We are honored to feature Hugh Frost, a visionary leader who has proven himself in the past as a driver of growth and transformation. With significant credentials in logistics, supply chain management, and digital transformation, Hugh overcame major industry challenges, thus growing his leadership position into Hubl Logistics,Founder and Managing Director today.
Hugh applies new technologies to his business operation and is seeking to expand his customer experience through being customer-centric. In this very insightful interview, Hugh shares his suggestions about innovation, leadership, and the future of logistics.
Career-Defining Moment
We started the interview by asking, “What were the key turning points in your career that led you to your current role as an industry leader?”
Hugh Frost shared, “After spending 35 years in horticulture, landscape design, and construction, I faced specific challenges related to a labour-intensive business, and being constantly thrown off course by weather and site conditions, which severely restricts the scalability of the business. These experiences helped shape my perspective. Following the sale of my business, I had the freedom to explore opportunities in the green economy, leading me to seek something scalable – something that could be sold in large volumes.
I had some prior experience in logistics, which naturally drew me to an industry that offered scalability. My entry into last-mile logistics came somewhat by default. I identified inefficiencies in cost, labor, and methods of delivery within this sector, which presented a clear commercial opportunity. This discovery became a mission to decarbonise last-mile logistics using innovative and scalable methodologies, particularly in food delivery.”
Overcoming Challenging Phases
Challenges are an inevitable part of every business. To learn how Hugh Frost overcame the same, we asked, “Can you discuss a particularly challenging period in your professional life and the lessons you learned from it?”
Hugh Frost shared, “One of the most challenging times was when my contracting business acquired two substantial contracts simultaneously. This required us to rapidly expand from 30-40 employees to over a hundred, putting immense pressure on our resources. To complicate matters, the great storm of 1987 famously misforcasted by Micheal Fish a hurricane that felled 300 mature trees. It caused contract delays at a major holiday park project in Sherwood Forest. Simultaneously, while working for a government body, we faced significant disruptions due to a major infrastructure collapse, feeding thousands of tons of ballast to support the construction of bunkers on a large military installation in Portsmouth.
From these experiences, I learned the importance of staying within the boundaries of available resources and capabilities. This lesson has carried over to my current work, especially after securing grant funding for R&D. The commercialization stage has proven even more challenging due to the gap between the end of grant funding and moving to a commercially viable stage. Building the right team with relevant expertise is the most crucial part of this phase.”
Aligning Short-Term Needs With Long-Term Visions
We further asked, “How do you navigate the complexities of managing immediate business needs while staying true to your long-term objectives?”
“Balancing immediate needs with long-term objectives is difficult, but it comes down to having a reliable team that understands the company’s vision. They are key to undertaking short-term tasks while aligning with the broader ambition. It’s important to communicate and reinforce that vision with the team continuously. Keeping the long-term goals in mind while empowering the team to manage day-to-day challenges ensures that we stay on track.” He replied.
Current Offerings At CoolRun
We were interested to learn more about the services offered by Hugh’s company. So, we asked, “Could you elaborate on your company’s primary offerings and any groundbreaking services or products you plan to introduce?”
Hugh Frost replied, “Our big vision is to create an ultra-efficient food delivery network powered by green technologies. One of our key innovations is the CoolRun pod, which features a patented cooling system and other unique selling points. The CoolRun pod is just the start. We’re also working to integrate other technologies that will form a comprehensive, sustainable delivery network. This combination of technologies will provide exceptional service and drive the future of food distribution.”
Staying Ahead Of The Curve
As market trends and customer needs continue to evolve, businesses face an unprecedented challenge of staying relevant amidst uncertainty. We asked, “What approaches do you take to gauge and adapt to evolving market conditions, and how do these impact your strategic planning?”
Hugh Frost replied, “The multi-temperature logistics sector is conservative and capital-intensive, with long cycles between upgrades. However, pressure is mounting on the industry to decarbonize and reduce energy and labor costs. This has opened a window of opportunity for us. As a disruptive technology company, we are in a prime position to capitalize on the industry’s drive toward decarbonization. The challenges faced by traditional logistics have allowed us to position ourselves as thought leaders and innovators, which in turn drives our strategic direction.”
Embracing Digital Transformation
Fast-paced digital evolution has redefined the way businesses perform. So, we asked, “How has the advent of digital technologies altered the operational framework of your business, and what adaptations have been crucial for you?”
“The digital revolution has transformed food distribution, driven by eCommerce growth and demand for delivery services. Innovations like dark kitchens and micro-fulfillment centers are redefining the landscape. Our CoolRun pod seamlessly integrates into this ecosystem, leveraging consignment tracking and advanced telematics for delivery network and vehicle efficiency monitoring. Digitization has driven the demand for alternative delivery services. We’ve developed the CoolRun pod to satisfy this new demand and embedded digital technology into the pod and its support services. This pod optimizes logistics, provides valuable data insights, and enhances efficiency and service quality.” Hugh replied.
Game-Changing Innovations
To learn more about the trends that can be revolutionary in the upcoming years in Hugh Frost’s industry, we asked, “Which technological advancements do you believe will be game-changers in your field shortly?”
Hugh Frost mentioned, “One of the most significant advancements I foresee is shifting control of the delivery process from the sender to the receiver, giving consumers greater control over their deliveries. Similar to how platforms like Deliveroo have reshaped customer expectations in the fast food and Q commerce delivery industry, we aim to bring that level of convenience and customization to trade deliveries in sectors like hospitality.
Our research shows a growing demand for more control and transparency, such as knowing when, what, and by whom deliveries are being made. The CoolRun pod helps meet this demand by improving accuracy and efficiency, ultimately providing greater customer satisfaction and environmental benefits.”
Fostering A Healthy Workspace
Ensuring a healthy workspace and empowered team is paramount for a company’s success. We asked, “What initiatives have you implemented to cultivate and sustain a motivated and engaged workforce?”
“We believe in fostering an open-door policy, encouraging feedback, and maintaining strong communication channels within the team. By welcoming critique and being transparent, we cultivate a motivated workforce. Additionally, we offer share option pools for employees at all levels, giving them a direct stake in the company’s success and fostering a sense of ownership.” He responded.
Crafting A Strong Legacy
We ended the interview by asking, “When considering the future, what legacy do you aspire for your business to leave, and what concrete steps are you taking towards this goal?”
Hugh Frost concluded, “The legacy I aspire to leave is one of sustainable growth and innovation. I envision CoolRun becoming a national-scale business with a culture that can be replicated internationally. We aim to be recognized as trailblazers in food distribution and logistics, standing for innovation and responding to market trends and customer demands. Ultimately, I hope to build a motivated team that drives the business forward, creating value for employees, shareholders, and stakeholders. By building a scalable model that can expand to different countries, we aim to leave a lasting impact on the industry.”
Follow Hugh Frost on LinkedIn.
Find Hubl Logistics on LinkedIn and visit their website https://www.coolrun.co.uk/
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