Small Island Farm to Channel Islands Logistical Solutions

challenges in transporting goods out of the Channel Islands to the United Kingdom, Europe, as well as inter-island distribution. The business has been part of the Jersey Post Group family for two years, in that time it has continued to grow and develop.

Delivered caught up with Charlie Gallichan, Director of Woodside Logistics to delve into the how the business has grown to serve the Channel Islands »

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WOODSIDE LOGISTICS?

We created Woodside Logistics in 2015 primarily because we were frustrated with the freight options that our Woodside farming business had, both in terms of quality and cost. We would spend a year growing produce to sell, for us to get to the delivery stage and encounter challenges that would put our hard work from the previous year at risk because of logistical issues. As a year-round business, we thought that we could resolve our problem by providing our own logistical solutions. We started that journey in January 2015 with a single lorry, which I drove, and two trailers. From then on growth happened quickly, our original purpose for the logistics business was primarily to serve northbound traffic, which of course was the opposite to every other freight provider available at the time. We continually had empty trailers returning to the Island, which in turn was where other freight carriers were struggling, so inevitably the business progressed from there. We continued to grow and started operating in Guernsey in January 2018 and we opened our own depot in Portsmouth in November 2019.

HOW DID WOODSIDE LOGISTICS BECOME PART OF JERSEY POST GROUP?

Woodside Logistics was really taking off and we touched base with Jersey Post regarding shipping containers directly into France because we were trying investigate if a southern route could be established. It was at this stage we started talking about investment and logistical solutions moving forward with Jersey Post. It made sense to me to be part of something bigger; we had reached a stage whereby the business was too big to be small and too small to be big, and we still had growth that we wanted to achieve. So in April 2021, we joined the Jersey Post Group.

CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE BUSINESS HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS?

The business has grown in every aspect, location, revenue and headcount. Whilst we have retained the original team, we have built on that team and we now have a team of approximately 35 in Portsmouth alone. We’d all like to ensure the continued growth of Woodside Logistics, it’s also a personal goal for me is see how far we can grow the company, from starting out as a small solution for our farming business to the reputable Channel Islands freight partner it is today and beyond. In 2022, we have seen a fantastic 47% growth on the previous year, and I am confident we will continue to see growth in 2023.

WOODSIDE LOGISTICS NOW WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY IN GUERNSEY, CAN YOU TELL US HOW THIS OPPORTUNITY AROSE AND WHAT IT ENTAILS?

Guernsey Dairy currently doesn’t offer any delivery services, as such a third party was required to deliver their products to shops across the Island. We were thrilled to win the contract and we agreed on a deal whereby we collect the milk on a daily basis and deliver it into their stores on their behalf. To fend off competition and win a nationally recognized, well-established company like the Co-operative Society is a really big achievement and a testament to the growth and ambition of the business.

DO YOU SEE THAT RELATIONSHIP CONTINUING TO GROW BEYOND THE CURRENT OFFERING?

We certainly hope so, our current contract starts from 3 April so it is paramount that we deliver on our promise in what is a very competitive market in terms of cost. We will focus on our strengths, our excellent customer service and the technologies we have in place that make Woodside a reliable choice. When we achieve this, it will certainly pave the way for more opportunities. The business is at a point where we are now integrating lots of our customers’ systems with our own systems with ADI and EDI capabilities, which makes us an easy to use logistical solution.

WHAT STRATEGY DOES WOODSIDE HAVE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE?

We plan to continue our growth and focus on delivering our current services to the highest possible standard. An overall aim for us is to improve accessibility and affordability of all goods from suppliers in the UK for Channel Islands consumers, and ultimately provide them with a competitive alternative.

THE WOODSIDE LOGISTICS PORTSMOUTH TEAM RECENTLY WON THE TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE UK PEOPLE AWARDS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

Obviously, I’m very proud of the Portsmouth team and where they’ve come from; a small team of four in November 2019 to a team of 35 today which operates 24/6. Of the three Woodside hubs its certainly the busiest because Portsmouth handles everything. Jersey and Guernsey obviously have a proportionate split, so that tends to be 40% Guernsey, 60% Jersey, but Portsmouth gets 100% to deal with on a daily basis. They receive over 100 deliveries per day and that delivery can be anything from an envelope in the back of a van to a double deck with 50 pallets on it. It’s a really busy depot and the team is very hard-working, the award was a well-earned win for them. With successful, dedicated teams across the three hubs and a clear strategy, the future is certainly looking bright for Woodside Logistics.

Our services:

• Food

• Horticultural

• Recycling

• Alcohol

• Healthcare & Pharmaceutical

• Retail