We talk to Mark Emms, PFE’s new Head of Warehousing, about his extensive experience in change management, from setting up and closing down warehouses to leading large-scale operational transitions. Mark shares how he’s bringing this expertise to PFE as the business prepares for its next chapter.
Number of years in the industry?
All my working life. 33 years.
What’s your journey been getting to PFE?
I’m a Yorkshireman, born and bred in Doncaster. I began my career in Doncaster, straight out of school after completing my A Levels, working in various different warehouse, admin and transport roles within a major supermarket warehouse, where I progressed from warehouse administration and eventually into transport planning. I was then offered a warehouse planner role in their Wellingborough DC before then moving into Business Development for 18 months.
My next role was based in Rugby in the Midlands, so I moved there and that’s where I lived for about 20 years. Over that time, I’ve taken on various operational and managerial roles across the logistics and warehousing industry, including positions with Wincanton supporting contracts for many different blue-chip customers covering different market sectors including food and beverage, premium clothing brands, sporting goods, cosmetics, food manufacturers and the automotive industry. These roles spanned multiple sites, mostly across the Midlands and North of England with a couple of stints at their Greenford Depot, some of which involved long commutes and demanding hours. I’ve managed large scale distribution centres and teams with operating budgets of over £25m, improved processes, and led large-scale projects, gaining experience across a range of sectors.
After 20 years at Wincanton, I took a role at Bibby Distribution, managing a national night transport network delivering car and commercial parts for multiple manufacturers to over 530 locations every night with a fleet of 50 vehicles and 75 drivers over 8 different locations, and later took over as General Manager of a distribution centre for one of our food manufacturing customers. After that, I joined Kuehne+Nagel, running their main southern warehouse for their food service customers, streamlining operations and consolidating transport across their sites.
It was always my wife’s ambition to move back to Suffolk, where she’s originally from. When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed and received an opportunity to join Simarco in Witham which was commutable from Suffolk. So we sold our house in the Midlands, moved in with her family until we took ownership of our house in Suffolk, and I started the new role. However, the company underwent restructuring, and I was made redundant.
At that point, I was introduced to PFE through an external consultant. During my interview it became clear that this was the right fit for me. The team, the role, and the company’s ambitions all aligned perfectly with the next step I wanted to take in my career.
What do you specialise in?
Change management has been a big part of my career, especially when it comes to both setting up and closing down warehouses. There are plenty of examples, but one notable project was where I helped set up a 500,000 square-foot national distribution centre for a high street FMCG customer in Corby. I was brought in to support all departments from resource planning to transport scheduling to make sure it all ran smoothly.
On the flip side, I’ve also managed warehouse closures. I was the Depot Manager at a DC in the midlands when our customer made the decision to close the site. I led the closure process, which, while challenging, ended up being one of my biggest achievements. Maintaining staff morale while winding down operations was a key focus. Managing a site closure isn’t easy, but we kept morale high and exceeded expectations. We even saved money by doing our own site dilapidation work. The feedback from the client showed how well we managed the whole process.
Over the years, most of my roles have involved managing change in some form – whether opening a new site, winding one down or reconfiguring a warehouse. I enjoy the challenge that comes with transitions, and I’m looking forward to applying that experience to the move to PFE’s new warehouse.
What will your role at PFE entail?
My role is largely focused on supporting the business as we prepare for the move to PFE’s new warehouse. It’s about ensuring everything’s in place for the expansion – looking at resource requirements, planning, training, and setting up the new site. A key focus area is adapting the warehouse management system set up for the new warehouse, establishing the rules for how the system will operate, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
I’m also focused on identifying efficiency improvements, such as reducing agency fees, evaluating uniform providers, and streamlining operational processes. But the main focus is the move and making sure we’re ready for that, keeping the team involved and engaged in the process. We’re also looking ahead to recruitment for next year, so a lot of my focus is on preparing for that and making sure we have everything in place.
Ultimately, as Head of Warehousing, I’m responsible for ensuring that performance standards are met, and for making sure operations run efficiently and smoothly. There’s a lot to do, but it’s exciting, and I’m looking forward to seeing everything come together.
What will be your focus for the next six months?
The primary focus will be preparing for and getting the new warehouse up and running. We need to consider the transition, like whether we physically move stock over or run the two sites simultaneously.
A big part of this transition is the increased scale of operations. We are targeting more than double the inbound and outbound volumes through our current site. This will obviously involve the new equipment, reworking workflows, and improving efficiencies across the board.
Training will also be a big focus. Our team aren’t currently experienced in driving the new narrow aisle forklift trucks as the current racking system here is standard width aisles, whereas the new warehouse configuration will be predominantly narrow aisles and therefore require specialised equipment. We’ve got one of our team who holds a narrow aisle licence and is currently responsible for our forklift training, so we need to get him re-trained on the VNA trucks (Very Narrow Aisle). Once we get access to the new site, we’ll need to implement training quickly so that the team is fully prepared to operate the new equipment when we start operations.
There’s a lot to get done, so we will be busy!
What are your first impressions of PFE?
I’m really positive about being here. It’s the small details that make a big difference – for example, the thoughtful gesture of giving everyone a couple of bottles of wine for Christmas. It’s clear that PFE genuinely cares about its people. We’ve had team members on long-term sick leave, and from what I’ve seen, they’re well looked after. I’ve only been here two months, but it’s already clear that PFE is a family-run business that places real value on its employees.
What really stands out is how reassuring it is that so many people have been with PFE for many years. That tells you a lot about the company. It came through in the interview as well – there’s a strong sense of loyalty, which speaks volumes about the business. It’s a good sign that this is a place that treats its people well and creates a supportive work environment.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would be Italian. I love all Italian food, both pizza and pasta. If I had to choose one thing I would probably choose pasta, some form of chicken pasta dish. I eat chicken a lot, more white meat than red meat. I went plant-based for about 18 months and felt great, but it was hard work. We had to cook two meals as my wife wasn’t eating a plant based diet. I wasn’t convinced I was getting enough protein as I was doing a lot of training, so I reintroduced meat, occasionally a steak or burger, but mostly chicken. I also love eggs – scrambled, poached, omelettes.
What’s your favourite movie?
That’s a tough one. There are so many to choose from! But if I had to pick, it would probably be Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s a film that’s always stood out to me, ever since I first saw it. I think it sparked my interest in classic cars, especially the Ferrari in it. That Ferrari is probably the most beautiful car ever made. I’ve got a Triumph Stag at home, so I’m a bit of a petrol head, and I love my cars and motorbikes. But it’s not just about the car – I also loved Ferris’ cheeky attitude and the little quotes that stick with you, like, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I don’t stop and look around often enough! And every time Twist and Shout comes on, I think of Ferris on that parade float. There’s just so much about that film that’s stuck with me – it’s a classic!
Who was your childhood hero and why?
My dad’s an obvious one. It’s all about his work ethic. He was always at work when I was a kid, coming home late, while my mum made sure we were fed before he got in. I remember when he was made redundant, he really struggled. He’s a perfectionist in everything he does — his car’s never dirty, and everything has to be just right. I’ve inherited that trait from him. If I’m doing a job, I like to do it properly. There have been times when I’d leave for work on a Monday morning and not get home until Thursday afternoon. Often, I was the one managing situations or a change of process, and I couldn’t leave until I knew everything was right. It’s led to some long shifts, but that’s just part of the job. That sense of accountability has always been with me, especially during site closures or startups.
