The United Kingdom is a founding member of IFWLA and provides the secretariat for the Federation in London. IFWLA's secretariat is co-located with the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA). UKWA is the trade association for Logistics Service Providers in the UK, but its membership extends beyond its national boundaries including companies from the Republic of Ireland and the Middle East. Its national membership comprises over 700 logistics companies who, between them, operate around 100 million sq ft of warehouse and distribution centre space from some 2,000 locations across the UK. UKWA acts as the focal point for all International enquiries relating to the third party logistics sector and provides an extensive Logistics Service Provider search facility on its own website: www.ukwa.org.uk.

Staff at Walter House

Professional Standards

As the third party logistics services sector becomes increasingly competitive, customers looking for high quality warehousing and a high standard of service – no matter how large or small their requirement – have the assurance of knowing that companies belonging to the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) have been operating viably for at least six months and have demonstrated the highest standards in 11 important areas of warehousing, namely:

The warehouse buildings
The warehouse site and perimeter
Offices and administration facilities
Statutory notices
Handling and storage equipment
Specialised storage amenities
Fire protection measures and equipment
Health and safety
Insurance
Environmental considerations
Pest control

Of course, in today’s price sensitive market, the need to drive cost out of the supply chain is often cited as a major reason for using third party logistics service providers.  However, perhaps a better reason for engaging outside experts is the in-depth knowledge, flexibility and added value that a specialist contractor can provide.  UKWA members undertake an exceptional range of warehousing and added value services, including:

A determination to drive up professional standards in the warehousing sector underpins UKWA’s activities.  By joining UKWA a third party warehousing services company demonstrates its commitment to best practice in every aspect of its business.