Industry distinction puts logistics specialist in pole position

An ‘exceptional’ team player at Pallet-Track has rounded off a year of major achievements by gaining one of the logistics industry’s highest distinctions.

Anthony Ratchford, who is head of safety, health, environment and quality at the Wolverhampton pallet network, has been named a Chartered Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

The accreditation is awarded to industry leaders who have earned peer recognition and delivered real impact with their work.

Anthony’s Chartered Fellow accreditation follows multiple award wins and marks the end of the biggest project of his career.

He was named Colleague of the Year at the Pallet-Track Shareholder Gala for the career defining role he played in the network’s move to a new Central Hub and headquarters on Waterways Business Park in Ettingshall.

The project was significant in scale and complexity, moving the firm’s operations from Titan Distribution Centre in Millfields Road to a new campus over double the size of its previous site.

Anthony said, ‘The large scale relocation required a phased transition to ensure minimal disruption to our team and operations, with eight phases meticulously planned and executed to keep the network operating as usual.

‘Despite the project’s scale and complexity, and the need for a seamless transition for our team and shareholder members, we experienced only a handful of challenges during the process.

‘This was a once in a career opportunity, and I am proud to have played a key role in the project while also achieving such a successful transition.

‘It has been an exciting period of growth for Pallet-Track and a real achievement to have my work recognised through both the Colleague of the Year Award and as a Chartered Fellow.’

Stuart Godman, CEO at Pallet-Track, said: ‘Anthony joined the team in 2021 as national operations manager and since then, he has continued to impress at Pallet-Track.

‘He made an exceptional contribution to our site move by taking ownership of key activities and was instrumental in making the transition as smooth as possible.

‘His positive attitude, teamwork and dedication have had a lasting impact and truly exemplifies our values as a business.

‘Anthony goes above and beyond in every aspect of his role and, as a team, we congratulate him on these well earned achievements.’

Following Pallet-Track’s move to Waterways Business Park, Anthony also completed a Chartered Management Business Degree. 

He credits the mentorship of Stuart, Gary Oliver, chief operating officer and project manager Peter Louden with helping him to achieve success both in the workplace and his studies.

Anthony added, ‘Studying for my degree has broadened my skills, helping me to gain a wider view of the business by strengthening my ability to work cross-functionally.

‘I really value the support and encouragement of the senior leadership team and having a greater understanding of all areas of the business will prove vital as we implement new projects in the year ahead.’

During Anthony’s time at Pallet-Track he has completed additional qualifications, including achieving his Certificate of Professional Competence license, a qualification for HGV drivers, and the health, safety, and environmental NEBOSH qualification.

He has also been instrumental in the network’s commitment to improving warehouse safety by helping to develop and install AI technology for its forklift trucks.

The innovative solution, which was named Safety in Logistics Initiative of the Year at the Logistics UK’s Logistics Awards 2025, is a UK first and can analyse everything from harsh braking to detecting when a driver is feeling drowsy.