Matthew Kilner, the co-owner and Managing Director of Expect Distribution has recently appeared on Northern Powerhouses to discuss the Expect business success story with ActionCOACH.

Northern Powerhouses is a series of YouTube podcasts highlighting some of the most influential businesses in the North of England. Previous guests have included the leaders behind Ambiente Tapas, SimplyTrak and The Cut and Craft.

Matthew’s journey not only embodies the success of Expect Distribution but also showcases his leadership and drive for excellence. In this podcast, they delve into the role Matthew plays in the company’s growth and his recent foray into the podcasting realm.

Matthew Kilner, a native of Huddersfield, has been the driving force behind Expect Distribution’s phenomenal rise in the logistics industry. With a background as a chartered accountant, Matthew brought invaluable financial expertise to Expect, gaining crucial insights into the intricacies of running businesses. However, his entrepreneurial spirit and desire to be part of a commercially focused enterprise led him to embark on a transformative journey with Expect Distribution.

He discusses his unwavering commitment to customer-centricity, continuous improvement, and innovation. By fostering enduring partnerships, embracing change, and investing in cutting-edge technology, Matthew has positioned Expect Distribution as an industry leader known for delivering tailored logistics solutions that exceed expectations.

Matthew is not just a figurehead but an active participant in all aspects of the company’s operations. Matthew’s leadership style emphasises open communication, collaboration, and nurturing a supportive work environment. By empowering his team of skilled professionals, Matthew ensures that everyone at Expect Distribution is aligned with the company’s vision and values, working together to achieve remarkable results.

Watch the full podcast here.

Did you know that here at Expect Distribution, via Palletline, we’re the logistics fulfilment partner of choice for online retailer Amazon? In fact, we’re only one of two consolidation partners to Amazon in the whole of the UK.

We are a founder shareholding member of Palletline, which is selected by Amazon for its Inbound Preferred Carrier Programme (IPCP). Via Palletline, we provide an Amazon Consolidation Service to every business customer in the UK. Consolidating inbound freight and delivering to Amazon Fulfilment Centres nationwide.

The service is a long-standing partnership with Amazon that delivers a best-in-class service for businesses, centrally managed at Palletline’s Birmingham hub.

It simplifies and speeds up the delivery process to the fulfilment centres and eliminates the risk of financial penalties. How? Amazon fines vendors for non-compliance, but we eliminate that risk with no demurrage charges waiting for vehicles to be tipped.

Plus, our dedicated support team handles the whole booking process for you, transporting your inbound freight from order and collection point to fulfilment centre.

Service benefits

• 24/7 operation.
• Fast and reliable service with fixed time delivery slots.
• Total consignment management.
• Reduces risk of financial penalties.
• Less admin with pallets dispatched to Palletline and we take care of the rest.
• Faster and fully compliant deliveries – ASIN tracked with full traceability via our portal from booking to delivery.
• Our network reduces the mileage and fuel used to deliver your goods – reducing carbon footprint and making it more sustainable.

Find out more about how our Amazon Consolidation Service can help your business. Get in touch on 01274 378 220 or email sales@expectdistribution.com

From the minute your customer places an order, to the minute it arrives at their door – we’ve got you covered with our palletised home delivery service.

Making home delivery look simple. 

No matter how small or large your palletised consignment is, Expect Distribution has the capacity and capability to deliver your domestic palletised goods directly to a residential address.

When your customers purchase your products online, they naturally want to receive it as soon as possible and communication is key throughout the process.

We know that handling queries and dealing with delivery updates is time-consuming. Our software solutions help you to communicate in an effective and timely method with your customers, reducing your own admin time and allowing you to do what you are best at, growing your business.

Growing e-commerce sector

With the growth of the e-commerce sector, many more products lend themselves to palletised distribution, such as bathrooms, woodburning stoves, aggregates and more.

We are able to warehouse everything for you providing complete order fulfilment:

• Bulk stock receipt
• System integration
• Order picking
• Palletisation
• Dispatch
• Delivery
• Full end-to-end service

As a member of the Palletline network we handle the final mile delivery for you, preparing your orders and delivering them to residential addresses, cost-effectively

With years of award winning service in B2B palletised distribution, we’ve now perfected palletised B2C shipments. And demand for this type of service is growing with 15% of our operations now focused on B2C palletised distribution and growing every day.

Once your customer order is placed you can choose to provide notifications either by email or SMS and with real time information from our portal you will also be in touch every step of the way.

Design note: (Tick in style of other service pages)

• Your customer will receive a text or email with a delivery date.
• On the day of delivery, they’ll receive a message with a 2-hour delivery window, this is also available on your system portal.
• 30 minutes before delivery our driver will call your customer to let them know that their delivery is imminent.
• The palletised good(s) are offloaded by tail-lift and delivered as near to your customers door as possible.

What we deliver

We can deliver any product that fits on a pallet and for heavier products we provide our delivery driver with a power assisted pump truck with safety always in mind. 

The benefits

• Visibility throughout the process via our online portal
• High levels of communication direct o your customer reducing your own involvement
• Safeguarding your product – palletised transportation reduces damage risk.
• Sustainable – we can take the empty pallets away and reuse them.
• Excellence in customer care.

We are excited to announce that we have been selected as the nominated warehousing partner of Thornton & Ross. This 4-year deal will see us become the nominated warehousing partner for Thornton & Ross, ensuring the smooth storage and flow of pharmaceutical goods across the UK.

The decision to choose Expect Distribution as a warehousing partner was based on the company’s expertise in the sector and the outstanding quality of their facilities. Over a 12-month period, pharmaceutical goods will migrate to one of our three warehouses.

A dedicated contract management team has been put in place to work between our Bradford base and Thornton & Ross’ Huddersfield site in Linthwaite. We will operate as an extension of the Thornton & Ross warehousing team, storing raw materials, packaging, and components, and distributing products to sites as needed.

Neil Rushworth, Commercial Director, says,

“Thornton & Ross represent a key strategic win for us, and it is great to establish ourselves as an important partner to them ongoing as we expand our contract logistics offer to the sector. We’ve already forged good working relationships between both teams and look forward to adding value to their business.”

Mary Brown, Thornton & Ross Head of Procurement, comments,

“We are delighted to bring Expect on board as a key logistics partner. The relationship will be instrumental to the effective supply of product on a just in time basis to our manufacturing site and will ensure that we can continue to accommodate our projected growth plans within the business.”

Expect Distribution’s recent partnership with Thornton & Ross is a significant milestone for the company as it expands its contract logistics services to the pharmaceutical sector. With their expertise and high-quality facilities, Expect is poised to provide efficient and reliable warehousing and distribution solutions for Thornton & Ross and other clients in the industry.

Want to know how our bespoke logistics and warehousing services can help you? Contact us today.

As the Easter season approaches, we want to take this opportunity to wish you a happy festive season and share some information for our customers regarding the Expect Distribution Easter Service 2023. We are happy to confirm that we will be operating over the festive period, at a smaller capacity.

Thursday 6^th April

Normal Weekday Service.

Friday 7^th April

Bank Holiday – delivery by arrangement and quote upon request.

Saturday 8^th April

Normal Saturday Service – office closes 12 Noon.

Monday 10^th April

Bank Holiday – delivery by arrangement and quote upon request.

Tuesday 11^th April

Normal Weekday Service.

If you have any questions or would like to make arrangements for collections or deliveries for the Bank Holiday weekend, please contact us and we can plan availability and quote on these jobs.

We wish you all an enjoyable Easter period and thank you for the business which you choose to place with Expect Distribution.

The latest edition of industry magazine Business Enquirer focuses on a long-standing and valued Expect Distribution customer – Boost Drinks.

Boost Drinks started out from humble beginnings with a single office in Leeds, and 20 years later it is now an award-winning drinks supplier. Its huge growth has seen it earn a position as a top three brand in each of its categories – Energy Stimulation, Sport, Protein, and Iced Coffee, and it’s now the market leader in Northern Ireland.

CEO Simon Gray founded the business straight out of university, and has built a strong business and culture with partnership at its core. Making Expect Distribution and Boost Drinks the perfect partners for more than 12 years.

At the end of 2022, AG Barr announced a buy-out of Boost Drinks, with AG Barr supporting Boost Drinks in its continued growth.

Boost Drinks and Expect Distribution

Our bespoke logistics solutions include a dedicated Contract Manager, vehicles, and drivers; allowing for plans to be made in advance for maximum efficiency. We believe in building long-term partnerships that add value, just like Boost Drinks.

Expect’s Commercial Director Neil Rushworth says: “Having worked together for over 12 years, the relationship we have with Boost Drinks is a prime example of our bespoke approach, which truly supports the growth trajectory of our customers. We understand each other’s business goals. We align company values and ethos to provide a value-added service with continuous improvement initiatives.

“Our approach to the partnership with Boost Drinks is to provide a hybrid solution of warehousing and fleet operation, and identify the most cost effective solution throughout all stages of the supply chain. We have regular strategic meetings to determine the next steps in the interests of continuous improvement and determine clear actions every time.”

Expect Distribution has a dedicated fleet in Boost Drinks, livery enhancing brand exposure and by employing a well retained and dedicated staff this allows a high level of service for Boost Drinks, without interruption.

Neil adds: “Expect have invested significant time, passion and thought into our relationship with Boost Drinks and we’re excited to work together in this new era with AG Barr and embrace the opportunities it will bring.”

You can read the full story in Business Enquirer here.

Want to learn more about our bespoke logistics and warehousing services – find out more here or contact us today.

We are delighted to announce that  Expect Distribution has successfully achieved the FORS Bronze accreditation (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) . This scheme is a voluntary accreditation within the transport industry and confirms dedication to driver and vehicle safety, combined with improving operating practices through effective monitoring of fuel consumption.

FORS is now becoming more recognised across our customer base so we felt it as an important step to ensure that Expect Distribution stands out from the crowd, with excellent safety records and environmental practises.

Expect Distribution is a family run business and a founder member of Palletline, with a growing fleet of 115 vehicles we felt it was important to highlight our commitment to good practice in relation to road safety specifically as well as other areas of the business.

The audit took place this month focussing on the following key areas; Management, Vehicles, Drivers, and Operations.

Steve Nixon, Transport Operations Manager added ‘Driver and road safety is of the upmost importance to us, and I would like to thank the team for their consistent approach in ensuring that procedures are adhered to in all aspects of their roles here at Expect.  We are all excited to be now working towards achieving the FORS Silver accreditation’

To find out more about FORS please visit https://www.fors-online.org.uk/cms/

As the festive season approaches here is some important information for our customers about services available and opening hours for the Expect Distribution Christmas and New Year Service 2022/2023.

We are offering a full collection and delivery service over the Christmas and New Year period to meet our customers’ requirements.

Please note: Collections required on the 28th and 29th December must be input before 5pm the working day prior to guarantee collection.

Opening Hours

Saturday 17 December

Normal Saturday service – offices close 12 Noon.

Monday 19/12 – Thursday 22 December

Normal collection & delivery service available.

Friday 23 December

Final Pre-Christmas deliveries (AM). No collections.

Saturday 24 – Tuesday 27 December

No Service – offices closed.

Wednesday 28 December

Normal delivery service available. Collection service operating for consignments input the 23/12 or prior. Offices close 5pm.

Thursday 29 December

Normal delivery service available. Collection service operating for consignments input the 28/12 or prior. Offices close 5pm.

Friday 30 December

Normal delivery service available. No collections. Offices close 3pm.

Saturday 31 December – Monday 2 January 2023

No service – offices closed.

Tuesday 3 January

Normal service resumes with full collection and delivery service.

Expect Distribution Warehousing Sites

Our warehousing sites will be open during the below stated hours but operating with a reduced number of staff over the Christmas period.

Warehousing Account Managers will be making personal contact to discuss our customers warehousing requirements over the festive period.

Grattan Premier Point Woodlands

Thursday 22 December 8am–5pm 8am–5pm 6am–2am

Friday 23 December 8am–1pm 8am–1pm 6am–1pm

Saturday 24-Tuesday 27 December

Closed

Wednesday 28 December 8am–1pm 8am–5pm 6am–5pm

Thursday 29 December 8am–1pm 8am–5pm 6am–5pm

Friday 30 December 8am–1pm 8am–1pm 6am–1pm

Saturday 31 December – Monday 2 January 2023

Closed

Tuesday 3 January 8am–5pm 8am–5pm 6am–2am

We take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the business which your company has placed with Expect Distribution during 2022 and wish you a successful and prosperous 2023.

Expect is now officially being led by new Managing Director Matthew Kilner and Operations Director Andy Taylor. This follows the completion of the management buyout earlier this year.

Matthew and Andy, who together have more than three decades of experience in transport and logistics, have been instrumental in our business growth and profitability. And they’re committed to running Expect with the same ethics and unique formula that’s made us the success we are today.

Matthew says: “We’re both incredibly excited to work with the team to oversee the further growth and development of the company.

“Expect is a very special place, we stand out for our values, client-focused attitude and solutions, and constant commitment to being the best in our field. And I couldn’t be prouder to be driving this business forward.”

Andy says: “I’m proud to be taking Expect forward and continuing its success story. In an evolving market our differentiator, or ‘sweet spot’, is in helping SMEs who are on a growth trajectory to grow – and that really works for us. We’ll continue to grow with our customers.”

And Matthew adds: “Our goal is to build on our success, grow, make a difference to our customers and add more outstanding people to our team. We do an important job, we’re the best at what we do, and we want everyone to feel good about being a part of that.”

Our FGH site has officially opened with our lease on the site for a 10 year period. The facility represents a £1m investment in the site, expanding our overall capacity by nearly 50% across all Expect sites.

After a long delays with supply of the new bespoke VNA fork lift trucks we finally received them. Our operation is starting to come together under the watchful eye of Chris Ramsden and David Playfoot.

The new high bay racking provides us with nearly 17,000 racked locations and customer uptake and interest from new clients has been strong with nearly 9000 of those locations already allocated and to be filled over the upcoming months. Our FGH warehouse is one of the tallest palleted warehouses in Europe.

Talks and feasibility studies are already underway to explore further expansion of our activities on site and we will provide updates as we can with developments as they happen.