Customer Case Study   >   P.E. Foods

Challenges

When growth starts to test the business

For Chief Operating Officer Craig McInerney, growth quickly exposes operational pressure points.

“In relation to scaling, two things come to mind, our people and processes,” he says.

“The old saying ‘growth eats cash before it generates it’ is very true in our case.”

Expanding product ranges, larger customer volumes and increasingly complex delivery schedules require careful planning.

“It’s very easy to get carried away with what’s in front of you,” McInerney says. “We have to take a measured approach and learn how we’re going to take that growth into our business and make the most of it.”

One area where those pressures became particularly visible was fleet.

The shift that changed how the business moves

Around a decade ago, P.E. Foods made a significant operational shift.

The company moved away from subcontracted delivery services and began operating its own fleet.

“We went from subcontractors to then having our own vehicles,” Einersen explains.

“For me that was a pivotal moment because it was a change of mindset.”

Operating its own vehicles gave the company greater control over delivery standards, drivers and customer experience.

“Ever since we made that change, we’ve never looked back.”

But running a fleet also meant managing vehicle performance, maintenance and replacement cycles as the business expanded.

Getting that strategy right became critical.

Cold Fleet Solutions

Where shared values became a partnership

Eurocold Managing Director Avraam Solomon remembers the early conversations clearly.

“When P.E. Foods first approached Eurocold we were in our first year of operation,” he says.

“They were renting some short-term vehicles, but it was clear they were a business looking to grow.”

What stood out most was alignment.

“More importantly their values were aligned with our new business at the time.”

That alignment would ultimately form the foundation of a long-term partnership.

Taking one major operational worry off the table

For McInerney, the relationship quickly evolved beyond simply supplying trucks.

“I remember the day we sat down with Eurocold and said, ‘These are our plans. This is what we want to achieve.’”

The conversation was about more than vehicles. It was about how fleet strategy could support the company’s growth.

“Partnering with Eurocold enables us to put one part of our business to the side,” he says.

“We know it’s taken care of. We know it’s monitored and handled in a professional way.”

That confidence allows the leadership team to focus on the parts of the business that matter most.

“It lets us concentrate on other parts of our business that are right in front of us.”

Moving quickly, together

Opportunity rarely waits in food distribution

The value of flexibility became clear during a recent opportunity in regional Queensland.

“Just before Christmas one of our competitors pulled out of a regional area,” Einersen says.

The situation created a narrow window to expand.

“We approached Eurocold and they were able to turn a truck around really quickly for us.”

Within weeks the business was servicing new customers in Townsville.

“Within a couple of weeks we had a truck on the road and were able to pick up that new business very quickly.”

In food distribution, speed matters.

“In our industry opportunity sometimes only presents itself 24 hours in advance,” Einersen says.

“To have the flexibility to pivot when the opportunity calls, you just can’t do without relationships like that.”

Freeing capital to invest where it matters most

Fleet strategy also influences how businesses invest.

Not having large amounts of capital tied up in vehicles has allowed P.E. Foods to focus investment on other areas of the operation.

“To have the capital ready to go that’s not tied up in our fleet is really important,” Einersen says.

The business has invested heavily in technology, including warehouse management systems, automated routing and digital platforms that improve operational efficiency.

Those systems help support a growing workforce and a larger customer base.

“It means we’ve got a business that’s better and easier to run because we’re supporting the team with the systems they need.”

A fleet drivers take pride in

The modern fleet has also strengthened the company’s workplace culture.

“A modern fleet is probably one of the most important things we can offer as an employer,” Einersen says.

Drivers take pride in the vehicles they operate.

“One of the proudest things I see is when a driver finishes their day and cleans their truck, looking after it like it’s their own.”

For McInerney, those moments say a lot about the team.

“When drivers take ownership of their trucks, it reflects the pride they have in the business.”

Modern vehicles, improved reliability and strong safety features also help attract and retain drivers in a competitive labour market.

Looking forward

The next chapter for P.E. Foods

The company is now preparing for its next major milestone.

P.E. Foods will soon move into a new Brisbane facility more than double the size of its current site, with significantly expanded hardstand and operational capacity.

For the leadership team, the investment represents the next stage of growth.

“To be able to give our team a brand new facility that we can grow into is something I’m hugely proud of,” Einersen says.

McInerney expects the partnership with Eurocold to remain central to that journey.

“Eurocold will be a strategic partner in any growth we have over the next five to ten years.”

For Solomon, the partnership reflects something simple but powerful.

“The best thing about the relationship with P.E. Foods is that we are in it together.”

And that shared approach continues to shape the road ahead for both companies.