Re: A Few Of 56 C. 1985
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1983 was a time of optimism among many of us in the Walls/Birds Eye Fold.
(Excuse the reversal of official title, one has to let ones priorities, loyalties and downright partialities, surface at some time).
The Company formed by Unilever plc merging, firstly the Production and Sales/ Marketing of two of their Brand Leading Subsidiaries, and later, the Distribution arms thereof, which had been temporarily shunted into a siding, under the banner of Unicold Walls, under the Umbrella of SPD Group, another Unilever Subsidiary.
The retail food trade was in a fluid state as the market became increasingly dominated by major, multiple outlet, retailers, blessed with good brains and even more blessed, with excessive brawn and brutal commercial ambition.
To meet the changing needs of the business as it was then percieved, 'The Company' were closing a massive national network of 'Local' Depots, under both Brand trade names, and opening a small number, I seem to remember five, new Regional Distribution Centres, which would absorb the work and territories of those closing.
In the South West, it certainly replaced:
Walls Carmarthen
Walls Swansea (became an outbase)
Walls Exeter (became an out base)
Walls Bodmin (new outbase Liskeard seconded to Exeter)
Walls Redruth
Walls Poole (became an outbase)
Walls Gloucester (not the main factory)
Birds Eye Walls Tewkesbury
Birds Eye Southampton
Birds Eye Exeter
Birds Eye Bristol (Patchway) (Later re commissioned for 3p distribution).
And others. (the brain has gone).
A new RDC opened then with high hopes amongst staff, with many transferring from Patchway and a couple at one point from Tewkesbury, and about a hundred , all categories recruited locally.
The fleet was app.
65% rigid Bedford TL up to 9+tons GVW, these were walk in refrigerated trucks, designed for rollcage/pack to floor operation, primarily for independant retail outlets and small convenience stores.
30% 16/17 ton Rigid 10 and 12 Pallet, Tailboard Trucks for Supermarket and Wholesaler/Cash and Carry Distribution.
5% 32 ton Artic combinations for overnight delivery to outbase locations.
The Volume split between, small outlet and Major retailer continued to change, with less work on the small trucks and the mid range carrying larger orders for fewer customers, so the balance of trucks was also changing.
The Retail Giants then started having direct deliveries from our factories, to central depots, controlled by themselves, in some cases or Medium sized drops of a few pallets, delivered from us for the intermediate stores.
Within too few years, and after the company taking in increased third party work from others, to keep these operations going. The small shop work was passed to concessionaires The Supermarket deliveries were about all direct and in a sadly short period, the shiny new depot, shiny new vehicles, and certainly not least, many professional and loyal staff, had gone their seperate
ways, victims of the progress or as I term it:
The Advance of the Aliens'.
Walls Ice Cream Was a good employer and cared about its products and consumers and despite the monopolies nonsense. If they had not made available freezer cabinets in the first place, you would not have seen ice creams in your local shops all those years ago, and it would have taken many more years for the economics of mass production to have put freezers into our houses. Long Live Walls.
This is not a definitive work, but one might say, 'A Bird's Eye View'
And now a little piece of bile; "Walls to The Cap'n"
If you are interested in a more professional insight into the companies and the market. please try.;
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/g...13BirdsEye.pdf
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/bu...ay-666507.html