A loading ramp from Thorworld Industries has enabled printing ink manufacturing specialist Hubergroup to switch to the direct unloading of international deliveries from shipping containers at its site in Nottingham.
Hubergroup specialises in the supply of printing inks for flexible and carton packaging, with a customer base that includes some of the UK’s biggest FMCG brands. Following its acquisition by Mavco Corporation, the company adopted a new logistics strategy, as MD Andrew Pike explains.
“Historically, product came from Switzerland and Germany on articulated trailers, but Mavco asked us to be part of the pilot for supply chain ordering from the mother plant in India, to give us greater control and visibility of stock. Obviously, this meant we needed an efficient way to unload shipping containers.”
Hubergroup decided traditional loading bays weren’t suitable due to lack of space. “My supply chain team suggested a loading ramp and recommended Thorworld – I’m a Marvel fan, so the name seemed a good omen!” adds Andrew.
Thorworld’s dealer, Darmax, surveyed the site in Nottinghamshire to help Hubergroup find the best solution. Working with Darmax, Hubergroup overcame space constraints by positioning the trailer partially inside the warehouse and aligning the ramp for access.
“The Thorworld and Darmax teams were fantastic – they demonstrated the ramp in action at their facility and even drove it around the car park,” Andrew recalls. “We did consider changing the colour, but as Nottingham Forest fans the red also appealed.”
With health & safety critical to Hubergroup, Thorworld offered training as well as providing wheel chocks and handrails to ensure compliance.
The ramp is now in regular use, with 2-3 deliveries per week. “We love it. It takes about 40 minutes each time, so it’s a seamless process. Thanks to Thorworld, we’ve enjoyed a smooth transition to our new way of working,” concludes Andrew.
