Royal Mail’s postmen and women delivered First and Second Class mail at target-beating performances this summer, according to the latest independent research on Royal Mail’s quality of service published today.

The report showed 93.4% of First Class mail was delivered the next working day after posting - ahead of the 93.0% target - and 98.8% of Second Class mail was delivered within three working days after posting, above the 98.5% target. Standard parcels, Special Delivery, International European and business bulk mail services were also all delivered ahead of target.

Mark Higson, Managing Director of Royal Mail Letters, said: "These target-beating results are a tribute to the dedication and commitment of Royal Mail’s postmen and women but we will not relax and are determined to keep doing all we can to deliver ever better service to all our customers."

Following the announcement earlier this year that home delivery specialist Parcelnet will be integrated into a new international logistics business, the company has outlined a number of strategic business plans designed to support its future development. In particular, the company is intending to  make a number of major investments over the next six months, including the opening of a purpose-fitted hub and the transfer to a new head office building, and scale down existing fulfillment commitments to focus on its core home delivery business.

 The new hub will be located in Nuneaton and is scheduled to be opened in mid-2009, creating over 100 jobs. This facility is expected to absorb volumes from existing facilities in Bradford and Peterborough, becoming the central access point for Parcelnet's home delivery operation and enabling the company to enhance the services available to its customers, including the development of a next-day delivery offer. Elsewhere, Parcelnet has further strengthened its depot network with the opening of a new 38,000 sq ft depot in Weybridge to handle projected growth in London and the south east of England.

 Plans are also currently underway for a new head office building that will be located in the Leeds area. The move, expected to take place in the second quarter of 2009, will see the company transfer from its existing head office in Bradford that it shares with other businesses within the Otto Group. It follows previously announced changes in the company's reporting structure and will enable Parcelnet to better meet future business objectives.

 Parcelnet has taken the decision not to retender for the fulfillment work it currently handles on behalf of several high street and home shopping retailers.  The company will continue to provide home delivery services to those businesses affected, but phase out fulfillment activities as current contracts expire. 

Carole Woodhead, Managing Director at Parcelnet, said: "Parcelnet's longer-term vision is to concentrate investment and expansion activities on its highly-successful distribution business where we see significant opportunities. These measures are designed to secure our future success particularly during these difficult economic times."

Providing a practical and inexpensive solution to the problem of increasing traffic congestion in urban areas, Palletline has announced the planned implementation of its innovative “City 24” concept. City 24 aims to dramatically reduce the number of vehicles entering city centres by providing frequent consolidated deliveries from designated consolidation centres on the outskirts of Britain’s major towns and cities.

Basing the service on a successful pilot developed in Norwich by Palletline Member Company Foulger Transport Ltd, working closely with Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council, Palletline plans to implement the City 24 concept across the UK by Spring 2009, providing a significant expansion in consumer choice in terms of delivery options and timings.

Operating consolidation services on a 24 hour basis which includes timed evening and night time collections and deliveries, City 24 provides a congestion solution which enables users to select a premium, environmentally friendly service to improve accessibility and reliability as well as avoiding escalating parking fines.

City 24 will also help city councils to achieve congestion and environmental objectives whilst enabling businesses to retain real choice and flexibility.

In Norwich, where the pilot has been running successfully for more than a year, the City Council has already taken the initiative an important step further with the making of an experimental traffic order allowing Palletline consolidation centre vehicles to use the bus lane on one of the main approach roads to the city centre. The aim here is to offer consolidation centre customers the added benefit of greater reliability of deliveries into the city, enhancing the value of the service.

Palletline’s City 24 also brings together a wide range of associated facilities from stockholding to meet seasonal demand through to added value services such as breakbulk, pick and pack and pre-retail, even dealing with dry packaging waste from stores for recycling where required.

Commenting for Palletline, Managing Director Kevin Buchanan underlined the real potential of the City 24 concept. “City 24 is an industry-leading innovation which also makes excellent practical and commercial sense, ticking all the right boxes in terms of reducing congestion, emissions, noise and environmental pollution as well as reduced wear and tear on city streets,” he stated.

UK Mail, part of the Business Post Group, has introduced the only national alternative to the first class postal service with the launch of imail. This new mail solution – suitable for large corporate businesses, SMEs and consumers – will enable users to send physical mail direct from their computer for next-day delivery to addresses across the UK. Not only will imail lower the cost of producing and posting first class items by up to 60 per cent, it will also reduce the carbon footprint of a letter by more than 80 per cent.

imail customers will be able to send a letter direct to anywhere in the UK with just a click of the mouse via a safe and easy-to-use software package suitable for any PC, laptop or MAC. From there, the letter will be sent electronically to the UK Mail sort centre closest to the destination where it will be printed, enveloped and sorted. In fact, users will be able to send their mail requirements as late as 6pm for nationwide delivery the next day.

The price of sending first class mail – when taking into consideration time, printing and material requirements – is estimated to cost as much as £1.00 per item, so imail offers significant benefits over traditional methods. The price of next-day delivery will start from 51 pence per item, which will be inclusive of all stationary, production and first class delivery.

Furthermore, by printing mail locally as close to the delivery area as possible, using a network of sort centres, imail reduces the associated transport needs of mail delivery and the miles travelled to minimise the environmental impact of a letter. imail can also reduce the need for delivery of consumable stocks to individual users and double-sided printing minimises paper usage, whilst printing bulk volumes offers efficiency savings over high quantities of small print jobs.

For multiple items, imail will offer full mail merge facilities and users can even upload a scanned version of their signature that can be automatically applied to documents. Business users will have access to a range of management information data of postage usage, enabling better control of overall mail spend. Furthermore, companies will have better control over their brand through a template management system that allows users to set-up and define a series of approved documents.

Commenting on the launch of imail, Guy Buswell, Chief Executive of Business Post Group commented: “With the launch of imail we have created the first alternative to first class mail, providing a real choice to customers within the UK. imail represents an important part of our business strategy and will expand our mail business far beyond its existing offering.”

PalletFORCE has expanded its senior management team with the appointment of David Holland as Sales and Marketing Director.  The appointment takes effect immediately, just ahead of the company’s move to its new state of the art hub at Burton upon Trent.

David joins PalletFORCE from UPS Ltd, where he was responsible for developing the UK residential strategy through strategic partnerships.  This follows a 14 year career in the express parcel and freight distribution industry including directorships at LYNX Express / Business Express and senior positions with United Carriers and Parceline.

Commenting on his move to PalletFORCE, David explained: “This is a challenging role at the company and my main priorities will be supporting the PalletFORCE membership in identifying new business opportunities, maximising the incredible potential of the new hub and developing strategic and national account prospects for the company.

Specifically, I will be responsible for developing the PalletFORCE sales strategy, taking account of  current and future market and product demands, helping members in the management of regional sales plans, facilitating sales training, furthering the development of existing accounts and providing ‘hands on’ sales input with key strategic prospects.  It’s a very exciting opportunity, particularly as we move the business to the new hub with all its new facilities.

”Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive Officer, Michael Conroy said, “With the opening of the new hub, we are committed to a growth strategy.  Even in this challenging economic climate, David’s considerable experience will spearhead the drive to market leadership and I am delighted to welcome him to PalletFORCE.”

ProVu customers expect to be able to order their VoIP products online and the seamless link to APC Overnight for next day delivery is therefore crucial to smooth supply chain management. With NetDespatch, collections are booked in using XML and parcel labels pre-printed ready for collection by APC Overnight, eliminating errors as delivery details are entered into the system directly by the customer.

“The online booking and tracking system is crucial for us. It allows us to compete effectively, enabling customers to place orders just 15 minutes before cut off for next day delivery. This means we can meet tight deadlines and provide an effective service for our customers,” says Ian Godfrey, ProVu’s Sales Director.

ProVu has been using APC Overnight’s local depot in Brighouse for more than 6 years. Commenting on APC Overnight services Ian Godfrey says: “APC Pass the Parcel Overnight provides us with excellent local-based support plus the benefit of national reach through the APC Overnight network. The products we sell and ship are delicate and we are pleased to say that the handling is excellent and it ensures that our products reach our customers intact.”

Big-hearted DPD drivers are teaming up with Pudsey to raise thousands for The BBC Children in Need Appeal. The parcel carrier is supporting a campaign to raise money by making it easy for people to recycle their old mobile phones, PDAs, mp3s and iPods.

Each time they make a delivery to a home address, drivers will give customers a Freepost envelope that they can use to send their old item to recycling company Regenersis. For every device collected, up to £80 will be donated to the charity, whose aim it to help make apositive difference to disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. Between now and the TV appeal night on Friday 14 November, DPD and its sister company Interlink will deliver a million envelopes to customers across the UK.

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD said: “We’re proud of our green credentials, so we were delighted to accept the offer to handle this great project. Simply by giving us your old mobile phone, iPod or PDA, you can help us raise money for BBC Children In Need. At the same time you’ll be reducing your own carbon footprint and getting rid of unwanted clutter!”

Parcelnet,has opened a new depot at Brooklands Industrial Estate in Weybridge to handle added volumes in London and the southern Home Counties.

The 38,000 sq ft facility replaces a smaller depot in Mitcham that no longer met operational needs - creating around 60 news jobs - and will enable Parcelnet to increase throughput by 40 per cent.

The warehouse includes two dock levellers and has been fitted with a carousel conveyer system to enhance efficiency and streamline the parcel sortation process. The site will house a 24-hour, 6-day operation that will receive and dispatch around 120,000 consignments a week to couriers located in south and east London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Where appropriate, the facility will also handle stock collections for key clients.

Carole Woodhead, Managing Director at Parcelnet commented: "The opening of the new depot forms part of Parcelnet's ongoing investment programme that is designed to develop our operation to handle future business growth and better meet the delivery needs of our customers. The Weybridge site will strengthen our presence in London and the south-east of England and enhance our ability to provide a fast, effective and responsive home delivery service to the end-user."

CitySprint has been awarded a national contract with the Environment Agency to deliver internal mail between its regional offices across the UK.

This is the second contract CitySprint has been awarded with the Environment Agency as the courier network has been responsible for delivering environmental samples for the National Laboratory Service (NLS), which is part of the Environment Agency, since October 2006.

The Environment Agency is the leading public body for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales and has 130 regional offices across the UK. CitySprint has its own regional network of 30+ ServiceCentres across the UK which will enable it to provide an effective, efficient and reliable delivery service for internal mail between each of the Environment Agency’s offices on a daily basis.

The Environment Agency’s suppliers are vital in providing the goods and services it needs to deliver its environmental vision for England and Wales. CitySprint recognises that the provision of its courier services have an impact on the environment and has worked hard to implement a comprehensive environmental programme which has been implemented internally and externally in order to minimise that impact.

Denis Bradbury (left), Managing Director of the motorcycle parts firm Bradbury Bros with Azwar Akmal, Transport Manager for APC Pass the Parcel Overnight

“The reach and exceptional reliability of APC Overnight’s nationwide network has certainly helped us to grow our business – with the additional custom coming from Scottish clients this makes us a dominant player in northern Britain. Reliable service from APC Overnight has helped us achieve this and it goes to show that you can never underestimate the importance of your parcel logistics partner, particularly when you are trying to grow new business,” says Denis Bradbury, Managing Director.

There are a number of factors that makes APC Overnight a key part of Bradbury Bros’ supply chain. “APC Overnight provides an integrated logistics solution allowing us to freely expand to new areas and deliver a rapid next day delivery service to our customers. The online booking system is excellent, for example. We enter the customer details once and this instantly logs the parcel onto the APC Overnight system. The system then automatically generates a barcoded shipping label, which we attach to the parcel and this is scanned by the courier on collection. This enables us to track our parcels online right up to the point of delivery to our customers. This NetDespatch powered online system saves us a lot of time and allows us to process orders right up to our late afternoon cut off time,” says Bradbury.

According to documents just filed at Companies House by the administrators Amtrak collapsed with a deficit of £34.1million.

The report shows that for the year to 31 May 2008, the company had made a £15.3m loss, despite a turnover of more than £57m.

Restructuring costs had been expected to cause significant losses in 2007, but the expectation was that trading should have improved the following year.

But the report concludes "However, a combination of customer losses, weaker volumes as the market contracted and ongoing price competition meant that losses continued to be incurred."

Royal Mail today unveiled a package of Christmas initiatives, including evening and Sunday deliveries, as it prepares to deliver an estimated 140 million items ordered online this Christmas.

With 28 million people across the UK expected to spend £13.16 billion online in the run up to Christmas, Royal Mail has responded with a range of measures to make it easier for people to receive items they have ordered even if they are not at home during the day.

Across most parts of the UK, Royal Mail will undertake extra delivery rounds on the morning of Sunday 21 December and between 6pm and 9pm on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 December to give customers a second chance to take delivery of parcels we were unable to deliver during the standard deliveries.

The opening hours of all of Royal Mail’s 1,400 delivery offices will also be extended from 15 December, increasing convenience for customers who need to pick up parcels and packets. For the first time, delivery offices will also be open on the afternoon of Sunday 21 December.

Customers can also arrange redeliveries of items to their home address or a neighbour in the normal way via www.royalmail.com/redelivery or ask for items to be taken to a Post Office® branch, through a service called Local Collect.

Royal Mail is sending an information card to every address in the UK during November, with the first landing on doormats from Monday 17 November, telling them of the seasonal delivery initiative. Customers will receive more detailed information on the options available to them, including the opening hours of their local delivery office, on customised cards left at their homes if they are not in to receive an item when Royal Mail attempts delivery.

Mark Higson, Royal Mail Managing Director, said: "Royal Mail is prepared for its biggest online Christmas ever and has taken steps to help people get their items as quickly as possible - even if they are not at home when we first try to deliver.

"The majority of items ordered online are delivered first time but we have put in place a package of measures to help people who are not home to receive the item, in cases where it is too big to go through the letterbox or requires a signature."

Royal Mail’s Christmas plans have been endorsed by e-retail body IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), which this week predicted online sales in the final quarter of 20008 would rise 15 per cent on the same period last year to £13.16 billion.

James Roper, Chief Executive of IMRG, said: "The online retail industry has made great strides to give shoppers even greater choice about when and where their items are delivered and Royal Mail’s initiative provides even greater convenience for people at the busiest online shopping time of year.

"Satisfaction with the delivery of goods bought online has risen faster than any other aspect of internet shopping in recent years to become one of its most popular features, and the additional services Royal Mail is putting in place will ensure that this Christmas is a happy and successful one for e-retailers and their customers."

Online retailer Firebox.com already provides its customers with a range of delivery choices, including Royal Mail’s services to deliver items direct to Post Office branches, if the customer knows they will not be at home, or the same day in the London area.

Managing Director, Christian Robinson, said: "Christmas is the most important period in the retail calendar and we are delighted that Royal Mail will improve the online shopping experience for our customers by introducing Sunday and evening deliveries."

Christmas is coming and with it will no doubt come the oft-repeated stories of frustrations with late deliveries of goods ordered online.

The troubles consumers face with Christmas deliveries have been underlined in a recent survey by IMRG, the online retail group, which found that fear of non-arrival in time for Christmas means that 65% of respondents will not order online after the 18th December this year, even though 50% would be prepared to pay extra for guaranteed delivery.

Consumers clearly want a better delivery service at Christmas, and during the rest of the year for that matter according to the findings of the survey, which highlights some of the issues. Delivery failures were high on the list, with 60% saying a delivery failed on the first attempt because no-one was at home to receive it. And yet 95% opted for home delivery. Others complained about the distance they had to travel to collect goods not delivered because no-one was in, and the extra charges they sometimes had to pay for re-delivery.

Overall, 28% said that a combination of all these frustrations and concerns stopped them shopping online at any time, let alone in the approach to Christmas, even though 56% of respondents to IMRG said they thought shopping online was more environmentally friendly than sourcing goods from the High Street and 77% would pay extra for deliveries with a smaller carbon footprint.

Fortunately ByBox, the in-night distribution specialist company, has just launched a new service that resolves all these issues.

The service potentially has huge benefits for consumers that apply all year round, but especially at Christmas when existing delivery systems are under pressure. Its secret is that it puts the consumer in control for the first time.

ByBox collects goods ordered online from retailers offering the service each day and delivers them in the middle of the night, so they are available for collection the next day. Then it’s up to the customer to decide when they want to collect them. Delivery is 100% reliable and at a fixed cost.

The system uses a UK-wide network of box banks situated close to consumer locations to do this. When ordering, the consumer simply nominates the box bank most convenient for them, and when the goods have been delivered into that box bank they receive an email or text message telling them which box the goods are in and the security code they need to open it. All they have to do is go and collect the goods at a convenient time that fits in with their lifestyle, perhaps on the way to and from work or whilst out and about.

It’s a system similar to that ByBox has already been running in France for two years with considerable success, working with La Poste using box banks to deliver mail and parcels that customers collect when they are passing.

As well as convenience and security, the service has a number of green credentials that will appeal to online shoppers and provide them with the eco-friendly service they want but without the extra costs they say they are prepared to pay for.

It makes deliveries overnight, when there is less congestion and less delay. By consolidating loads into a single location and maximising vehicle usage, less trucks and journeys are required, and less fuel is used and fewer emissions are produced. It removes the need for legions of delivery vans on the roads during the day, trying to make deliveries to people who are not home and consequently having to try again, which increases fuel consumption and service costs.

In fact when all these factors are added in, research conducted by ByBox with the assistance of the Logistics Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University indicates that the new service has the potential to reduce the number of parcel miles travelled to make a delivery by up to 900% and reduce carbon emissions by up to 83%, compared to existing methods of home delivery.

The result is a service with a significantly smaller carbon footprint and a more secure, accurate and cost effective means of delivery that ByBox believes consumers will demand, and which online retailers will want to take-up.

If they do, the 28% of consumers currently put off shopping online by delivery worries could reduce dramatically and many more people may be inspired to shop online, reassured that by next Christmas they have access to a service that is green, convenient and reliable, and most importantly puts them in control of deliveries.

Fortec Pallet Distribution Network licensee members from throughout the UK have backed Fortec senior management’s rallying call of ‘Fortec Means Business’ confirming its objective of 15-20 percent growth in 2009.

Fortec Managing Director Rod Abrahams has spelt out plans for the company’s future which he says will create a more ‘robust and sales driven’ network. Growth will be achieved by organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

Fortec enjoyed a 16 percent increase in pallet volumes in 2007 and is over 14 percent ahead of pallet volumes for the current year compared to last year, and Abrahams believes that the company is now at a ‘turning point’ in its development as one of the UK’s most respected networks.

He commented: ‘We know we have the best service. We believe we have the best reputation. We have done our market research and the results tell us so. We now want to maximise our strengths as a network and will be investing in a number of value added benefits and to grow the business to its true potential in the future.’

Abrahams, who has steered Fortec to record volumes, turnover and profits year on year ever since he joined the company six years ago revealed that Fortec would be investing substantially in IT, domestic and international sales, product development and marketing over the next 12 months.

‘This unprecedented investment will underpin our main objective to build the Fortec brand and to really capitalise on our unique selling points.

“We also have the unique advantage of having a powerful parent company in Geodis.  That is another USP and sets us apart in terms of our international offering to customers,” he said.

The company added nearly 100,000 pallets a year to its traffic in 2007 but is aiming for around 750,000 pallet throughput in 2008.

It has added seven new licensees to its 60 plus network so far this year and plans to add other new licensees as it opens up new postcode areas.

Rod Abrahams added: “We invested in a new £5.5 million hub 18 months ago and our objective is to create not necessarily the biggest but certainly the best pallet network in the UK and indeed Europe. Sales growth will be the priority as we move forward promoting the Fortec brand with the message that Fortec means Business!”

The new Intel Atom-powered rugged vehicle mount JLT 1214 represents another breakthrough product from the rugged mobile computing pioneer JLT. Developed for forklift truck applications in demanding warehouse environments, the new JLT 1214 offers money saving benefits via its innovative design features that make the device operation-ready straight out of the box.

Incorporating, built in WLAN, dual-diversity Wi-Fi antennas, Bluetooth connectivity, uninterruptible power supply and power stabilisation, the new device offers the ultimate in user-friendliness and needs no further peripherals to get the JLT 1214 up and running. The device simply plugs into the forklift power supply and is ready to go. In addition the device can withstand power outages of up to 10 minutes and can be readily swapped from one forklift to another as it can handle voltages from 9 to 72V DC.

Like all JLT mobile computers, the rugged JLT 1214 is built to take on the most extreme of working conditions, from cold stores to high temperatures. With an IP65 water-tight rating and resilience to shock and vibration, the new device is designed to just keep going, enabling trouble-free operation shift after shift. In addition, the easy-to-use 12-inch touchscreen display allows use in bright and poor light conditions.

This new addition to the JLT portfolio takes in account of direct feedback from JLT computer users worldwide. It incorporates the latest in power-efficient processor technology, including the new Intel Atom running at 1.6 GHz. The computer runs all standard MS Windows programs and connects with all Windows-supported hardware via an abundance of interfaces – 4 x USB and 1 RJ45 10/100-TP Ethernet connection. The JLT 1214, therefore, provides a futureproof investment all round.

“This is an exciting new rugged forklift computer and it exemplifies the JLT approach to rugged user-friendly design in a device that is built to the highest quality. With the new Intel Atom processor on board, customers are assured of excellent operation and longevity to provide excellent return on investment,” says Mark Muslek, Managing Director of JLT in the UK.

UPS has announced an order of twelve electric vehicles from Modec, the manufacturer of the world's first purpose-built zero-emission van. Six vehicles will be introduced into UPS's UK fleet in February 2009, including the vehicle that was used for testing until now. The remaining six will operate in Germany.

The quiet, zero-emission vehicle is the first of its kind to effectively harness the power of modern, high energy batteries to meet the medium range, high performance requirements of hard working, urban delivery vehicles.

Developed by British manufacturer Modec, the vehicles will operate out of UPS's Camden facility, which lies within London's Low Emission Zone and is the company's central package facility in the capital.

The order follows a successful nine month trial of the vehicle's capabilities earlier this year, where it averaged eighteen miles per day and a battery consumption of 25% of full charge per day during the course of its operations in North-West, East and Central London. Each zero emission vehicle can undertake one hundred miles on one overnight charge, with batteries in future models set to increase the range to 150 miles per two-three hour charge. Because it is an electric vehicle, it requires no road tax, MOT or tachograph and is not liable for the congestion charge.

As a company reliant on its mobile workforce, UPS continually evaluates developments in sustainable technology and proactively seeks opportunities to improve environmental performance. 

Jim Barber, Managing Director, UPS UK & Ireland, said: "This order represents an important step towards making our fleet and operations more sustainable in the UK. At UPS, we have an ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, and we are continually assessing how to make the best use of alternatively fuelled vehicles on a global level."

Jamie Borwick, Modec Chairman, said: "UPS is known throughout the world for reliability, because UPS takes great care to get things right. With Modec on board, UPS will be at the leading edge of automotive engineering as well as at the forefront of environmental consciousness. And the unique-looking Modec vehicle liveried in UPS branding will clearly show UPS's commitment to reducing emissions."

Globally, UPS has been utilising alternative fuel vehicles for more than 70 years. It currently operates the transportation industry's largest private fleet of alternative fuel vehicles. UPS's use of alternative fuel vehicles dates back to the 1930s with electric vehicles in New York City, and today the company uses alternative fuel vehicles in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the UK and the US.

DHL Express to focus its U.S. Business on its core international services

• U.S. domestic services to be discontinued January 30, 2009
• Restructuring measures to reduce U.S. operating costs by over 80 percent, helping to achieve its financial targets
• The US to remain an integral part of DHL's global network with a strong international network presence and competitive capabilities
• 71 percent of all international shipments to and out of major metropolitan areas in the U.S. will benefit from improved service levels
• No impact to service and operations in all other regions and countries globally

Home Delivery Network Limited hasadded another major high street name to its client list. The contract with leading fashion retailer River Island, will see HDNL handling a significant number of parcels a week.

HDNL Chief Executive, Brian Gaunt commented: “We are delighted River Island have chosen our 24 hour and 48 hour Monday to Saturday delivery service. As the leading specialist in the home delivery sector, we look forward to building a strong relationship with the company and supporting them in expanding their online proposition.”

River Island Head of Purchasing, Martin Goldstein explained: “To date, HDNL has exceeded our expectations with their delivery performance. As our online offering continues to develop, we are pleased to be able to offer our customers a fast, efficient and professional service through HDNL.”

FedEx Express and FedEx UK have announced that they have been granted the highly- regarded ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 14001 2004 certification for environmental management for their facilities located in the UK.

The ISO 14001 2004 certification is an internationally-recognised standard granted to companies that meet a stringent set of demands relating to environmental management.

ByBox has again been named as one of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies.

The Coventry-based firm has been ranked in the 2008 Deloitte Technology Fast 50, the benchmark to identify best performing firms in the sector through an objective ranking based on sustained revenue growth over the past five years.

It reinforces the company’s position as one of the leading suppliers of electronic box solutions to the European postal market, with 11 distribution centres, a network of 18,000 boxes at more than 1,200 locations across the UK, and delivering more than 20 million items per year.

The eight-year-old company has expanded at an incredible rate with revenue growing from £119,235 in 2002 to £24 million in 2007 representing a growth of a staggering 1340 per cent.

Its offers guaranteed by 8am delivery to its drop-boxes for clients including Coca Cola, Fujitsu, Unisys, KonicaMinolta, Computacenter, NRG Ricoh, GlaxoSmithKline and Siemens Energy.

The accolade comes hot on the heels of being named in the Tech Track 100 table, published by the Sunday Times and sponsored by Microsoft, having shown sales growth of 42.64 per cent.

Chief Executive and founder Stuart Miller said: “This is yet more good news and further recognition of the service levels which are fuelling our continued growth.

“Being named in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for a second year is a real achievement. It is down to the hard work of the staff, their dedication and the high standards they set themselves every single day.

“We believe ByBox offers a world-class distribution solution and will continue to further improve and enhance our operations for the benefit of our customers.”

Parcelforce Worldwide has announced the launch of two new delivery services, improving choice and convenience for businesses and their customers.

Parcelforce PM is a new, cost-effective next day afternoon delivery service which complements existing services that guarantee delivery by 9am, 10am and 12 noon next day. Choosing morning or afternoon delivery helps customers manage their time more effectively because they don’t have to wait in all day for a parcel with no specific delivery time.

Enabling companies, including catalogue and online retailers, to provide improved choice to their customers, increasing delivery convenience and satisfaction, the service provides full tracking of an item’s progress from collection to delivery.

And Parcelforce 48 Large has been launched in response to customer demand for a service to deliver larger items. Ideal for home shopping and business-to-business deliveries, the service delivers items up to 5 metres maximum length and girth combined within two days.

Nick Landon, Parcelforce Worldwide’s Head of Marketing, said: "Convenience and added value are top of the agenda at Parcelforce Worldwide and the introduction of these new services gives us the strongest range of service choice in the delivery market.

"Parcelforce PM and Parcelforce 48 Large will help sectors of great value to the UK, most notably e-retail, retail, wholesale, agriculture and construction, which together account for approximately 17% of the UK economy."

He added: "Offering greater delivery choice gives businesses an edge over their competitors and allows their customers to choose the services that best suit their specific needs."

IKEA has already signed up to the Parcelforce 48 Large service and Lucy Batchelor, Operational Planning and Flow Manager, said: "As one of the first companies to use this service, we’ve found it invaluable in giving the flexibility to deliver large items to our customers throughout the UK in two days."