To further support customers and in response to demand across its network, The APC also made considerable investment in the second half of the year with the introduction of software and hardware to optimise its main sortation equipment at Cannock. This coupled with the new fragile sortation capacity has resulted in improved productivity. APC also recently announced an ownership restructure, which significantly expands on its share base. Concluding on 3rd March, the new structure allows a return for long standing shareholders, as well as an opportunity for continued investment in the future of the business. It also provides the opportunity for all depots to take a shareholding and share options for all long-standing employees with over 10 years’ service.

Jonathan Smith, Chief Executive at APC Overnight, said:

As we celebrated 25 years, the restructure allowed us to embrace one of the founding principles of the business - to offer all involved in the company an opportunity to partake in the ownership of the company.

APC had to quickly adapt to the initial impact of COVID-19. The global pandemic has seen the logistics industry thrown into the limelight, as delivery companies have continued to take on an integral role in keeping essential items moving and supplying communities with the goods they rely on. Whilst many industries have seen considerable downturns as a result of the pandemic, APC Overnight, like many in the logistics industry, continues to expand, providing a critical service to SMEs across the country as they adapt their businesses and accelerate their online presence to meet the changing consumer demands.

Jonathan Smith, said:

The initial impact of the pandemic, quickly resulted in increased demand for parcel services, driven by consumer e-commerce activity and the preference for home delivery. Across the business we have seen a notable shift in purchasing habits, with B2C previously making up around 50% of all deliveries, and today making up around 75%. We anticipate that this preference will remain the norm for the foreseeable future and our role is to support our SME customers by recognising these changing dynamics of consumer behaviour and ensuring that our customers have access to their communities as they prepare for a further surge in online shopping.

APC’s focus on a national level is now on Christmas peak - and with lockdown measures still in place and Christmas around the corner - the business is preparing for what is likely to be a record-breaking period of online shopping. As part of these preparations, the business recently announced its biggest ever recruitment drive, with plans to hire over 100 new members of staff. The roles – all of which are permanent - vary from drivers, forklift truck drivers, and warehouse operatives, to customer services staff and IT.