Continuing their focus of introducing sustainable initiatives wherever possible, total supply chain solutions specialist, Oakland International, is seeing their electrification plans expand as uptake grows amongst employees.

Introducing electric vehicles (EV) to their fleet some ten-years ago, Oakland International’s investment in renewables and electrification has seen its number of electric cars increase from six to sixteen in less than twelve months, with another twenty on order. The supply of free employee EV charging points, growing employee demand for the company’s EV car scheme, and although electric vehicle range is still a major factor, as well as price and availability, in preventing people from changing to electric, the huge fluctuation recently in fuel prices is helping drive interest in Oakland’s EV offering.

Oakland International HR Director, Cory Winstanley, commented: “The company has a longstanding history of utilising environmental and green technologies wherever possible, and as the business has expanded so has our research and development into how we can harness and incorporate green technologies into our business practices, and benefit our employees.

“All three UK depots now have over fifty EV charging points to provide ‘free at work’ charging, which at least helps with offsetting the investment in a new EV car.”

A specialist in contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and a brand development support provider for ambient, chilled and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and food service markets in the UK, Ireland and via their partner in Spain, Oakland International is BRCGS AA accredited and a double Queen’s Award for Enterprise recipient for International Trade and Sustainable Development and having taken the first step to become B Corp certified, joining the fast-growing movement of using business as a force for good, and is working towards becoming the first business within their sector to achieve net-zero.

Added Cory: “If we’re to help and encourage more of our team to consider electric as an affordable and achievable option then we need to provide the resources to enable them to do so. In the long term we aim to make Oakland International as sustainable as possible.”