Crisis Management

The Situation

Bidvest Logistics (now Best Food) are the leading supplier of logistical and supply chain solutions to the UK hospitality and restaurant sector. Customers include: KFC, Pret, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Pizza Express and Nandos.

•One of Best Food Logistics key customers (KFC) left due to poor service levels

•This £1.4bn division of the South African-owned Bidcorp needed serious help to manage transformational change and avoid a crisis.

•The division was heavily loss making with multiple sites and >1500 people providing solutions to >9000 restaurant chains.

The Solution

Russam placed Paul Whyte as Interim MD (and now permanent MD) to lead on the turnaround.

Paul set a 5 stage strategy to move from “Surviving to Winning“:

1. Develop leading class service offer

2. Dispose of 13 of 16 loss making contracts

3. Remove £29m of cost/right size the business

4. Increase price to fair and profitable levels

5. Attract and win stable, growing customers