Interview with En Route International: The next phase of the journey
En Route International's Global Managing Director Nick Wiley at the company's WTCE 2024 booth featuring the updated brand logo
En Route International has seen tremendous change and growth since last year’s WTCE, including stable performance and a refreshed company identity, unveiled in Hamburg, Germany last month. Nick Wiley, Global Managing Director, told PAX International in an interview during WTCE that the refreshed brand identity reflects En Route’s new phase in its journey.
The company, which launched in 2002, has a turnover of £50 million (US$87 million) and expects to reach £70 million (US$122 million) turnover in the next 12 months.
“WTCE is a solid platform for businesses to get together and celebrate the great things about the industry. Our new brand is a celebration of En Route, its people and its customers, so it made sense to us to launch it at the show,” said Wiley.
He added that the company’s growth has come from building its existing customer base and supply chain capabilities, as well as working with new customers who want a unique service partner approach.
En Route International's Tom Lay, Head of Marketing (left) and Richard Wake, Insight & Innovation Director, post for a photo at PAX International's WTCE 2024 booth
“There are three important segments where our customers are choosing to partner with us,” he continued. “These are Passenger Solutions, Supply Chain Services and Sourcing Solutions.”
The rebrand features an updated font style in flowing green text, communicating En Route’s approachability. The colour palette represents the different segments, with the overall rebrand being inspired by the people at En Route and its customers. Wiley said it also reveals En Route’s personality, its distinct positioning in the industry and its credibility.
“As specialists in our field, we are constantly striving to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible; our new brand identity reflects this constant movement, ethos of innovation and our unwavering commitment to excellence,” explained Tom Lay, Head of Marketing at En Route.
“We were overwhelmed with the positivity towards the brand. Customers new and old commented on how ‘fresh’ and vibrant the brand feels, and how it encompasses the personable nature of the business,” adds Wiley. “We were told many times that the stand design really stood out and made an impact and made people want to come over and see what we were all about.”
“We’re at a place in the journey where we are clear about who we are, and it feels really good,” he adds. “We want to continue to be a preferred partner, supporting airlines as a complete business solution that is an integral part of making their business succeed.”
The En Route Team at the company's WTCE 2024 booth
En Route offers complete end-to-end design, development and delivery of complimentary and retail onboard food and service solutions. With offices in the U.K., U.S., UAE and Australia, it is strategically placed to service a global market As part of the brand redevelopment, the company has conducted external stakeholder interviews and undertaken internal brand surveys to better understand the perception of the brand and the needs of both customers and colleagues.
“We are leveraging this brand to market ourselves more deliberately to the industry,” Wiley adds. “We have the expertise not only to develop a broad range of passenger solutions, but we have a worldwide logistics network that helps to streamline the entire supply chain.”
The new phase allows En Route to put its multi-regional reach into function. En Route represents not so much a one-stop-shop, but a collaborator that airlines can rely on for more than just catering, but as a supply chain manager and sourcing partner by leveraging its scale from a logistics perspective.
As he puts it, “Collaboration is key. We are global, but with regional execution.”
A snapshot of being hosted at the En Route International booth for a meeting
Wiley also said that En Route’s sourcing delivers a “market-leading approach to finding any product, anywhere in the world, and getting it to where it needs to be. The strategic approach to procurement drives cost-savings, improves quality and consistency across the network and also brings logistics and storage efficiencies.”
“This year's [WTCE] was incredibly successful for us. We had interest across the entire category portfolio and enjoyed some conversations with key airlines around how we can also add value with our supply chain and sourcing capabilities,” Wiley says in conclusion, highlighting the cocktail hour hosted with dnata as a memorable experience.
“It was a time for customers and colleagues to get together informally and enjoy hospitality in true En Route style. We showcased our cheese and wine pairings, which went down a storm. We'd just like to thank everyone for coming along, having a conversation with us and supporting the business as we move into the next chapter.”
