Harbour International Freight is celebrating 10 years as part of the Pall-Ex network, a period that has seen the business increase volumes, expand operational capacity and strengthen its position within the UK palletised freight distribution sector.
Originally founded as a family-owned business in Dublin, Harbour International Freight established its first UK depot in Trafford Park, Manchester in 1988, a location the business still operates from today.
Since joining Pall-Ex, Harbour has grown its network operation from delivering and collecting 90 pallets per day into a high-performing depot, now processing more than 450 pallets per day. Over the same period, volumes through the network have increased by more than 12% per annum, reflecting steady demand growth and greater utilisation of network capacity.
News of its 10 year anniversary comes as the organisation achieves the ISO 9001 certification; the internationally recognised standard for quality management systems.
The accreditation—which comes after a stringent, two-year process involving extensive preparation, audits and a final assessment—marks a significant milestone for the business and underlines its commitment to operational excellence and efficiency, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.
Commenting on the anniversary, and the achievement of the accreditation, Steve Swinburn, managing director of Harbour International Freight, said: “Reaching 10 years within the Pall-Ex network has been an important milestone for us—one topped off with the news of us achieving such a prestigious accreditation.
“Our partnership with Pall-Ex has supported our ability to grow in a structured way, while improving service levels and visibility for customers. The collaboration across the network has played a fundamental role in helping us respond to changing customer expectations, scale our operations and, crucially, invest in our own growth.”
Barry Byers, chief operating officer for Pall-Ex Group, said: “Harbour International Freight has developed a strong foothold across the industry, and as a shareholder member of Pall-Ex, in the last ten years—proving that a consistent focus on service delivery, and a willingness to really make the most of our network infrastructure, can be the key to unlocking growth, despite a challenging climate. For me, this is network collaboration at its absolute best.
“We’ve loved watching the business thrive over the last decade, going from strength to strength, and we’re excited to see where the next ten years takes our partnership.”
Alongside volume growth, Harbour has expanded its use of network technology and insight tools, including Pall-Ex’s Nexus platform and MyNexus tracking system, which provide end-to-end visibility across consignments.
The business has also benefited from marketing and analytics support, helping to inform customer engagement and identify growth opportunities.
These developments come amid continued industry-wide pressure for greater freight visibility, real-time information and improved supply chain transparency across the logistics sector.
Harbour continues to operate across the UK and Ireland offering palletised freight, Irish Sea groupage and 3PL warehousing services. The business employs 42 people and operates 18 owned vehicles, supported by more than 300 vehicles across its wider network and partners.
For more information, visit www.harbourfreight.co.uk or https://www.pallex.co.uk/.
