The logistics arm of Unipart, an Oxford-area, employee-owned British supply chain company, running distribution and logistics for carmakers, rail, healthcare and technology customers.
Unipart Logistics is the logistics business of Unipart Group, an Oxfordshire company that calls itself the supply chain performance improvement partner. Logistics is one of Unipart's three main areas, alongside manufacturing and consultancy. The group works in sectors including automotive, rail and public transport, healthcare, aerospace and defence, technology, e-commerce, consumer and retail, and industrials. Recent offers include an end-to-end electric vehicle service, solutions for industrialised construction and a field services offer. Several Unipart Logistics contracts operate from the Unipart Distribution Centre on Garsington Road in Cowley, Oxford.
Unipart began in 1969 as the car-parts division of British Leyland and became a subsidiary in 1974. In 1987 a management buyout led by John Neill, with employees buying in, made it independent, and Wikipedia reports that around 70 per cent of the company is owned by its workforce and pension fund. Its customer promise is "to understand the real and perceived needs of our customers better than anyone else", and its stated ambition is to be "the driving force behind efficient, resilient and sustainable supply chains". Customers named by the company include Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen Group UK, BMW MINI, Scania, Volvo, Network Rail, Airbus and Leonardo.
Unipart is headquartered in Cowley, on the edge of Oxford. Wikipedia also mentions a manufacturing site and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering in Coventry, a distribution centre in Oxford, Comms Design in Harrogate and rail locations in York, Brighton and Crewe. The company's about page says it has more than 12,000 colleagues, while Wikipedia gives about 11,000 for 2024. Both are group-wide, and we did not find a Unipart Logistics-only headcount or a full site list.
Culture is a big part of Unipart's story. It calls its way of working The Unipart Way, a lean approach based on lessons from Honda and the Toyota Production System that focuses on removing waste and measuring improvement. Its in-house training centre, Unipart U, was founded in 1993. The company says colleague engagement results were in the upper quartile for a second year, that it has held a five-star British Safety Council audit for 15 years in a row, and that colleagues raised more than £62,000 for over 30 charities in a charity challenge. These are the company's own claims.
Logistics roles at Unipart include warehouse operatives and team leaders, transport and planning staff, engineers and technicians, supply chain analysts, account managers and finance, IT and human resources staff. Because Unipart also works in rail, aerospace and healthcare, logistics experience can lead into a range of industries. Employee ownership means people working there share in the business's success. Unipart's website lists current vacancies.
Website: www.unipart.com
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