SoPost and BLP (Northern) shortlisted for Shipper/Partner Company of the Year 2026

SoPost and BLP (Northern) have been named finalists for the Shipper/Partner Company of the Year award at this year’s MultiModal Awards. Held annually, these awards are a primary benchmark for the UK and Ireland’s logistics and supply chain sectors, and, as the UK’s leading logistics event for transport & supply chain, represent the highest standard of operational excellence in the industry.

Unlike other categories, which are decided by public vote, the Shipper/Partner Company of the Year Award is independently judged by a panel of industry experts who focus on the technical and commercial depth of each nominee’s collaboration. Our inclusion in the shortlist this year places our partnership with BLP (Northern) alongside some of the industry’s most established logistics operations.

“We’re immensely proud to be nominated in this category,” says Hannah Berry, Operations and Fulfilment Lead at SoPost. “And even more so to be recognised for the unique partnership between SoPost and BLP (Northern). For many years we have worked with our partners at BLP to build the efficient operation that now exists and drives our success in the UK.”

The companies have moved beyond a standard service contract into an intentional collaboration involving future-proofed processes and bespoke machinery that has been designed to handle SoPost’s ongoing scale and growth with ease.

How SoPost & BLP (Northern)’s strategic collaboration led to MultiModal Awards 2026

Between 2018 and 2020, SoPost demand surged by over 450%. This necessitated a shift in how we collaborated with BLP, to handle the increasing volume and complexity of the work we share. Together, we developed a system capable of high-speed and high-volume production across multiple sample formats: the Automated Carton Line (ACL).

Since its launch, the ACL has supported SoPost’s growth by:

• Delivering a 400% increase in productivity
• Processing over eight million orders
• Future-proofing operations 
• Maintaining consistent cost savings

“Sustainability was a huge focus as we co-developed the ACL,” says Denis Corcoran, CEO of BLP (Northern). “And a bespoke carton style was specifically designed to run on the line as a result. We’re incredibly proud that this now accounts for the majority of SoPost’s UK packaging.”

Indeed, the partnership has now moved to 99% sustainable packaging across the board, allowing SoPost and BLP (Northern) to maintain high-volume output while almost entirely removing plastic from the process.

The MultiModal Awards 2026

Efficiency, sustainability and innovation have been three core principles of the SoPost model since we disrupted the product sampling industry over a decade ago. Our logistic and fulfilment partners across all of our global operations echo our ‘think global, deliver local’ mantra, understanding that a successful brand experience starts from the moment someone requests a sample - fulfilment is a vital element of positive brand sentiment, and the ACL is the evidence that purpose-built operational partnerships are crucial in scaling growth, without sacrificing quality.

To be nominated for Shipper/Partner Company of the Year is an endorsement of that technical depth and collaboration we’ve managed to achieve with BLP (Northern). Being recognised as a benchmark for operational excellence alongside some of the most established logistics operations in the UK is an incredible honour. 

The winners will be announced at the MultiModal Awards on June 30th at the NEC in Birmingham - we hope to see you there!