Long standing Proteus WMS customer placed in the top 0.3% of UK businesses

Midlands family business, Oakland International, was confirmed as being in the "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" at the official opening of the London Stock Exchange and recognised by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills and Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid.

In a letter sent to Oakland International’s CEO, Mr Javid stated that he was delighted to see Oakland feature in the report and that it was “a fantastic achievement of which you can be rightly proud” and “Businesses like yours play a vital role in our economy and in our local communities, supporting innovation, jobs and growth.”

A major endorsement, the report lists 1,000 of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

Oakland International Managing Director, Barry Davies, stated: “We are delighted to be listed in the London Stock Exchange 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain.

“Being recognised as an ‘inspiring company’ is a welcome endorsement of the sustained growth that we have experienced as a family business, supported by a great team, fantastic loyal customers and partners. By the end of 2016 we will have doubled the size of our multi-temperature food supply chain business within 5 years and we are confident that we have many years of sustainable growth ahead of us.

“Our appearance on the ‘elite 1,000’ list ahead of 3.3 million other UK registered businesses puts us in the top 0.3% of businesses in the UK and its significance should not be underestimated, so thank-you to our team members, past and present, and to our supplier and customer partners who have shared and continue to share in our values.”

In other news Oakland International's Ireland facility is set to continue recruiting during 2016 following last year’s growth trend which saw a 20% increase in its County Meath workforce. Offering customers a focused, reliable and flexible supply chain service, Oakland supports ambient and chilled food retail customers from County Meath, gaining a solid reputation for growth through sustainability and adding value and leverage through their expertise.

Oakland International General Manager, Richard Hill, commented: “Oakland International grew employee numbers by 20% in Ireland during 2015 and so far this year we have already added a further two employees to our team. Business like for like sales growth increased by 26% with customer numbers up as we maintained focus on providing a premium service to suppliers and retailers. With cost a major factor in product success we will continue to work hard to ensure we avoid driving costs into the supply chain.”

Opening their Ashbourne depot in 2009, Oakland works with Irish producers of all sizes to help them access UK retail, they also provide, through their UK based facility, a specialised Distressed Load Management service which reduces food wastage following the effects of consignment damage or loss.

Congratulations to Oakland International!

Proteus WMS is proud to have worked closely alongside Oakland firstly in the UK, then as Oakland expanded into Ireland, supporting their award-winning growth for over a decade. In that time we've seen Oakland double their workforce and expand their warehouse space all whilst continuing to provide enhanced levels of service and accuracy thanks to the Proteus WMS. We look forward to supporting Oakland in continued growth.

To see how Proteus WMS can help you achieve similar results give us a call or send us an email.