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Horace Beardsley - Founder
History of Beardsleys Storage, Distribution Logistics and Warehousing
H.BEARDSLEY LTD - THE STORY SO FAR!
Horace Beardsley established Cobden Transport in 1934, so named as he lived on Cobden Street in Nottingham, with 2 Leyland Beaver Trucks.
In 1954 a Limited Company was formed, H.Beardsley. Operating as a family run haulage company with the current Chairman – Robert MacLachlan (son-in-law of Horace) joining in 1959. With a quality customer base of such companies as Rolls Royce; transporting their aero engines, British Sugar Corporation and also Reckitt & Coleman a need to increase the fleet capacity to 45 mixed vehicles was necessary.
With the introduction to the business of James MacLachlan – current Managing Director (son of Robert MacLachlan) in 1984, realising the potential in the early 1990’s to include pallet distribution amongst the Company’s activities, we moved things forward. The success of the transport and warehousing division continued. Through 1996 to 1998 storage capacity was increased, a second warehouse constructed and the Company’s operating capacity increased from 11,000 sq.ft to 28,000 sq.ft. In 2000 this warehouse had been outgrown and a further 30,000 sq.ft. facility was leased to cope with demand.
In 2001 Beardsley’s became members of PalletFORCE; a shareholding member pallet distribution network, to compliment our existing customer base, enabling us to competitively distribute large quantities of small consignments of pallets throughout the UK and increasing our pallet distribution.
In 2004 H.Beardsley Ltd celebrated its’ 50th Anniversary and relocated to larger premises - the current Junction 28 site. The operating capacity now has increased to 42,000 sq.ft. high bay fully racked and the storage division has the capacity to deal with up to 8,000 pallets at any one time.
A mixed fleet of vehicles operates, comprising articulated vehicles up to 44 tonnes and rigid vehicles up to 17 tonnes. Up to 700 pallets per day can be distributed which can be considerably increased at peak time. Deliveries take place nation-wide; distribution of goods is both from our storage facilities and customers’ premises.
As part of our drive for continuous improvement, we are currently working towards ISO 9002.
With a track record of success, we are poised for further growth and expansion. But of course even in a groundbreaking organisation such as ours, it’s the people that bring our vision to life. Help make our future vision reality!