A Hertfordshire logistics specialist is commending the hard work of its employees and loyalty of its customers for supporting it over two decades of trading.
Letchworth Garden City-based Aztek Logistics was founded in 2003 following a long-awaited dream for managing director, Stuart Charter, who was working as a white goods and TV installer for electronics retailer Mastercare, the distribution arm of Currys.
The logistics company’s first success came from the support of the Prince’s Trust which helped Stuart get his first vehicle on the road – a 7.5 tonne lorry – after he produced a long-term business plan for the 40-year-old charity.
Over the years, Aztek has continued to thrive, mostly recently achieving a £12 million turnover in 2022, with 2023 set to increase the firm’s turnover further.
The company’s industry accreditations have helped it achieve this milestone, including the BRCGS storage and distribution certification, Organic Food accreditation and FORS Gold accreditation – the top accolade for safety and environmental best practice in the supply chain – which it has held for seven years.
Stuart Charter said: “I started as one man with van and a dream. That one van became two vans and after my first year, I submitted my first accounts of £287,000, which I still have.
“The success at the start was all down to the help of the Prince’s Trust – they were great to deal with and boosting confidence, which is what you need when you’re a new business starting out.
“There was steep learning curve, and I learnt a lot from the Prince’s Trust, not least around entrepreneurial pitfalls and dealing with cashflow and finance through factoring, which got me through some leaner times in the early days.”
The business is a member of the award-winning Pallet-Track network, which enables independent hauliers to work together to efficiently transport palletised goods around the UK.
Over the last three years, Aztek has invested not only in its expanding fleet to accommodate its new record-breaking double-digit growth volumes but also its warehouse facilities.
Last year, the company opened its sixth warehouse, a new 20,000 sq. ft premises in Arlesey, which has increased its total warehousing capacity to 150,000 sq. ft.
Aztek has also boosted its fleet to 40 and manages over 30,000 pallet movements per month via its pallet network and haulage fleet.
“I’m so proud of the team we have here at Aztek. There’s been a lot of growth in recent years and I’m also proud of our track record with retaining staff over our 20 years in business.” said Stuart.
