Peter Bentley Named Warehousing Leader of the Year

Peter Bentley, General Manager at our Wellingborough 3PL warehouse, has been named Warehousing Leader of the Year at the 2026 Logistics Leadership Awards.

This prize recognises his pivotal role throughout a major period of growth and transformation across our eCommerce fulfilment operations.

Presented by the Logistics Leaders Network, the award recognises outstanding leadership in warehouse management, operations and innovation. It was one of 13 prizes presented at the 2026 awards, celebrating excellence across the UK transport and supply chain sectors.

For Peter, the recognition follows the successful delivery of one of the most significant warehouse change programmes within our fulfilment business.

Leading the Move to a New 3PL Warehouse

A major part of that transformation was the relocation of a 30,000-pallet warehouse operation in Northampton to a new 72,000-pallet capacity facility in Wellingborough.

Moving an operation of this scale whilst continuing to serve customers presented a significant challenge. Peter led from the front, and the transition was completed with minimal disruption to customers and day-to-day operations, whilst creating greater capacity and flexibility to support future growth.

Since the move, throughput units handled have increased by 27% year-on-year, demonstrating the ability of the Wellingborough operation to scale whilst maintaining performance.

Growth has also meant expanding the team. The workforce increased from approximately 150 to 195 colleagues, a 30% jump that’s provided additional capability and resource to support customer demand.

Improving Efficiency Across the Warehouse

The move itself was only one part of the transformation.

Peter has also been involved in a major warehouse relay programme focused on improving stock flow, making better use of the available space and increasing productivity. 

This was followed by a wider continuous improvement programme incorporating mechanisation projects, automation initiatives and enhancements to the warehouse management system. Together, these changes have improved operational visibility, inventory management and efficiency across the site.

Importantly, the focus on change wasn't allowed to come at the expense of customers. Throughout this period, Peter and his team maintained consistently strong customer service performance, even when significant operational changes were underway.

Recognising Leadership in UK Fulfilment

The Logistics Leadership Awards are an annual celebration of excellence across the UK transport and supply chain sectors.

There was further recognition for Whistl on the night, with our Director of Contract Management, George Shilton, shortlisted for the Emerging Leader of the Year Award.

George had already received industry recognition earlier in 2026 when he was named in the CILT (UK) 35 Under 35 list, which celebrates emerging talent across logistics, transport and supply chain.

Fliss O'Hara, Managing Director, Whistl Fulfilment, said: "Huge congratulations to Peter, he thoroughly deserves this award and we are all very proud of him. He has achieved so much over the last 18 months and I know he will continue to shine!"

Peter’s award is fantastic recognition of what has been achieved at Wellingborough, where investment in facilities, technology and people has supported a major site transition.

For brands choosing a UK fulfilment partner, this shows how a modern 3PL warehouse can evolve to support growth without losing sight of the service customers rely on.