Merchandise Companies Beat the Heat

BPMA members have adapted to the recent heatwave to ensure that clients continue to be serviced, while staff are looked after. With temperatures in the thirties during July and August, manufacturing companies have been faced with even higher temperatures in their premises. Several BPMA members have reported adapting their shift patterns to allow staff to work in cooler periods at night and early morning, and avoiding the hottest parts of the day.

Other companies report having to adapt practices to fulfil orders. Mandy Hastie, managing director, The Sweet People, said that although its chocolate products are kept in temperature controlled storage, the company can’t control what happens when it leaves its premises. “For this reason we encourage our clients not to choose chocolate during the summer months,” she said. “However, at the start of this heatwave we had to fulfil an order of chocolate bars to over 600 delivery addresses.

We used food grade ice packs in each of the cartons, arranged a late collection and a pre-10.00am delivery to keep the chocolate cool and it worked.” The company is now preparing for the autumn launch of its Christmas range, including a new jelly bean Advent calendar.