Track family.
‘We are excited to see how they continue to grow following the quartet of senior leadership appointments, and we are sure the development of its Narborough site will truly set it apart from the competition.’