Europa Worldwide Group has overhauled its operations from the ground up – yet its core values, formed 10 years ago, remain unshaken, continuing to deliver excellence to its customers and to generate a performance-driven, inclusive environment full of opportunity for its people.
The leading logistics operator headquartered in Dartford (Kent) continues to evolve and innovate, holding to its core company values, with a consistent approach to challenging the market and investing in innovation.
Thanks to its robust and authentic values – personally devised by its CEO Andrew Baxter – the business continues to flourish in a challenging marketplace.
Andrew acquired Europa, when the company employed just 400 people across nine UK branches and one international site in Hong Kong. Today, the business has a turnover of £302m, an increase of 400 per cent and employs more than 1,300 people across 30 sites globally.
Created to be “liveable values” and not just posters on a wall, Europa’s 11 company values “our approach to business,” were created after Andrew acquired the business in 2013.
Company values are the standards that guide the way a business and its team operate, shaping the culture and both how and why things are done a certain way. Whilst strategies may change, these core values of a business remain constant.
They were designed to help support the integration of existing team members with the expanded team brought in to support Andrew’s ambitious growth plans.
The business has come a long way, with major investments and innovations helping it set the pace in the market. Europa has consistently proven itself to be an innovator and disruptor in the logistics sector, staying ahead of the curve to adapt to new challenges.
Europa rolled its values out alongside significant expansion plans, successfully applying them across cultures and languages in Belgium, Netherlands, UAE, China, India and South Africa over the past few years.
At the core of Europa is a team that works tirelessly to seek out new business, solve customer challenges, and create a positive and inclusive working environment. Europa’s successful values bring tangible commercial benefits one of its values is focused on “driving out complexity”. This approach to simplicity facilitated the innovative launch of its DDP post-Brexit service Europa Flow, which offers a straightforward concept to reduce post-Brexit paperwork.
As an example of the focus on its people, Europa launched an inclusive digital new starter welcome pack, personalised for every new team member. In addition to a welcome from Andrew, they demonstrate Europa’s culture and values and feature a personal video from the divisional director.
Other initiatives that Europa continues to deliver include its new Hapi EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) which offers a variety of services through one easy-to-use app. This includes enabling team recognition. Clive Reynolds – Warehouse Area Manager in Corby regularly uses it, commenting “I recognise my colleagues’ good work to show appreciation and encourage a positive, motivated workplace where efforts are valued and celebrated. Recognising the team boosts morale, motivation, and engagement, making people feel valued, encouraging excellence, and strengthening our culture.”
Employee engagement directly supports Europa’s values by fostering a motivated and committed workforce. When employees are engaged, they’re more likely to take bold steps, drive innovation, and continuously improve, all aligned with the company values. Strong engagement helps build positive teams, creating a culture of collaboration, trust, and support.
Yanique Barnett-Brown, Marketing and Communication Executive was recognised and comments “Being acknowledged is a great reminder of how we live our Europa values every day. Much of what I do happens behind the scenes, so being noticed makes me feel valued and highlights the impact of my work. Having that wider recognition across the business is incredibly motivating- it’s like seeing your name on a wall of fame!”
Tom Jenkins, Central Services Director at Europa Worldwide Group added: “Europa’s values are at the core of our business and showcase what makes us different. They form our DNA, setting out our culture and the way we act. We believe in simple and honest transactions, sticking to our word, and delivering.
“We are as committed as ever to the alignment of our values, ensuring everyone not only owns their part of the journey but understands it. As a company, it’s important to us to keep our promises by doing what is right, not what is easy, in expectation of setting the pace in the market.
“These factors, along with our strategic commitment to working not just as a team but as a Europa family, and our willingness to take bold steps, help us reach our full potential and stay ahead of the curve.”
