Reed Boardall names managing director of transport

24-Apr-2018 - Last updated on 25-Apr-2018 at 07:07 GMT

Richardson: ‘opportunity to build on position of strength’

Frozen food distributor Reed Boardall has named Graeme Richardson as managing director (MD) of its transport division.

Richardson joins from National Holidays, where he was a director, but previously spent five years with Tesco in roles including area distribution manager for the north and primary manager – national rail operations. Prior to that, Richardson was regional planning manager with Eddie Stobart for almost five years.

Reed Boardall said Richardson would be seeking to grow the business by winning new customer contracts, as well as looking for further operational improvements and efficiencies.

“With his strong track record in transport and experience of working within the retail sector, Graeme will bring fresh insight to our transport operation,” said Reed Boardall deputy chief executive Marcus Boardall.

‘New opportunities’

“He will be focusing on finding new opportunities and helping us to be even better at what we do. Working alongside Andrew Baldwin, MD of our cold storage division, we have a great team in place to take the business forward.”

Commenting on his appointment, Richardson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to move back into transport and to work for one of the leading refrigerated logistics companies in the UK. I’m really looking forward to being part of a family business where I can make a real difference.

“Reed Boardall offers a unique proposition. With 25 years of experience behind it, it has evolved to meet customers’ changing needs and provide a reliable, integrated cold storage and transport solution. Despite turbulence in the sector, it has remained steady, and I believe we have a great opportunity to build on our position of strength.”

Management board

Richardson joins Reed Boardall’s five-strong management board, comprising founder and chief executive Keith Boardall; his son Marcus, deputy chief executive, to whom Richardson reports; Baldwin; and Sarah Roberts, finance director.

Richardson replaces Howard Gill, who left Reed Boardall in December 2017 to become MD of temperature controlled logistics firm Kinship Logistics, which is part of the SH Pratt group and based in Luton.

Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets.

Operating 24/7, its 170-strong fleet of vehicles moves an average of 12,000 pallets a day and it stores £100m worth of products on behalf of its customers. It employs more than 750 staff at its single site in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire.