Food Chain - Issue 198 - February 2024 | Page 145

____________________ Rowan
International Ltd
▲ Sarah Guest , Managing Director
evident from their advertising campaigns and so protecting their brand equity , including sustainability , is vital . We find suitable outlets for their excess products so that they can safeguard their corporate social responsibility ( CSR ) credentials and prevent landfill . Over the course of 40 years , we ’ ve established strong , transparent and honest relationships within our supply chain . Our suppliers fully trust us to solve the challenges posed by fluctuating consumer demand without compromising the manufacturers ’ relationships with major supermarkets or their brand reputation .”
Stock solutions
Rowan also strives to make its operational infrastructure easy to deal with . “ We utilise cross-dock warehouses in Germany , Spain and Italy as well as the UK to provide sites closer to our suppliers and customers , reducing our stem mileage and decreasing lead times . We also use two sites in the UK and three in the Netherlands to undertake value-added services such as labelling and
repackaging , required to ensure all products comply with the relevant legislation , allowing broader geographical reach to a wider range of customers .”
The company has made great strides in digital retail too : “ Since we only sell excess stock , our inventory isn ’ t available on a regular or consistent basis and prospective customers need to secure items fast . So , we have developed a B2B e-commerce platform over the last few years which can be used at any time .”
As a closing thought , Sarah looks forward to Rowan ’ s future : “ We ’ re aiming to expand our reach across Europe and the rest of the world to provide our suppliers with more avenues for their excess stock . We ’ re also investing in new tools to aid our warehouse and outbound vehicle utilization and provide customers with the data for best fill through their supply chain to the store shelves .” ■
www . rowan . eu . com
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