Priti Patel, MP for Witham, visited PFE Express Limited in Witham to tour the company’s new head office and warehouse facilities following the formal opening by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. PFE Express is a third-generation family run business founded in 1984 employing 140 people in Witham, Essex.
Priti was hosted by Managing Director, Adam Collins and his son Jacob Collins where she had a full tour of the new purpose-built head office and warehousing facility which is home to their sea freight, warehousing, haulage, and national distribution services. Priti also discussed the bespoke freight forwarding solutions they provide to their customers both domestic and internationally.
During the visit Priti discussed many of the challenging business pressures faced by local business including the rising business, employment, and energy costs that all commercial businesses are struggling with.
Following the visits Priti said:
‘The investment in the new headquarters is a testament to the hard work of work of Adam, his father who established the business in the 1980s, their family and his staff who are all experienced professionals and are setting high standards to deliver an outstanding service for their customers. PFE Express is an outstanding company and plays a very significant part of our local economy, providing skilled jobs, offering apprenticeships, and employment opportunities across our local community. It was an honour to visit see how they are leading the sector with such strong innovation and pride.
‘Essex is well known in the logistics and haulage sector, and all firms are facing significant challenges from this Labour government. In addition to the business burden’s that I regularly highlight, the cancelation of the A12 widening scheme is a major concern and is impacting the local economy. We are also still awaiting further details as to whether the A120 scheme will be advanced by the Labour government and the voice of business plays a crucial role in educating the government about the real challenges local businesses are facing each day.
“I have always been vocal about business support and investment irrespective of which party is in government, and I continue to champion local businesses and employers who are the backbone to our local economy.”
Commenting after the Visit, Adam Collins said:
“This new facility reflects our long-term commitment to our people, our customers, and the future of the business. We are proud to be investing in Witham, cementing our roots here and creating a space that supports long-term growth, opportunity, and innovation.”
