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Welcome to OxTalks, powered by OxLEP. OxTalks is your partner in tackling business challenges and achieving your goals, giving an insight into the great work that OxLEP does to support local organisations and communities. OxTalks host Howard Bentham talks to successful leaders from Oxfordshire and beyond to hear their advice to help your business flourish.
[00:00:00] Howard Bentham: Hello there and good to have you along once again. I'm Howard Bentham and this is OxTalks, the podcast powered by OxLEP, the local enterprise partnership for Oxfordshire. This county has some remarkable business leaders and innovators. OxTalks gives us the chance to meet some of these incredible people and discuss current issues in business. Every single one of my guests is keen to highlight the invaluable support that OxLEP offers and how it could be crucial in helping your company or organisation develop and thrive. OxTalks has viewers and listeners from far and wide in the UK and beyond and although we concentrate on Oxfordshire's businesses in these podcasts, we appreciate that many of the issues we experience here will be very similar to the ones that you're potentially facing where you are. With that in mind, please feel free to join in the conversation and share any thoughts and feedback. Our social media is the easiest way to get in touch, we are @OxfordshireLEP on X and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership on LinkedIn. You can raise a question for future discussions or leave your thoughts on the topics of conversation, you can use the email address on the podcast description and we look forward to hearing from you. In this edition, we'll be hearing about practical steps to growing a sustainable business, exploring guidance for small businesses who are looking to improve their sustainability and set out a clear strategy to success. Oxfordshire is home to world class universities, vibrant communities and a thriving low carbon economy. The County Council are committed to enabling a net zero Oxfordshire well ahead of 2050 and state on their website that the county is well placed to lead the low carbon transition nationally. According to the Environmental Change Institute, a part of the University of Oxford, the county boasts a higher share of solar generating capacity than you'd expect based on its land area and has cut carbon emissions while seeing rapid population and GDP growth. Clearly, there is a drive for building a sustainable future locally, but how can business leaders make practical changes to their organisations that are effective and don't cost the earth. Let's learn how from someone who has an extensive background in waste management and recycling and leads a local business, which is one of the first companies in the UK to achieve Mission Zero accreditation, aligned to the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They were also big winners at last year's Oxfordshire Business Awards. I'm delighted to welcome to OxTalks, the Director of Sustainability and Communications at Darcica Logistics, Melanie Tattersall.
Melanie, great to speak with you. Before we talk about your background and get to know you a little bit more, let's just discuss the birth of Darcica Logistics. Many folk listening to our conversation are going to be very surprised that you launched only a few months after the first lockdown in the pandemic in June 2020. The rest of us were thinking, oh my word, I can't go to work, how's this going to work out? You were starting a business. Was that a massive gamble?
[00:03:21] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, some say it was a brave decision by my husband, others probably say it was a bit of a silly one, but nonetheless he decided to go for it. He had the opportunity after working within the waste management industry and transport logistics for over 20 years, had the opportunity to go it alone and start it himself. Actually started off through the pandemic through a program with Amazon called their Delivery Service Program. partner, their DSP program and the idea was that they wanted new companies to come in and run their prime vehicles. obviously during the pandemic, the deliveries went through the roof. So, yeah, my husband Anthony decided, it was time to try something new when things were quieter on the commercial waste collection side of things. he was running multiple depots across the UK and obviously it quietened down during COVID and he's not one to sit around. So, he took on the challenge and, yeah, the rest is history. So that's very much where it started, the whole logistics and parcel delivery side of things with Amazon and then he soon realised that actually, he wanted to do more and do it himself for a more sustainable logistics option for Oxfordshire, which is where he was born and bred, so that's where it began.
[00:04:33] Howard Bentham: And that was the gap in the market that you spotted, because you spotted that very quickly. We were only locked down in the March and by June you have a company!
[00:04:42] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, so when it started with Amazon on the parcel delivery side, we actually only opened the Bicester site two and a half years ago. So after doing the deliveries with Amazon and that scaling up really quickly, we've now got 50 routes and about 80 self employed drivers on that side of things. But our site in Oxfordshire, in Bicester, where he, say, came home two and a half years ago and said, I found a warehouse, I want to do this myself. His background, I say, is in transport logistics and with the larger lorries in terms of he was one of Pallet Way's truck drivers, that was one of his first jobs over 20 years ago. So it was almost going back to his roots to look at parcel and pallet deliveries across Oxfordshire and beyond and really with the aim to make it a one stop shop for sustainable logistics and that's where sort of my background comes in and passion for the environmental side of things.
[00:05:34] Howard Bentham: Yeah, let's explore that a bit more. Your husband, obviously, as you say, his background driving lorries initially, but yours is very much around sort of dealing with waste management and communicating strategies to those audiences in the private and in the public sector.
[00:05:48] Melanie Tattersall: Absolutely, yeah, So I, well, I pretty much grew up with a passion for environmental management and sustainability from a very young age. I used to go with my father to work and he worked for a large waste management company. So I was horrified to see these huge holes in the ground where the sand and gravel had been dug out and then being backfilled with waste and I wanted to know more, you know, why was all this rubbish going into the ground? Surely that wasn't very good for the environment, so that led me on through university to do a degree in environmental science with management and legislation so I could understand the background and the science behind the waste management side of things, sustainability, but all areas, energy, waste, water, recovered and that, that took me into local government working on the waste and recycling teams for South Oxfordshire and Vale of Whitehorse where we brought in the new alternate weekly collection, took them to the top recycling councils in the country, number one and two, and that's actually where I met Anthony, he was running the logistics. He was running the, trucks and that side of things and obviously my side with the sustainability and the communication, we worked together and that's where we sort of took it from there.
[00:07:00] Howard Bentham: I mean, rewind, we're probably talking what sort of 15, 20 years ago here, aren't we? It was still quite niche, if that's the right way of describing sustainability and caring about the environment, it feels, but I mean, you've obviously been inspired by what you've seen as a child. What about your children? Because I know the business is named after your two daughters, isn't it? But they must be a very good sounding board for all things environmental.
[00:07:22] Melanie Tattersall: It is, and they are, they've got a lot to say about it. so yeah, it's our two daughters named Darcy and Jessica. We put the two together to come up with the name. They helped do it, they helped design the logo, so they're very much involved in the business, they come in, they help when it's peak times in our fulfilment, our plastic free fulfilment centre, they come and help pick and pack and they're very much involved in it and they can see what we're doing and they come home from school and they talk about what should go in which bin and making sure that we're recycling right at home, which obviously we do because that's what we do. So yeah, they're very much involved and that's what we wanted. We want, the idea was to produce a better future for them and Oxfordshire.
[00:08:03] Howard Bentham: So how do you go about getting your business off the ground then? Because obviously we're really looking at sort of top tips to help businesses be sustainable and aware of ESG. I mean, you've gone from an idea to 15, 000 square feet. That is quite a leap!
[00:08:19] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, we needed a big site because of doing the, because we were looking at this one stop shop solution in terms of sustainable logistics, in terms of the pallets, the parcels, the e commerce fulfillment. So as you can imagine, the operation's quite big now. We've got 30 full time staff and about 15, 20 vehicles at any one time. It's a 24 hour operation. So, with big vehicles, with movement of products across Oxfordshire, we needed that space. So, half of the warehouse is separated for our pallet collections and deliveries, which come through, say, on a 24 hour operation and then the other half is our plastic free e commerce fulfillment centre. So any company that sells items on websites, we will be picking and packing those items as the orders come in and sending them out via our electric deliveries to the multiple carrier options that we have. So anything from underwear to gin to compost to bathroom suites will be coming through our centre at Bicester with the idea that we're providing a much more efficient, sustainable solution for transporting and delivering goods in and out of Oxfordshire.
[00:09:32] Howard Bentham: So you've touched on a couple of things there, plastic free, so how have you managed to do that because stuff arrives in the post via Amazon or wherever you buy it from, and it's not always that way. So how have you achieved that?
[00:09:44] Melanie Tattersall: So anything that we pick and pack for our customers, we get all the packaging in, we source it, we look at what are the best environmental options in terms of plastic free, whether it be compostable, recyclable, we will do that for them. So that's very much our offering and that's something we stick to in terms of we truly believe in plastic free. Slightly different on the pallet side of things because the wrapping for the pallets isn't quite there yet in terms of a hundred percent recyclable, biodegradable. So we looked at the next best option and that's where we were lucky enough to have some OxLEP funding for our pallet wrap machine because we were able to show the efficiencies and the sustainability of using clear shrink wrap rather than the black plastic wrap that you might see on some products that are delivered. Obviously we can't dictate what comes in from our customers, but anything that goes out from us.
[00:10:39] Howard Bentham: So I guess if it's palette wrapped on a machine, it's using less of the material and it's material that can be recycled. Cause I remember working in warehouses as a student thousand years ago and you manually wrapping it around as...
[00:10:52] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, which is not good...
[00:10:54] Howard Bentham: much as you can so it doesn't fall off the lorry.
[00:10:56] Melanie Tattersall: And that's not good for people either in terms of the going around and round, it was making them dizzy. So there's a lot of benefits to the, having the pallet wrap machine in terms of, efficiencies for, but also better for people as well.
[00:11:08] Howard Bentham: And the fleet you run, it's not entirely electric, but it's a high percentage that is.
[00:11:13] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, 40 percent of our fleet's electric, so we've got the first three and a half ton electric pallet delivery vehicle in the UK, and obviously that services Oxfordshire and we've got electric vans as well. We've recently trialled the world's first 16 ton electric pallet delivery vehicle so a larger HTV from Volta Trucks and that trial was fantastic. The drivers raved about it in terms of the efficiencies and the, just this, the vehicle as a whole, the safety elements, the turning circle and things. So, yeah, we're always looking at the industry and what we can do to make it more sustainable.
[00:11:54] Howard Bentham: It's not always plain sailing though, is it? I mean, the infrastructure around electric vehicles, for example, is still an issue.
[00:12:01] Melanie Tattersall: It is and we really found that with the 16 ton electric vehicle, trying to charge it was near on impossible because the infrastructure's just not there yet for the larger HGV vehicles in terms of the electric charging points. Even with our vans, you know, we'll sometimes struggle to get on the sites and whilst we've got electric charging facilities at our site, we want to be able to do bigger ranges. We do same day deliveries for companies in Oxfordshire that want to get their goods further afield. and wherever possible, obviously we'll do that via electric, but you've really got to think about where we can charge along the way and how much extra time that's going to take in terms of the deliveries.
[00:12:40] Howard Bentham: What's the solution to that?
[00:12:41] Melanie Tattersall: Better infrastructure, more charging points, the rapid charging points certainly for the larger vehicles as we look to move across. People have talked about hydrogen, that's even further behind than electric, so I do think we'll be looking at transferring some of our larger HGV vehicles into electric in the next few years. But yeah, we just need better infrastructure to be able to get into the sites even. So we've been talking to Oxfordshire County Council on the progress in terms of the charging infrastructure, you know, they've put in the Oxford Zero Emission Zone a few years ago now, so we really need to look at how we can all work to make Oxfordshire cleaner.
[00:13:18] Howard Bentham: I'm intrigued about your day-to-day, because just hearing you talk there that we've got 4 in 10 of our vehicles are electric, but we might have a, longer trip on this one. So the logistical side of that, the planning that falls to you, does it, you are sitting there moving these vans around on some sort of pin board!
[00:13:33] Melanie Tattersall: Not me personally, I tend to sit in the background and do more of the communication, internal external communication, the website, those sorts of things. But we've got the operations team that are very busy, as I said, it's a 24 hour operation, so we start in the evening with our three overnight drivers on the large vehicles up to 44 tonne, they'll be on the double deck trailers, and they will be taking all the goods and products that have been collected from businesses across Oxfordshire during the day, they'll take those through our Pallet Ways network to hubs in London and Birmingham with the idea that those goods are then transported through the network to their end destinations. Now the idea of being part of the Pallet Ways network also helps with the sustainability and efficiencies in terms of you've not got individual trucks delivering these goods across the country. You know, they're all going through a network, so they're going onto vehicles to reduce mileage, reduce the amount of trucks on the road and ultimately reduce emissions. So while they're there in Birmingham and London, they're picking up any goods on pallets that now need to come back into Oxfordshire to be delivered. So they'll do those runs to the hubs. Sometimes they'll do a few a night, come back and then we will, all those pallets of goods will go onto our day vehicles and routes, ready to go out across Oxfordshire during the day. So the warehouse staff start anytime from sort of four in the morning, unloading and loading those vehicles and then we have all the pickers and packers come in, into the warehouse for all the e commerce goods that have been ordered on our customers websites overnight, ready to go out, so it's a constant moving...
[00:15:17] Howard Bentham: An amazing plate spinning exercise for sure. Do you ever take a step back and think about how your business has evolved? I mean, it's only four years old after all. How it's evolved in those four years and perhaps think about some of the milestones that you've hit already.
[00:15:30] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, we try when we get a few moments.
[00:15:33] Howard Bentham: Not much time to think at all!
[00:15:35] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, as you say, it has grown quite rapidly and I think with the type of industry that we're in, the more we started going out there talking to Oxfordshire businesses, we now work with over a hundred Oxfordshire businesses, whether that be our suppliers or customers and that's very much from wanting to create a better Oxfordshire. Anthony's born and bred in Oxfordshire, so he knew he wanted to do something that would make a difference in terms of the transport industry. It's a very high impact industry in terms of emissions and that's something that we wanted to do better. So it is a busy operation. We've, as you say, grown so much in the last few years. I think that one of the biggest milestones was being recognised at the Oxfordshire Business Awards last year, that was quite a shock to us, not only did we win New Business, but overall business, Business of the Year, which I don't think anyone had actually won New Business and Business of the Year and Anthony got Business Person of the Year, so that was a busy time for us and to get that recognition, to realise that we are making a difference and we are doing something that's different and shouting about it has been amazing.
[00:16:43] Howard Bentham: Fantastic. What about the business goals you have for this year?
[00:16:47] Melanie Tattersall: Still growth. There's still growth to have. The warehouse is getting rather full.
[00:16:52] Howard Bentham: Really? It's 15, 000 square and you feet. still need more?
[00:16:54] Melanie Tattersall: It is, yeah. We have some off site storage, looking at other options for Oxfordshire. Very much our aim is to be the logistics choice of Oxfordshire. So we are focusing on growth within Oxfordshire and looking at other sort of potential depots with the idea to bring that sustainable logistics further afield but keeping it within Oxfordshire because that is our kind of our passion. I say we do still have the Amazon sites there in Reading and Swindon so that makes for a quite a nice circular route for the future growth as well, so...
[00:17:27] Howard Bentham: And key challenges that you currently face and how you're planning to handle them. Obviously, space is one of them. What else are you...?
[00:17:37] Melanie Tattersall: Space and rising costs and I think that's the same for any business at the moment, you know, fuel prices, salaries, even, you know, land.
[00:17:49] Howard Bentham: So finding space is an issue.
[00:17:51] Melanie Tattersall: Not necessarily finding space, but the cost of it, you know, renting large depots is not easy in terms of the cost, so that's something that we've always got to think about. We'd love to also own our own space. So that's something we might look at in the future. But that's sort of the main challenges is really all the rising costs and for the sustainable options, like the electric vehicles, whilst they've got many benefits and there are cost benefits to them, you're still looking at maybe three times the price in terms of the actual cost of purchasing the vehicles. So that's something that we need to think about different financing options.
[00:18:27] Howard Bentham: I just think that, I mean, as a customer of Amazon, online retailers, wherever, do people really stop and think that, oh, it's been delivered by an electric van? Do they really care?
[00:18:38] Melanie Tattersall: I think people are thinking about it more and wanting to see it more and more because it is higher on the agenda and thinking about the children and the future and with climate change and everything, it's a lot more at the forefront, but people don't necessarily want to pay more for it. So we have to be very careful about our costs and you know, we take on a lot of those costs because it's what we want to do. But we also like to pride ourselves on the service that we provide because it's a family run business, our staff are all very invested in what we do and what we want to do and I think that is where we stand out and our USP as well as the sustainable side, it's the customer service side, they'll always speak to someone, they can come in and see their products, they can come in and see us. So I think that's where we sort of stand out as well.
[00:19:27] Howard Bentham: People clicking online and buying whatever you say, people are becoming more aware of, more conscious of how it's delivered, what about at the other end? Because effectively you're in the middle here, aren't you? The big retailers, do they care that you're offering something different here?
[00:19:41] Melanie Tattersall: We don't tend to work too much with the big retailers, it's more if customers are producing a product or sort of need it delivered, but they're certainly thinking about it. When you're looking at the, some of the tenders we might be going for now, you know, they are singling out social value and sustainability. So businesses are, you know, having to look at it more, they are asking for, you know, sort of the carbon footprint strategy or your fleet sustainability strategy. So certainly some of the, big players, you know, are because they're being asked for it from government, so it is feeding, it is going to feed down the supply chain, which is only a good thing if more businesses are thinking about it.
[00:20:20] Howard Bentham: And recruiting in terms of people for your business, as you say, it's a 24 hour operation here. What does that look like as far as Darcica Logistics is concerned? Does your culture and sustainability focused ethos dictate who you're looking for?
[00:20:38] Melanie Tattersall: We do find that people have looked at the company before they even maybe come for an interview and they, often say, Oh, we love what you do, we love your values, the sustainability side of it. I think there's even some research surveys done recently to say that certainly the younger generation, it is one of their criteria now when they're looking for a job, they do look at the sustainability credentials of a company. So I think it is becoming much more important, you're always going to have some people who it's not as high on their agenda, but I think it's becoming more and more and we do see that with the people that come through and we don't have a high turnover, we do find that our staff, you know, they like what they do, they come work for us and then they're embedded within the sort of the family at Darcica, which is a really nice, place to be.
[00:21:25] Howard Bentham: What about the future? How do you envisage Darcica's business offering evolving? Are you going to branch out into other services perhaps?
[00:21:35] Melanie Tattersall: I think with the fact that we've got such a large offering in terms of sustainable logistics at the moment anyway, with parcels, pallets, same day deliveries, e commerce fulfillment, we cover most areas of logistics, which not many other companies do and you find that a lot of companies just do parcels or just do pallets, but we're finding a lot of our customers do need different services, and that's where we're quite unique to them. So, you know, one day we can be delivering their pallets to wholesale, the next day we'll be picking and packing their goods to consumers. So it's something that we certainly have seen a gap in the market for and that we're pushing forward with and the idea is just to expand on that.
[00:22:16] Howard Bentham: Being agile is such a crucial thing, isn't it?
[00:22:19] Melanie Tattersall: Absolutely and that's one of the benefits of it being our own business and being able to trial new technologies, new vehicles, you know, we're very much open to the future and moving forward with it and not being stuck on the sort of the transport Industry of the past.
[00:22:34] Howard Bentham: And being a family business, if you like, how does that work with the dynamics? Anthony, you talk about his idea in the initial instance, you're there sort of...
[00:22:44] Melanie Tattersall: Reigning him in!
[00:22:45] Howard Bentham: Well, I...
[00:22:47] Melanie Tattersall: He's very ambitious, very hardworking,
[00:22:49] Howard Bentham: Are you the, you're the realist, are you? And he's the dreamer?
[00:22:52] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think that's where it...
[00:22:54] Howard Bentham: Pragmatism meets dreams.
[00:22:56] Melanie Tattersall: And that works well. That works well for us. People say to us, often say to us, Oh, how do you work together? You know...
[00:23:03] Howard Bentham: And then go home and eat together. Yeah, yeah.
[00:23:05] Melanie Tattersall: But actually we probably only see each other one day a week. So he's very involved in the operations day to day, he's often out at meetings or in a truck even sometimes still. He will have to jump in if needs be and I'm sort of more on the internal external communications stuff on the sidelines, as it were, behind the scenes. So that's probably why it works well that we don't, we're not working together 24 hours a day, even though the operations is 24 hours a day. sometimes there's some conflict when the phone calls go on through the night if there's issues because that can happen too. But think I've, grown up with working in the logistics industry as well, so I understand it doesn't stop and, you know, so we try and make family time where we can, but ultimately we do end up talking shop a lot.
[00:23:57] Howard Bentham: I'm sure the girls must be delighted with that. Let's bring in OxLEP's communication manager, Rob Panting, to the conversation. Rob, I know OxLEP builds intelligence from the county's business community. You're trying to understand the key issues that companies are interested in. Where does sustainability rank in that overall list for companies locally?
[00:24:18] Rob Panting: Yeah. Hi, Howard, surprisingly quite low. The last temperature test that we took was, around about a year ago, where we looked at data from our business support tool, which over around about a three year period, spoke to about 2, 500 businesses and only really 5 percent of those businesses had flagged sustainability and improving net zero credentials as a major issue for them, which is quite surprising really given the context of the discussion already and I think a lot of businesses probably do have it quite high up on their agenda, but you know, just, I made a note in terms of some of the other topics that businesses have perhaps put our way and it's things like growing customer base, improving marketing, improving adoption of digital technology. But I think people perhaps don't understand that sustainability is all wrapped up in that discussion and you know, Melanie mentioned earlier on, it's probably something we're going to talk about a little bit more, the business opportunity, being sustainable, having good ESG policy, how important that is to a business and its growth ambition. So I think it's the positioning of sustainability as a topic that perhaps businesses maybe don't fully understand, there are businesses obviously doing it for the right reasons and we, you know, we should all be sort of doing our bit as it were, but...
[00:25:46] Melanie Tattersall: It shouldn't be seen as an add on or a separate thing. It should be part of your business model. It's what we all should be, doing. So I was quite surprised to hear those numbers.
[00:25:57] Rob Panting: Yeah, and I think it's not diminishing sustainability and net zero credentials as a small part of the business, I don't think, I think maybe and this might be reflective of post COVID actually and that's when the data is taken from, that the priorities for businesses were perhaps not sustainability and net zero, but very much trying to get back into the swing of things, trying to survive more than anything else. So I think the data probably is reflective of that period of time and ultimately, you know, just trying to make sure that they could survive and pay their staff. So, yeah, it was quite interesting when I looked into the data.
[00:26:35] Howard Bentham: Yeah, it does. I mean, raises the question whether companies want to embrace sustainability because it's the right thing to do, or actually there are other forces at play here and it's a bit of a tick box exercise and it would need to be seen to be environmentally sound.
[00:26:51] Rob Panting: Yeah and I think that's where organisations like OxLEP and similar business support groups in particular need to come in and just try and help businesses to perhaps reposition that. So seeing it in the context of if you've got strong credentials when it comes to sustainability, that opens up windows in terms of investment, it opens up opportunities for you in terms of contracts. I think that's something we mentioned earlier on in terms of when new contract opportunities are published, there is a strong focus for businesses to embrace sustainability and to demonstrate that they are able to operate in a sustainable and meaningful way.
[00:27:30] Melanie Tattersall: And it's not just the environmental side that we've touched on. It's the social value element that comes under sustainability now, which I think a lot of people don't associate that with. They just hear the word sustainability and think, Oh, that's about reducing my energy, water and waste and while they're, the environmental side is important and that's what we've talked about. it's also your people and that side of it in terms of the recruitment, as we said, that you know, making sure that developing people, whether it be through apprenticeships or the social value side, health and well being of your staff, all of that comes under the sustainability umbrella.
[00:28:05] Howard Bentham: You've got a sustainable action plan, but you're one of the first companies in the UK to achieve mission zero accreditation. That's, this is incredible, aligned to the UNs. 17 sustainable development goals. Tell us about that sustainable action plan and how you got to that point.
[00:28:20] Melanie Tattersall: Thanks. So it pretty much underpins everything we do, our action plan. It feeds into our business plan, our objectives, our day to day practices and that stems from, as you say, the mission zero accreditation, which is a bit like B Corp for the transport industry, because the B Corp process very much is, aligned to the 17 sustainable development goals, that the UN set out and sometimes when you look at those, you think, how is that relevant to my business? The way they've labeled them, you know, life underwater and things like that, but actually when you break it down, and that's where we were really lucky to be part of the Mission Zero, one of the first to do the sustainability module, the advice and guidance they provide through that meant that we were able to set out a really clear plan of objectives and actions against each of those 17 SDGs. So it's anything from our fleet sustainability strategy, to, as I mentioned, social value in terms of your people, health and well being. As I say there's, it kind of looks at all of those areas, a real focus on that for us, the safety side of it, but also the, I say the environmental side. So it's breaking all of those down and seeing what can we do on the day to day. So whether it be, for example, for our staff, we provide a weekly fresh food cupboard, You know, that helps with health and well being and making sure that our drivers and our workers have got food, got something to eat to sustain them through the day. You know, it's little things like that. So the idea of it sounds really daunting. Oh, an action plan 70 against the 17 stable development goals, where do you even start? But when you break it down, a lot of companies are doing things anyway.
[00:30:02] Howard Bentham: Yeah.
[00:30:03] Melanie Tattersall: And it's just making sure you're maintaining those, that you're communicating those and not, you know, we don't send out the action plan, for example, to all our staff. We have snippets of it around the building up and we'll communicate it through our newsletters and through our sort of weekly catch ups and things. So it's just communicating it in that way.
[00:30:23] Howard Bentham: It's a lot of things you're saying there that, why wouldn't you want a healthier workforce? Why wouldn't you want a safer place to work? It's actually a lot of things that we'd all want anyway, so actually just lose the worry about it and just look, if you like, look at the end goal that you're trying to achieve.
[00:30:41] Melanie Tattersall: And I think when it comes to the environmental side, people are hearing terms like the Scope One, Two, Three Emissions and setting your carbon footprint and those things is what's daunting and you know, where do you even start? It's a minefield and that's where OxLEP and the Net Zero Working Group has come in, you know, to help support businesses, to signpost them to the resources and advice that's out there through the SME climate hub and because there's a lot of, noise out there about businesses setting out their carbon footprint and setting their net zero targets and people just don't even know where to start. So that's where the OxLEP Net Zero Working Group and the new website will help signpost businesses to be able to know the best place to go to. There's free calculators, you know, carbon calculators on there through the SME Climate Hub, there's advice and different groups that you can join. It doesn't have to be, you know, a big paper exercise.
[00:31:39] Howard Bentham: Rob, do you want to pick up on that and share some thoughts on what Melanie's saying, but also why having a sustainability plan or well widley, an ESG plan is actually a really good idea.
[00:31:48] Rob Panting: Yeah, Melanie made a really good point, I think, in terms of actually a lot of businesses are probably doing quite a bit of it already, they just don't realise that. So I, before I came out this morning, I had a quick look online at a couple of sort of investor websites and particularly when it comes to ESG and the types of credentials that they're looking at prior to investing in businesses and the E, so Environmental, it talks about managing energy use, managing your waste, managing natural, resource and being conservative around that. S for Social, things like volunteering are mentioned in that sort of category and G for Governance, transparency, integrity, diversity in the workplace, a lot of stuff that you mentioned about making sure you've got a healthy workforce. Probably businesses are doing quite a lot of that already. It's perhaps they're not communicating the fact that they are and sort of trying to find new growth opportunities and funding opportunities through that communication of their ESG plan. So I think businesses would be very surprised, actually, the amount of work that they've already done. It's just probably, you know, turning it into a bit of a fine art and...
[00:32:59] Howard Bentham: Understanding the framing of it really, isn't it, as much as anything. Melanie, what would you like to see the new government prioritise on their sustainability agenda for the rest of the year, especially given the outcome of the general election?
[00:33:12] Melanie Tattersall: I think it would be nice to have more support for SMEs and small businesses, especially those that are working together in terms of the local supply chain. You know, you've got a lot of big players with big investment behind them, which the smaller companies don't have. But yet we're pushing forward with sustainability probably higher on the agenda than most. So in terms of that, I'd like to see more targets feeding down from local and national government, you know, clear targets and collaboration. I say certainly for us working with other local Oxfordshire businesses and the local supply chain is such an important thing for the sustainability of Oxfordshire, so I'd definitely like to see some more on that and clearer guidance and support for the transport industry and the infrastructure that we're going to need if we're going to meet these net zero targets.
[00:34:03] Howard Bentham: Rob, how can OxLEP help companies like Melanie's focus on being more sustainable?
[00:34:09] Rob Panting: I think Melanie's a great advocate of ours earlier on, talking about the net zero steering group that we helped to coordinate. I think aside from practical support, which Melanie mentioned a lot about. I think organisations like ours can continue to just really bang the drum for businesses to be more sustainable. You've got great case studies like Darcica and what they've managed to achieve. I think any businesses that we might support and equally any businesses that are in Oxfordshire who are doing Great work from a sustainability and net zero point of view. We need to champion those and to showcase those businesses and really show what opportunities might emerge from embracing sustainability, whether that's, you know, commercial opportunities, whether it's actually sort of demonstrating the impact that you have on the environment. I think that's the type of thing that we need to really continue.
[00:35:00] Melanie Tattersall: And being part of that Oxfordshire business community and sharing ideas and resources is, and working together, I think, on things is great.
[00:35:08] Rob Panting: I'm always very pleasantly surprised actually the willingness for collaboration in Oxfordshire.
[00:35:14] Howard Bentham: You were saying before we started the recording that you have becoming a de facto consultant, people just finding you just, I don't want, I don't want anything delivered. I just want to chat to you about...
[00:35:23] Melanie Tattersall: I just want, I want some help with sustainability, where to even start. So that and that's where we've been sort of, yeah, signposting them to OxLEP and the resources that are out there because I think it's just so daunting for many companies and they think it's going to, you know, take up all their time and, you know, they just need to know where to go.
[00:35:40] Rob Panting: Yeah, I think just sort of very briefly, I think where some companies and obviously post COVID a lot of organisations are now operating remotely, OxLEP being one and you know, we predominantly work from home, I think, probably individuals having just a greater awareness in terms of what impact they have at home, you know, when I set up my laptop in the morning, obviously I'm drawing more power at home than I had sort of prior to OxLEP working remotely. So just having greater awareness of that, I think all of that helps.
[00:36:13] Melanie Tattersall: And it is the little things. I mean, obviously we're talking about 44 ton diesel vehicles and moving to electrics, that's the large scale, but it goes right down to the, as you say, the day to day turning off the lights and it's just so many...
[00:36:28] Howard Bentham: Perhaps there is something there though, why sustainability isn't at the top of some businesses agenda that sustainability equals it's going to be more expensive. So, I mean, you're having to deal with it. How do you deal with the added costs of an electric fleet and a diesel fleet?
[00:36:43] Melanie Tattersall: Well, there are cost benefits to it and that's what we have to affect, there's lower maintenance costs, obviously the 100 percent renewable energy at our site that we use, so low energy costs and in terms of sustainable packaging, it is slightly more expensive, but those margins, they are coming down. I say that the main cost is the vehicles. Keeping the cost down is, you know, that's probably the biggest, challenge for us in terms of what customers want to pay. Taking that we don't charge a green levy, for example, some companies do. We don't say we like to pride ourselves on our service and the sustainability side and offering that solution and people, I think, you know, are becoming more conscious of it, but it is, yeah, it's a challenge every day.
[00:37:30] Howard Bentham: As a wider view, Rob, from your experience of people being more conscious about who they're deciding to do business with, in terms of how sustainable the companies are?
[00:37:40] Rob Panting: Yes, I think so. Again, it's touching on a topic that we mentioned earlier on in terms of perhaps growing your business and seeking out new contracts. I think the providers of those contracts are absolutely looking at sustainability. I mean...
[00:37:54] Melanie Tattersall: The shared, yeah, the shared value. We are finding that more and more customers within Oxfordshire are coming to us because of the shared values and sustainability. So it is definitely moving up the agenda.
[00:38:05] Rob Panting: I think so and I think from, again, from our perspective, we want to ensure that businesses are aware of the wider network that's out there and if we can, you know, help to broker connections with more sustainably minded organisations that perhaps gets that business onto more of a road to sustainability, then all the better for us as well. I'm sure the stat that we mentioned at the start in terms of businesses who sort of made sustainability, or raised sustainability net zero as a relatively sort of low priority issue. I can't see that stat ever going down again, I'm sure it's only going to rise. So yeah, it's something that, you know, we're just going to see more of.
[00:38:46] Howard Bentham: Rob and Melanie, thank you both for the moment. We'll chat again shortly. You're listening to OxTalks, the podcast powered by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Please get in touch with the team at OxLEP to comment on what you've been hearing. You can find us on social media. We're on X @OxfordshireLEP, or via LinkedIn, search for Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Perhaps you run a company or organisation that's looking for some specific help, or simply need a steer to the most appropriate business advice available. Why not try the OxLEP Business Support Tool?
[00:39:24] OxLEP Business Support Tool: OxLEP's business support tool is here to help your company. Whether you're just starting out, growing, or ready to take on a new business challenge, if you're looking for the latest advice and support, complete our business support tool today and get set to receive a bespoke action plan for your organisation. Head to OxLEPbusiness. co. uk to find out more.
[00:39:48] Howard Bentham: Let's speak more with OxLEP's Rob Panting and Darcica Logistics Director of Sustainability and Communications, Melanie Tattersall. Melanie, interestingly, your company utilised the OxLEP business support tool to great effect, tell us how it went.
[00:40:02] Melanie Tattersall: We did, yeah. We used it very much at the beginning of our journey and it really propelled us into being part of the Oxfordshire business community. So the advice and support and resources that came out of that, that signposted us to where to go for external support for, say, support within Oxfordshire really helped us, especially setting up within Oxfordshire. We've worked for large national companies before. So this really helped get us embedded within the Oxfordshire community.
[00:40:35] Howard Bentham: And it's as easy as that. It really is a phone call and...
[00:40:38] Melanie Tattersall: It is and I think people need to realise that what you put into it, first of all, it doesn't take long, you know, just a few questions, but what you get out of it is very bespoke to you and your business and the support that will come from it. Yeah, it's really invaluable.
[00:40:52] Howard Bentham: And you've taken advantage of a number of programs and funds that OxLEP have promoted over the years. Tell us about the difference that's made.
[00:41:00] Melanie Tattersall: Just being able to access the sort of resources in terms of the webinars, the training, really useful for any business, whether they're starting up or they just want a fresh new look, the topics that are covered, you know, anything from marketing to net zero through to, oh, I don't know, there's such a range isn't there?
[00:41:21] Rob Panting: Yeah, we listen to our businesses. So the data that we get from the business support tool is not only helpful for us to understand what the Oxfordshire business community are looking for, but it gives us the intelligence in terms of what topics we want to develop webinars and our support around. So yeah, like Melanie mentioned, lots of different topics to cover access to finance is, obviously a big one and where we don't, sort of necessarily provide grants at this immediate stage, you know, there are other organisations, there are other opportunities for people to gain investment. So whether it's just helping them to develop their investment proposition a little bit better, a variety of different areas and certainly, I think particularly when it comes to a topic like sustainability and net zero, then, you know, clearly having sort of expertise in that area is important.
[00:42:13] Howard Bentham: But it's a sort of shifting sands, isn't it? Because funds and programs come and go, so it's always worth having that conversation with OxLEP.
[00:42:21] Rob Panting: I think Melanie, you mentioned earlier on that you're not time bound by it, so you might revisit it every six or twelve months because your business changes every six or twelve months.
[00:42:29] Melanie Tattersall: And then and being able to be signposted to the most up to date and relevant resources is key and I think just being part of, as I mentioned before, being part of that Oxfordshire business community, you know, running your own business can be quite a lonely place, so to be able to meet with like minded other businesses within Oxfordshire, that's what OxLEP brings together, as well through their events and networking and say even just the training and different webinars.
[00:42:55] Howard Bentham: Give us an example of that, because lots of people we talk to say the collaboration, locally is incredible. So what does that actually look and sound and feel like?
[00:43:05] Melanie Tattersall: So a recent event, for example, the Women in Business event, where you have the opportunity, you actually come together in a room and you do get the opportunity to pitch, for example, your business and that's what I've liked about being part of the different Oxfordshire networking groups, is that they're there, yes, they're there for a chat and to, you know, share any ideas and, talk about your issues, but also they are there to support each other. So if you've got a business and you want to work with a certain type of business, you've got that opportunity to say, this is the kind of business I'm looking to work with and the idea that, you know, we should all be supporting each other and working with each other and not looking further afield in terms of your supply chain, you know, the network and the group that. businesses that we've got in Oxfordshire should be working together and that's that provides that platform for that.
[00:43:55] Howard Bentham: With the current economic climate, Melanie, where should small businesses be looking for external support? OxLEP obviously offers a lot of support, they can't offer everything.
[00:44:03] Melanie Tattersall: Yeah, I mean, I'd like to see something coming through with the new government in terms of the financial funding. I know that small businesses often look for sort of crowd funding and different areas of sort of capital backing. It's an area that I think a lot of people struggle with, it's not easy. So I say I would like to see more come through from the government and hopefully that's where OxLEP can help signpost to any new initiatives that are out there and looking at those initiatives.
[00:44:33] Howard Bentham: It's been an incredible success story we've been hearing about, but you're human, we're all human things don't always go quite the way you want them to. Are there any failures or setbacks in the business journey so far that you can share them and indeed what you've learned from them?
[00:44:47] Melanie Tattersall: I think probably the biggest challenge we've faced is the, just the transport industry as a whole. I read a startling fact the other day that actually one transport business a day goes out of business and that's due to the crippling costs. So that's quite scary. We have a lot of support from our network partners in terms of being part of those wider communities and support on that side of things, but the recruitment we do struggle with sometimes just in terms of drivers, we do find that's an area we sometimes struggle with.
[00:45:22] Howard Bentham: Because you have self employed drivers as well as employed drivers. Is there any issue between those those in house and out of
[00:45:29] Melanie Tattersall: Those that come on board on the Amazon side of it very much know that's what the model is and that they like to be, I know there's a lot in the press around the sort of the self employed side of things, but they like that. They like the flexibility to be able to come and go and do the that they want, say whereas Bicester, our Oxfordshire operation. It's very much, you become part of the family at Darcica and you've got the benefits of being, being employed and that's what we, do find that some of our self employed have come over, which is really nice, you know, some of those that have been with us from day one have done that side of it and then have actually come and are now employees, we've got quite a few and we really focus on the upskilling of our workers as well. We've got drivers that are now, you know, moved through the ranks and our operations manager started off with us as a van driver. So whilst, yes, it's been challenging and we'll still face lots of challenging, it's also a really nice place to be.
[00:46:27] Howard Bentham: We're going to start to draw our conversation to a close, but I know you're a business that prides itself on efficiency and sustainability. Do you actually believe that you're years ahead of, or potentially decades ahead of other delivery organisations in the field?
[00:46:41] Melanie Tattersall: I'd like to think we are and people are always telling us we are, so we'll just keep pushing forward with that because we must be doing something right and If we can produce a better future, as I say, for Oxfordshire in terms of the people and planet, then we'll keep doing what we're doing.
[00:46:59] Howard Bentham: And do you believe that all delivery companies have, if you want to call it that I suppose, a social responsibility to follow what you're trailblazing here?
[00:47:08] Melanie Tattersall: Absolutely, because of the transport industry being one of the worst emitters for greenhouse gas emissions, they have to, otherwise say we're, just living in the past in terms of dirty vehicles on the road. You say, look at what's happening with climate change, we can't ignore it and strides are being made, we are in the fortunate position that we can maybe push ahead quicker than some companies and, being new and that being our premise from the outset and our background and our passion, maybe it is easier for us to push forward with those things, but yeah, we're certainly not gonna stand still on it.
[00:47:44] Howard Bentham: Thinking about other businesses in your field, what would your advice be to them that aren't sure what to prioritise first on their ESG? They run a company, similar sort of idea to yours, but they want to do better.
[00:47:57] Melanie Tattersall: I think the starting point has got to be setting that baseline. So understanding where you are in terms of your carbon emissions and your Scope One, Two, Three, to be able to put forward an action plan and make improvements. You kind of got to understand what your, where your starting point is, yeah. So that's a good place to start.
[00:48:15] Howard Bentham: Okay, and is it a case of small steps or big, bold targets?
[00:48:19] Melanie Tattersall: I think a bit of both, a bit of both. I think you look at your day to day, make some small changes, but also have those visions and goals for the future set out, you know, five, ten year plan and that's what, that's all we can do.
[00:48:31] Howard Bentham: And a main piece of advice then for a small business that wants to be where you are, let's put you at the top of the tree here. What, the main thing that you'd say, put that in your pocket and take it away from this chat?
[00:48:41] Melanie Tattersall: You've got to start, go for it and I think thinking about sustainability, not just about the environment, it's not a buzzword, focusing on people and planet is key.
[00:48:53] Rob Panting: I think I'd also add a real passion, which, you know, they've got a passion for sustainability and I think if your business idea, if you've got passion behind your business I'd say you're halfway there. you're
[00:49:04] Melanie Tattersall: You're living and breathing it every day. So you've got to...
[00:49:06] Howard Bentham: It's a cultural thing, isn't it? And I dare say from the people that have come on board with you, that's why they've joined. Great stuff. It's been fascinating to meet you. Thank you for sharing that passion with us. Rob Panting from OxLEP, thank you. Melanie Tattersall from Darcica Logistics, thank you very much for your conversation, and thank you for listening to OxTalks. There are a growing number of editions of OxTalks available from where you normally get your podcasts. OxTalks. Check out some of the previous editions featuring Bicester Motion and Bicester Heritage Chief Executive Daniel Gagan on how to lead by example. Hear from Oxford University Innovations Andrea Stewart on how to find the right business support for spin outs and start ups and don't miss Sarah Powell, HR Director at Le Manoir on how to create a happy, and motivated workforce. Every episode is well worth a listen. Spread the word please and tell your friends or colleagues about us and if you feel so inclined, you can leave us a review. You can share your thoughts and suggestions on our social channels, and you can email your questions for inclusion in future editions too, the address is on the podcast description. Business support in Oxfordshire is very close at hand. OxLEP is at your service. The OxLEP Business Support Tool can signpost you to expert help in a matter of minutes. Why not take a look? Find it on our website, oxfordshirelep. com. But for now, from the whole OxLEP team, and from me, Howard Bentham, it's goodbye.