The recruitment drive will expand Evri’s courier network to 28,000 people, with plans to deliver around 4m parcels a day in a move that heightens the competitive landscape for Royal Mail.
The new staff, split into 8,000 courier hires and 1,000 new warehouse and support staff, with Scotland, Bury St Edmunds, Plymouth and Gatwick to be key areas for the hiring drive.
“We know that service, reliability and quality are critical factors for our clients and consumers,” said Martijn De Lange, Evri’s chief executive.
“We have an industry-leading 99% on-time delivery rate, and our couriers have received more than three million 5-star reviews on Trustpilot and customers using our own app rate their courier 4.7 out of 5 on average.
“New client wins, and increased parcel volumes are proof of the trust customers have in our service and biggest-ever recruitment drive promises to deliver another record year.
“Evri is also on the way to be the most sustainable parcel delivery company by building the largest sustainable fleet of e-cargo bikes, with more bikes than ever on the road in 2024, as we move towards our goal of becoming net-zero by 2035.”
The expansion has followed late July’s inking of a deal between Apollo Global Management and Evri’s previous owner, Advent International. Worth £2.7bn, according to Sky News, the deal was secured in the face of competition from DHL and Chinese retailer JD.com.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Alex van Hoek, private equity partner at Apollo, said: “Evri has built an enviable position in parcel delivery, with an innovative model, technology and infrastructure purpose-built for reliable, lower emissions delivery in the fast-growing e-commerce market.
“We are delighted to partner with Martijn and the management team to support and invest in Evri’s continued success and expansion as an Apollo fund portfolio company.”
Apollo manages approximately $671bn (£522bn) worth of assets globally.
Evri delivers around 730m parcels each year from five hubs, 27 depots, and 550 delivery units across the UK.
