London-based Road Haulage Company, PPL London, are celebrating the milestone anniversary of 30 years, with the business going from strength to strength expecting over £6 million in turnover in 2023.
PPL London started humbling in 1993 when Managing Director, Adam Hopcroft, began distributing goods around London in his transit van from his council flat in Stonebridge. His biggest customer, Spicers Stationary, began to grow which resulted in Adam employing more drivers and investing in new fleet.
Fast forward to 2023, PPL operates from a 35,000 sq. ft premises, employing over 50 staff with a fleet of 40 vehicles and has an annual turnover of more than £6 million.
The company prides itself on being able to offer same day freight services, overnight pallet distribution and general road haulage deliveries across the UK and internationally.
The company is proud with its achievements over the last 30 years, which has seen turbulent times. Aside from multiple recessions, the Managing Director has dealt with his own hardships, having been declared bankrupt in 2004.
But his resilience and hard-working nature ensured the business survived an incredible three decades. The MD also attributes his success to Deborah Jenkins, Operations Director at PPL London.
Adam Hopcroft, says of Deborah, “A special mention needs to be given to Deborah, who has played an integral part in the success of the business, steering the ship, whilst I concentrated on the finances to keep us fighting.”
PPL London are also esteemed members of the Pall-Ex Group, one of the UK’s leading palletised freight distribution networks.
As a member, PPL can tap into a reliable pallet network and provide a local, national, and international service to its customers. It also allows for cost savings which can inevitably be passed down the supply chain.
Adam says, “The partnership with Pall-Ex was just what we needed to build ourselves back up again. We now service specific postcodes in the West and North-West of London. The whole Pall-Ex team are always there to help and listen.“
Together, the companies have pioneered “The London Project”. A project specifically set up to regenerate the transport industry within the area.
A notoriously tough market to operate in with high levels of congestion, inflated costs of property and salaries, hard-to-reach locations, Low Emission Zones (LEZ), and parking restrictions.
The key objectives were to provide Pall-Ex members (and their customers) with a quality commercial advantage, increase profitability, drive fuel efficiency, and ensure sector-leading service levels within London.
Adam says, “The London Project has been a huge success, and something we are extremely proud to have been a part of. We’ve been able to offer excellent service to our customers, with the backing of Pall-Ex!”
Kevin Buchanan, CEO of The Pall-Ex Group, says “Our members make us who we are, especially those we hold a long-standing relationship with. PPL has been with us for a while, and together we have weathered many storms. It’s partnerships like these that make us stronger.”
PPL reached the milestone in July 2023 and will celebrate with all its team at Kempton Races in September. The company thanks all its staff for their commitment, dedication, and hard work throughout this amazing journey.
