Pallet supplier Brambles says sales and profits are “well ahead of the comparative period in the prior year”. In Chep Europe, the company has experienced sales growth of around five per cent for the three months to September.

P&O, the UK’s largest ports and ferries operator has received an approach from Dubai Ports World that could value the company at £3bn.

Toy maker Lego is centralising its European distribution centre in Prague and outsourcing its European operation to DHL. DHL will open and begin operations of its new customised logistics centre in early 2006.

Exel shareholders have approved the firm’s takeover by Deutsche Post for an estimated £3.7bn.

Prime minister Tony Blair has officially opened Argos’s new distribution centre in Darlington. The 737,000 sq ft distribution centre is home to Argos Direct, Argos’ home delivery business.

First half pre-tax profit at Business Post fell to £3m from £8.6m last year as a result of difficult economic conditions. Sales were up 21 per cent to £133m.

It seems that everybody is doing it. Deutsche Post and Exel are doing it. Kuehne & Nagel and ACR Logistics are doing it. And now Logistics Manager and Supply Chain Business are doing it. What we are all doing, of course, is getting together.

Protesters are ranged against a proposed 220,000 sq ft of new cold stores at Boroughbridge near the A1(M). On one side, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Roecliffe Parish Council and Boroughbridge Town Council are protesting against the scheme.

Worcestershire records storage management company Whitefoot-Forward has transformed an ex-Ministry of Defence store at Cursley Distribution Park, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire, into a new a 60,000 sq ft warehouse.

JPI Warehousing has expanding into larger premises -with help from Atisreal’s Southampton office.