Transportation & Logistics International Volume 12 - Issue 3 | Page 89

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Welch
Group
SEC go above and beyond for us , designing , staging , and installing the best solutions based on variables like height , walls , layout , and gas lines
“ One of the biggest barriers to decarbonization is the UK ’ s EV charging infrastructure . We ’ re part of a charging consortium too , which aims to build and launch charging hubs in members ’ depots that could also be shared with the public in the future . In the area of EVs , we ’ re working with the University of Cambridge ’ s Centre for Sustainable Freight on an initiative called Jolt , which harvests battery and telematics data from our EVs to dive into the scientific benefits and show how incremental gains have a huge impact in the long term .
“ Sustainability is a key priority for us , as we recognize that we are our customers ’ Scope 3 emissions ,” he says . “ As our customers address their emissions , they are increasingly contacting us for our emissions data and asking us to find more sustainable solutions . I ’ m honored to share that our commitment has been marked by me being named as number two in the top 50 decarbonization power players in the UK .”
New era
Welch ’ s collaborative approach extends to its working relationships too . “ We ’ ve been working with SEC for around six years , but most recently , they installed racking to help us establish our warehousing division ,” Chris reveals . “ With around 100,000 square feet of warehousing space between two sites , we needed effective racking solutions , but we didn ’ t want to purchase the assets in one go .
“ SEC go above and beyond for us , designing , staging , and installing the best solutions based on variables like height , walls , layout , and gas lines . Damian and his team completed a phased installation to coincide with our requirements , and we ’ ve since completed three more installations together over the last 12 months . SEC is currently designing autonomous robotic solutions , which is a very exciting concept for further down the line .”
As our conversation ends , Chris shares his vision for leading Welch Group into a new era . “ I ’ m grateful that my father has provided my brother and I with a very strong foundation to build on , and with 12 acres here at our Cambridge site , there ’ s plenty of room to breathe and potential for growth ,” he reflects . “ I ’ m perhaps more entrepreneurial than the generations before me , having already started our e-commerce division and growing the warehousing operation .
“ We ’ re always open to growth opportunities , but our overall focus is on consolidating what we call the three Ps : parcels , pallets , and planes ,” Chris concludes . “ We ’ ll strive to maintain our position at the forefront of the industry ’ s decarbonization journey , and we hope our name will become synonymous with decarbonization and net-zero objectives in the SME space .” ■
www . welchgroup . co . uk
tlimagazine . com 89