Space Park Leicester’s resident logistics experts, Pinnacle Freight, recently hosted leadership from the Made in Group for a tour and showcase of its secure supply chain solutions and cutting-edge commercial logistics achievements.
The visit was attended by Jason Pitt, CEO of Made in Group, and Ellie Pettigrew, Membership Manager at Made in Group. The delegation was hosted by Ben Shenton and Craig Russell of Pinnacle Freight, and featured a guided tour of the £100 million space research and innovation hub led by Vinay Patel, Head of Commercial and Innovation at Space Park Leicester.
Beginning with a discussion on Pinnacle’s deep roots in the aerospace sector, the tour highlighted the company's historic role in the successful delivery of the James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI instrument to NASA. The visit explored how Pinnacle is taking knowledge from universities and translating it into commercial, streamlined operations for UK manufacturers looking to export.
During the tour of the firm's capabilities, the Made in Group delegation learnt about Pinnacle’s gold-standard credentials. With AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) status and ISO9001 certification, Pinnacle provides a highly secure, HMRC-vetted supply chain. Ben and Craig detailed their extensive logistics portfolio, which ranges from handling complex cross-trade routes and bespoke export packing to managing all classes of dangerous goods, including MOD munitions (Section 5) and radioactive materials.
The tour also showcased Piff Track, an innovative 24/7 digital tracking system developed in tandem with CargoWise. The platform allows SMEs to instantly view the status of their cargo, pull down commercial and HMRC documentation in one place, and monitor their CO2 emissions—completely removing the administrative burden from manufacturers.
Craig Russell, Account Manager at Pinnacle Freight, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to host Jason, Ellie, and the Made in Group team at Space Park Leicester. We are not the biggest forwarder, so we cannot compete with the ‘stack it high, sell it cheap’ outfits. Instead, we provide quality and a personal, one-to-one relationship. Our presence here at the Space Park helps us integrate with highly intelligent sectors, translating academic innovation into commercial manufacturing opportunities.”
The visit comes ahead of Pinnacle Freight’s upcoming exhibition at the Made in the Midlands Expo on 8 October and the Made in Yorkshire Expo on 15 October. To support manufacturers looking to confidently expand their overseas trade footprint, Pinnacle has announced an exclusive Expo incentive: new customers who spend £30,000 within their first six months will receive a £5,000 credit.
“By offering this incentive and supporting events like the Made in the Midlands Expo, we hope to encourage UK manufacturers to explore overseas markets without the fear of logistical failure,” the Pinnacle team added.