2000s: Marking the turn of the century with growth and longevity
The start of the 21st century wasn’t all fun and games. The ‘Millennium Bug’ sparked anxiety and fear towards the end of the 1990s as many people thought complex computer programmes would be unable to interpret the 00 of 2000 and therefore glitch the world’s systems…
Albeit hard to believe, rather than glitching, systems have continued to grow, develop and exceed imagination… Since 2000, we have seen the rise of technology, political stories that will last a lifetime and the global population exceed 7 billion.
Looking back to the start of the noughties, growth and development has also epitomised our journey and this month, we’ve got a special guest who will be taking a trip down memory lane…
The Noughties
As we left the 20th century and into our first decade as fully fledged members of the Palletline network, our business continued to grow and strive.
Working in collaboration with the distribution company and its wider partners across the UK, our regular and recurring work commitments resulted in us outgrowing our home of thirty years.
Flying the nest to much larger premises in Queensway Meadows (which is where we still are today!), we were able to exemplify our service offering even further. With the space to efficiently offer warehousing, container destuffing and more, we continued to build on and expand our legacy, delivering beyond distribution and into streamlined logistics.
To tell us even more about this, Palletline Manager and long-standing member of staff, Gareth Tapp is going to talk us through his years with the company…
Over to you, Gareth…
When I joined the company back in 2006, the business was much smaller in comparison to what we have now. Although incredibly busy with our Palletline commitments and local haulage projects, we had approximately 12 drivers in total.
With experience in a selection of different jobs, a close friend put me forward to join the ARJ team as a Class 2 multi-drop driver. Retaining that family-run ethos and supporting individuals who are ready to learn the ropes, Ian and Peter Jones met with me and the rest is history…
I completed most multi-drop runs in the local area for a few years until I decided I wanted to develop myself professionally and learn even more about the business that I had grown to be a valued part of. Applying for a position of Planner, I hung up my keys and moved into the office.
I was supported to follow my aspirations and put my ideas into practice and as a result, continued to learn, develop and grow. From this experience, I was appointed as Palletline Manager and am now responsible for the day-to-day running of our Palletline deliveries and collections, which is our predominant business.
That said, as the business got busier, one thing stayed the same and that was the ethos and culture that surrounded us. From warehouse staff to on-the-road drivers, to office staff – we all felt, and still feel, like valued members of the team. With a close working relationship with our colleagues and driving towards the same goal, everyone is nurtured and encouraged to develop themselves within the business in any way they wish.
Thirty years into the legacy of Alan R Jones and the family-run core is still at the heart of the business.
Next month, we’re onto the 2010s… The decade that saw change inspired by challenge, leading us up to the present day.
Stay tuned!
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