Bakers Basco has expanded its role to become the primary source of investigation and recovery for both Allied Bakeries and Hovis equipment.
The two bakery giants helped set up the national membership scheme in 2006 in collaboration with Warburtons, Frank Roberts & Sons, and Fine Lady Bakeries.
Bakers Basco’s latest strategic initiative was said to emphasise its commitment to protecting the interests of its member bakeries and ensuring responsible use across the industry of its equipment including bread baskets and dollies.
As part of this effort, Bakers Basco will serve as the central point of contact for reporting misappropriated equipment and will advise customers on all details associated with the abuse. The company will focus on retrieving its own Omega equipment, specifically targeting third-party locations in the execution of its normal duties and activities.
“Bakers Basco remains steadfast in its dedication to upholding the integrity of our equipment and safeguarding the interests of our member bakeries,” said Paul Empson, general manager at Bakers Basco. “By taking a proactive stance in investigating and recovering misappropriated equipment, we are reinforcing our commitment to maintaining a fair and responsible bakery equipment ecosystem.”
Allied Bakeries logistics director Richard Hodgson, who is also a board director of Bakers Basco, said it was inevitable that the company would expand its agreement with the scheme. “Our alignment with Bakers Basco on shared values underscores our mutual goal of efficiently repatriating equipment, reducing costs, and minimising the environmental footprint associated with any misplaced or abused equipment,” Hodgson added.
Key aspects of the agreement include:
- Customer engagement – member bakeries are encouraged to report instances of equipment misuse to Bakers Basco
- Investigation process – upon receiving details of the abuse, Bakers Basco will visit the site, engage in conversations, issue verbal warnings, and request return of the equipment, as well as issuing charges if necessary
- Litigation – should retrieval of equipment be unsuccessful, Bakers Basco will engage its legal team and initiate the litigation process to ensure compliance
- Monitoring and enforcement – sites that fail to comply with Bakers Basco’s requests will be placed on records for future reference.
Empson noted the importance of collaboration and transparency in addressing equipment misuse. “By working closely with our customers and leveraging our resources effectively, we aim to uphold industry standards and protect the interests of all stakeholders,” he commented.
Record low attrition rates
Latest figures from Bakers Basco revealed that attrition rates on bread baskets and dolly equipment have fallen 4.3% and 6.6% respectively over the last year to reach their lowest levels in four years.
Substantial improvement of efficiencies and streamlining operations were cited as the main factors behind the reduction in attrition rates, which stood at -8.8% for bread baskets and -6.5% for dollies for the 2023/24 period.
“Increasing stock counts across the supply chain at the end of each period gives the team a much better handle on the rates on a more regular basis,” said Empson, adding that “the whole collection process we operate today is more connected than ever before”.
Bakers Basco manages a current equipment pool of approximately 4.5 million Omega baskets and 450,000 dollies. Earlier this year, it extended its investigative and recovery operations to Northern Ireland and Scotland. This followed the uncovering of a criminal operation last November, which had been illegally turning equipment into plastic chipping.
No comments yet