Author: dev@samuel

As one of the busiest industries in the COVID-19 era, the logistics sector has faced its fair share of challenges. Record highs in e-commerce orders have seen more pressure on the industry than ever, and unfortunately alongside increased demand can come accidents.

So, as responsible businesses, what can we do to improve safety in logistics? From people power to packaging, we can work together to make this figure zero and are proud members of EUMOS, the European Safe Logistics Association. EUMOS are aiming to reduce the number of fatalities in the logistics cycle to Zero by 2050 instilling safer working practices throughout the supply chain and have created standards which are industry recognised.

Invest in training

Moving vehicles accounted for some of the biggest risks in the latest HSE reports. Investing in proper training and refresher courses for forklifts, large goods and heavy goods vehicles will prevent accidents and assure legal compliance.

Use safer equipment

The logistics industry is innovating all the time, from warehouse automation to last mile delivery. While some innovations improve efficiencies, others focus on safety. One such innovation is the Samson Nano Slingshot, which replicates the inertia of a vehicle and whether the load will potentially displace. The machine can initially test at 0.1G and work up to the EUMOS standard of 0.8G.  From the pallet data entered, the maximum deformation of the load is calculated to create a pass or fail.. By using the Samson Nano Slingshot, Samuel Grant Packaging can guarantee compliance with the EUMOS:40509 2020 safety standards.

As the only pallet stabilisation technology approved by EUMOS in the UK, the Slingshot captures frame by frame images which highlight any weak points in the load. This detailed analysis helps to improve pallet stability and bring fatalities down to zero. Samuel Grant’s Samson Nano pallet wrapping system ensures pallet stability by using a specialised stretch film, which is pre-set to stretch only to its optimum tension.

Keep all machinery maintained

Another risk as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic is underused equipment. Tools that have been idle are at risk of malfunctioning, so inspections are essential. This is not only a matter of safety, but legal compliance.

According to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, as well as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, equipment should be inspected every 12 months. Any machinery that is carrying personnel, such as forklifts, must be inspected every six months.

When clients use the Samson Nano pallet wrapping system, all updates, servicing and maintenance are included in a fixed price per wrapped pallet. This takes the headache out of ensuring pallet wrap machinery is maintained – one less thing to think about!

Make your logistics operations safer with the Slingshot and Samson Nano

The Samson Nano is the proud holder of the 2018 Queen’s Award for Innovation. If you’d like to find out more about how Samuel Grant Packaging’s Nano and testing from the Slingshot can revolutionise your workplace, get in touch today.

Julie has been working at Samuel Grant for seven years. With a combination of motivation and hard work she has progressed through various roles and is now Warehouse Manager. Performing a variety of responsibilities, Julie spends most of her days at Samuel Grant managing goods inwards, loading the lorries each evening and making sure that the orders get out on time. 

We asked Julie what her key achievements are so far whilst at Samuel Grant? 

“I have worked really hard to get to where I am, from starting as a Warehouse Operative,  being promoted to Assistant Manager and now being the Warehouse Manager is a great achievement.  This job has allowed me to keep very organised so that I can do the best job that I possibly can.” 

Julie’s favourite thing about working at Samuel Grant is the team: 

“It’s a great atmosphere to work in and everyone gets on with one another!” 

We asked Julie what she saw as the future of the business? 

“In regards to the plan and the future of Samuel Grant and packaging as a whole I would hope that we are able to expand or get a bigger warehouse as we are getting busier and busier. I can see a huge difference from when I started to now with a larger amount of staff working here and many more orders being sent out. This industry is going up and up, we are increasing our amount of lorries and we are continuing to get bigger! With Samson Nano machines bringing in a massive amount of business, I definitely see them continuing as the way forward.” 

Finally, Julie would tell anyone who is considering a career in packaging to go ahead and do it. It’s a growing industry, there are definitely many opportunities to step up the career ladder if you work hard. 

Michael started his journey with Samuel Grant 11 years ago as a Coordinator after working in construction and realising it just wasn’t for him. Through hard work and eagerness to gain knowledge in this new industry his role has since developed to Internal Sales Office Supervisor, which he sees as one of his biggest achievements so far.  

Through the support of everyone around him, Michael has progressed massively during his time at Samuel Grant and has attained a great amount of knowledge in an industry he originally knew very little about.  

When we asked Michael what his favourite things about working at Samuel Grant are, here is what he had to say: 

“I love the diversity of what we get involved with, we work with many industries from heavy industries to home furnishings. It’s great to create different solutions for our customers which keeps me very interested.”   

When talking about the future of Samuel Grant and of packaging as a whole, Michael said: 

“I can’t wait to carry on being part of a team that continues to innovate. Everyone wants to go greener at the minute with their packaging. This is something we are going to continue to focus on so we can find solutions for our customers and concentrate on taking new environmentally aware products to market. At Samuel Grant we have the experience and resources to achieve this ahead of our competition.”  

Lastly, Michael would encourage anyone considering a role in packaging to go for it because of how interesting it can be. It provides a challenge and a variety of things to do day in, day out – “it isn’t repetitive at all!” 

Gary Hepworth is Samuel Grant’s Strapping and Tool Advisor. In this role, one of his main responsibilities is to advise others on strapping and with the knowledge he has gained, he does this expertly! 

From joining the business in 2010 as a Warehouse Operative he has had various roles and responsibilities. After just 6 months from starting Julia asked him to run a trade counter at Sheffield after recognising he would do a great job. When a full-time position came up in Sales Julia put him forward and gave him a lot of backing and support to progress in this department rather than just the warehouse itself. 

Gary shows a vast amount of motivation, and after Samuel Grant were just starting to venture into the steel and strapping business after acquiring Centerpac he asked if he could be Russ’s coordinator so that he could pick up a larger amount of knowledge.  This is something that Gary sees as one of his biggest achievements so far.  

We asked Gary what his favourite things about working at Samuel Grant are: 

“It’s got a great family attitude and everyone can get on with one another. Everyone is willing to help each other whether it’s a big or small task and there is no awkwardness when it comes to speaking to anybody in the company. There is no one that you can’t talk to!” 

When it comes to the future of Samuel Grant and how Gary sees himself in the business going forward Gary said: 

“I am very happy where I am, there is always going to be more knowledge for me to learn from Russ which I pick up as I go along but I am definitely happy where I am now.  

In regards to the future of Samuel Grant and of packaging as a whole, our success of the Samson Nano machines is foremost. From the strapping division I think that we are one of the most competitive out there. We are definitely one of the major players when it comes to strapping, we have the stock, we have the reserves, so we can supply.” 

Gary would recommend anyone considering a role in packaging to go for it! Especially for a family company such as Samuel Grant.  

Helping customers to improve their processes incorporating all that Samuel Grant Packaging can offer is something Dan, Samson Nano Specialist, does daily. Originally joining the business as an Administrator, where he sorted internal diaries and looked after machine cards, Dan quickly came to grips with the business and was subsequently promoted to his current role.   

The technical side of the industry is something which always interested him, as he seeks to prove to customers that the Samson Nano isn’t simply a pallet wrapping machine, but an exciting process which does a lot more than meets the eye.  

With a background working for global companies with a constant cycle of new Directors, Dan now feels valued and part of the family at Samuel Grant Packaging. His increased confidence in his own ability has allowed him to go out on the road and confidently advise customers in what they need to do, where they need to be and what we can offer to help.  

In his own words:  

“Without Julia Allen I wouldn’t be where I am today, she saw something in me which I didn’t. She’s always there at the other end of the phone, more than happy to get stuck in and put her battle gown on to help. I don’t think I’ve ever had an MD that would do that for me.”  

With a target set to get as many Samson Nano machines as possible installed in the North East, the only way is up for Daniel, and he has the full support of the Samuel Grant team. In the future, he sees Samuel Grant continuing to grow and maintaining their strong position as market leaders.  

We are proud to have Daniel as part of the team and delighted that what started as a right place, right time job became a career he continues to thrive in. 

As a long-standing member of Samuel Grant Packaging, Lee is a true asset to the team. Starting his journey with 10 years at Centre Pack, which was eventually taken over by Samuel Grant, Lee has now been part of the team for just over 9 years.

He has gone from working in the warehouse, to Assistant Buyer and now to his current role as Buyer through hard work, support and training, picking up a CIPS Level 3 and Advanced along the way.

With a wealth of knowledge behind him, we asked how he sees the future of both the company and the packaging industry:

“I can only see Samuel Grant getting bigger and better as we introduce new products and continue to employ experts in every field. Having such a strong team allows you to pick up the phone or have a meeting with others who are experts on products you may not be familiar with, so that collaboratively you can come up with solutions. It helps us keep the company growing and moving forward.

Packaging is going to be very interesting over the next few years with more Eco products and the introduction of the plastic tax. We already have plans in place to make sure that we come out stronger than we were before.”

Lee would advise anyone wanting to start a career in packaging to listen, learn and take on board what people say as there is a lot of product knowledge to learn, but it’s very interesting! Lastly, he offered a special mention to Paul Henderson who was responsible for his training and showing him all he knows to date. Julia Allen also played a key part in building his confidence and encouraging him to believe in his own ability. We are privileged to have such an enthusiastic member on board.

Samson Nano are looking forward to exhibiting at Intralogistex on stand 212 this year. It’s firmly cemented as the favourite show of the year and we’ve missed it!

So what’s new? Well, having been at the very forefront of pallet wrapping technology since its launch in 2013, hence winning the Queen’s Award for Innovation, the Samson Nano’s ethos is to keep it simple.

Aside of the simplicity of the costing model, where all the film, machine, servicing and maintenance and ongoing involvement of the Samuel Grant Packaging experts are all included in a fixed price per wrapped pallet, the controls are kept simple too. Trained specialists do a full analysis of the pallets that are needing to be wrapped, and pre-set the machine stopping any risk of human error or override.

In a time when polymers are at an all-time high cost-wise, and the environmental impact of plastic use is under more scrutiny than ever before, using the smallest possible amount of film to wrap pallets and have goods arrive at their destination in perfect condition has never been more important. By analysing the weight, height and dimensions of the pallets, the specialists pre-set (sometimes a variety) of push-button operations, meaning the machine always works at optimum capability whilst using as little film as possible.

The removal of operator judgement saves time, money, wastage and reduces any risk of badly wrapped pallets causing the damage of goods in transit. The Samuel Grant team take everything into account: weight, size, height, pre-stretch, speed of carriage, rotation speed and reinforcement banding. Nothing is left to chance. Grant’s remain fully involved on a daily basis, monitoring for any changes or issues – failed wraps aren’t paid for by the customer. This commitment is unique to the Samson Nano. The film is perfectly matched to the machines, which even re-orders more itself when needed.

When polymer and film was cheap, Samson Nano was the best option. With price increases coupled with the introduction of the £200 plastic tax, there has never been a better solution. In addition, the heritage of Samuel Grant Packaging’s 130 years in business and their impeccable reputation amongst suppliers means they have maintained a reliable supply chain throughout this year’s shortages, which haven’t affected their clients.

Samson Nano offers a one-stop-shop turnkey pallet wrapping service, backed up by unrivalled levels of expertise, a simplicity that can’t be matched, and an ongoing obsession with reducing carbon footprint by using and wasting as little film as possible.

www.samuelgrant.co.uk/wrapping

Since joining Samuel Grant Packaging in 2013 as a logistics apprentice, Calum Seddon has shown great enthusiasm and willingness to learn, which has led to multiple new roles and responsibilities within the business. Soon after completing his NVQ in warehouse and logistics, Calum made the step up to Assistant Buyer. 

After a year of learning the ropes in procurement, he naturally progressed into position of Buyer before finally taking up his current role as a Samson Nano Specialist. This was always something which Calum could see himself doing, and supported and guided by Managing Director, Julia, he hasn’t looked back since. 

When asked to describe his current role and his favourite parts of the job, Calum said: 

“I deal with all things Samson Nano, including placing and installing the machines. Having been in this role for just over a year, I love getting out and about and having a change of scenery every day. My favourite aspect of the job is being able to see the benefits on the customers’ end, rather than just the initial purchasing process. I always thought of Nano as a natural progression through the company and when the job came up, I just went for it!” 

The launch of our very own Samson Nano Slingshot has also played a big part in Calum’s development, with him being the very first person to be fully trained on the new machine, something which he sees as his biggest achievement to date.  

Going forward, Calum sees Samuel Grant in prime position to continue our long-standing success, with more focus being put on sustainability and closing the loop on recycling. We couldn’t finish the conversation without a mention to Julia Allen and Andrew Grant, both of whom Calum said are key drivers behind his success and thanks them for all their help along the way.