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Woodland Group set to become a literary giant

[ October 14, 2021   //   ]

Woodland Group has acquired a 50% stake in UK-based specialist publishing logistics company, Worldwide Book Services (WBS).It says the move will make it one of the strongest supply chain suppliers to the media and publishing industry across the globe and will improve its joint service offering in east and west Europe and Russia.

Woodland has forged a close working relationship with WBS over more than ten years, delivering book and media solutions to joint clients such as Amazon since 2007.

Woodland Group has bought out WBS joint owner Simon Taylor, while managing director David Burnham remains a 50% shareholder and will partner with Woodland Group to develop and grow opportunities through their shared network. The latter commented: “Our vision is to combine the specialist skills and experience of Worldwide Book Services with the strength and quality of Woodland Group to become the ultimate leader in delivering international media logistics. Thanks to the involvement of Woodland Group, we now have the ideal combination of skills, experience, and resources to bring a new standard of service to booksellers, publishers, printers and the wider industry

Woodland said it would develop opportunities through WBS’ strengths in Scandinavia with daily export consolidations and its owned services in and out of Russia, alongside Woodland Group’s owned locations in the UK, Ireland, Asia, mainland Europe and US, along with its dedicated media air solutions through its airport hub at Heathrow.

Woodland Group recently invested in its dedicated customs teams across the two continents.

WBS’s 50,000sq ft distribution centre in Wickford, Essex will be added to Woodland Group’s existing fulfilment locations, giving it over 1 million sq ft of dedicated warehousing in the UK, US, and mainland Europe.

Woodland chairman and chief executive, Kevin Stevens, added: “WBS and Woodland Group are a great fit. We look forward to jointly furthering our purpose of creating opportunity for our teams, clients, partners and suppliers whilst focussing on delivering sustainable supply chains into the future.”

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