Previous Press Releases

Parcel delivery giant DPD has just won a top award for environmental improvement.

DPD was voted best for reducing its CO2 emissions and for its recycling programmes in this highly-contested award presented by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

The company was particularly commended for its innovative approach. DPD’s CEO Dwain McDonald said “This is a fantastic recognition of how we carry out great environmental practices while maintaining the highest levels of customer service.

“We’re delighted with this acknowledgement. We were the first company in the parcels sector to invest in high volume, double-deck vehicles to transport parcels using fewer vehicles. We are particularly pleased that this best practice is now being adopted elsewhere as it’s great news for the environment.”

The company’s ‘green’ innovation continues. DPD and its sister company Interlink are the only parcel carriers in the marketplace to offer advance text notification of delivery with an option for the receiver to change delivery to a more convenient date, all via text. McDonald adds, “Not only does this mean great customer service, it’s good for the environment as more right-first-time deliveries are made and fewer delivery journeys mean less fuel and lower carbon emissions."

Photo caption (left to right) Jonathan Chadburn, MD - Home Delivery
Division, DHL Exel Supply Chain the sponsor; Charlie Shiels, DPD’s Director of Hubs, Linehaul, Risk and Transport; HRH The Princess Royal; Richard Brown President of CILT

Big-hearted DPD drivers are teaming up with Pudsey to raise thousands for The BBC Children in Need Appeal. The parcel carrier is supporting a campaign to raise money by making it easy for people to recycle their old mobile phones, PDAs, mp3s and iPods.

Each time they make a delivery to a home address, drivers will give customers a Freepost envelope that they can use to send their old item to recycling company Regenersis. For every device collected, up to £80 will be donated to the charity, whose aim it to help make apositive difference to disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. Between now and the TV appeal night on Friday 14 November, DPD and its sister company Interlink will deliver a million envelopes to customers across the UK.

Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD said: “We’re proud of our green credentials, so we were delighted to accept the offer to handle this great project. Simply by giving us your old mobile phone, iPod or PDA, you can help us raise money for BBC Children In Need. At the same time you’ll be reducing your own carbon footprint and getting rid of unwanted clutter!”

For further info on BBC Children in Need Appeal 2008, www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey.

Registered charity number: England & Wales no.802052 and Scotland no.SC039557

DPD, formerly Parceline, made one of their most important global deliveries recently, when their Chief Executive personally handed over a much needed Variety Club Sunshine Coach to the 77th Glasgow Disabled Scout Group.

As one of the UK’s leading express delivery companies, DPD has built its reputation on getting the goods there on time, but the welcome from the delighted scout group left the big hearted organization in no doubt that this was one of their most important deliveries to date!

“We really appreciate DPD’s involvement and generosity to Variety Club,” said Elliot McKenzie, Chairman of Variety Club Scotland. “While this is their first Sunshine Coach presentation in Scotland, they have funded no less than 52 similar coaches in the UK and without organizations like DPD, we simply could not provide these much needed coaches to deserving organizations.”

“We are thrilled to be in a position to fund another Variety Club Sunshine Coach,” said Chief Executive Officer of DPD, Dwain McDonald. Variety Club carries out a fantastic job in helping children in difficult circumstances and we are currently looking at funding a second Sunshine Coach in Scotland.”

Malcolm Gillies, Scout Master commented, “The 77th Glasgow Disabled Scout Group was established nearly eighty years ago and enables disabled boys to participate in and enjoy all that the Scouting movement has to offer. We are taking the group to a Scout Jamboree down south, but without this fabulous new coach, that may not have been possible. A big thanks to Variety Club Scotland and DPD for this.”

The Scout Group meets regularly at several locations in the Glasgow area, including Cathcart Scout Hall and St Aloysius College Hall.

Variety Club Children’s Charity aims to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children and the Sunshine Coach Programme works hard to provide these much needed coaches around the country.

GeoPost SA has announced the appointment of Kay Phillips, the CEO of its UK business, to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer Europe. Replacing her at the head of GeoPost UK, the parent company of DPD and Interlink Express, is Dwain McDonald, 42, who is currently Executive Director responsible for Sales & CRM.

Commenting on her appointment, Kay said “I am looking forward to this exciting new challenge and I am delighted to leave the UK business in the capable hands of Dwain who has played a key role over the last 10 years in the ongoing development and success of the business”.

Kay and Dwain will continue to work together as Dwain will report to Kay under the new European GeoPost SA structure.

The new appointments will take effect from 31 March 2008

Parceline is changing its name to DPD, the name of the international express network which connects 500 depots across 38 countries. This means the UK company can now offer all its domestic and international services under one brand. It also means that the UK is more easily recognised as part of an international group.

DPD, which stands for Dynamic Parcel Distribution, is one of the most established express delivery brands in Europe, delivering more than two million parcels daily.

This rebranding is an investment by owner La Poste, in a number of its businesses across Europe. The new DPD uniforms and liveried vehicles will be seen immediately in the UK.

An equally significant move forward for the UK business is the major investment by La Poste in the completion of a new super-hub in the Midlands at a cost of £56 million. This is the most technologically-advanced and accurate sorting hub in the UK. It is strategically located between junctions 1 and 2 on the M5 motorway, in Oldbury, West Midlands. This purpose-designed multi-sortation hub is engineered for optimum handling and uses the latest tilt tray technology supported by sophisticated MIS systems.

Located just one mile away from the company’s existing 23-acre site, the new 27-acre site also includes a sophisticated 24/7/365 vehicle maintenance unit for the largest fleet of double-decker trailers in the industry, along with executive offices and staff facilities. The existing Smethwick-based site will now be used to support the expansion of its sister company Interlink Express – the premium carrier for small businesses.

“Our change in name is another exciting step forward in our corporate history, and one which will benefit our customers and our people” says Chief Executive Kay Phillips. “We will now be more easily recognised as an international operator. The new DPD will retain all its values and will keep the tagline ‘technology delivering’, which demonstrates our continued investment in technology.

“We will retain the strengths that differentiate us in the UK market – being dynamic, flexible, innovative and reliable and the same people and will continue to provide the same services to the same exceptional standard. So it is ‘business as usual’ for our existing customers with the simplicity of dealing with one brand for UK and international.

“The investment by La Poste in this new superhub gives us an excellent foundation to grow our businesses further. With these two exciting investments in our company we are well placed to continue serving our customers and responding to their needs.”