For Evolution Power Tools, the partnership with Flexport is built on a foundation of mutual trust and shared goals. "We were transitioning from a traditional family business to a professional, structured organisation," says Rob Heywood, Head of European Operations. "We needed to be more efficient and cost-effective. For me, everything comes down to one thing: transparency."
Pedro Silva, who leads the brand’s European operations, emphasizes that this transparency is what makes the relationship feel like a true collaboration. "It’s a full-on relationship," Pedro explains. "If something goes wrong, someone picks up the phone and treats the issue with urgency. Flexport acts as an extension of our own team."
From "Black Hole" to Crossroads
Before partnering with Flexport, the 32-year-old global brand, famous for its multi-material cutting technology, struggled to manage rapid Direct-to-Consumer growth. Their logistics processes were tied up in spreadsheets, scattered emails and manual work.
Managing a supply chain stretching from manufacturing hubs in China and Japan to major retailers like Lowe’s and Screwfix became increasingly challenging. Rob notes that without a single source of truth, the team couldn't accurately track delays, leading to "feast or famine" delivery schedules. Consequently, Demurrage and Detention fees had climbed to represent a substantial share of their total inbound spend.
High Tech Meets High Touch
Rob Heywood’s vision for the future required a partner capable of scaling alongside Evolution’s professionalisation while preserving a human touch. "My concern was whether they would back up the tech with the 'personal stuff'. The people, the relationships, and the fixing," Rob admits. "Flexport has shown a willingness to be part of the team."
Pedro adds that this "high-touch" support is critical at the source. Flexport’s expertise at origin provides Evolution Power Tools with boots-on-the-ground support in manufacturing hubs like China. "I didn’t want a freight forwarder that we just used for one-off shipments," says Pedro. "I wanted a relationship where I could manage the service and the track behind it. When we saw what we could achieve with Flexport’s tech, it was completely different."
Flexport Control Tower: The Strategic Brain
The Flexport platform became the central nervous system for Evolution’s global movement of goods, enabling Rob, Pedro and their teams to lead with data:
- Supplier Scorecarding: Evolution Power Tools now uses data to hold manufacturing partners accountable. By tracking supplier lead times and booking accuracy, they’ve turned vendor management into a meritocracy.
- Real-Time KPI Management: "That TV is ours," says Rob, referring to the massive screens in their Sheffield office. "We watch our ships in real-time and act before a delay becomes a disaster."
- Order Management & SKU-Level Visibility: "We can see exactly what items are in which containers," Pedro notes, "When dates change at sea, we see it immediately. This has removed half the manual work for our teams."
- Intelligent Consolidation: Using data-driven "container capping," the team prevents warehouse swamping, reducing product damage and labor overtime.
Engineering Efficiency and Growth
By putting Flexport at the heart of their operations, Evolution Power Tools has turned logistics from a headache into a value driver:
- Reclaiming Revenue: By using platform data to eliminate D&D exceptions, Rob's team is reclaiming thousands in controllable costs to reinvest in the business.
- Agile Scaling: Even in a flat market, Pedro’s European operations have maintained growth and outpaced the market by 7–10% without increasing operational headcount.
- The "Office Buzz”: "Everyone could see the boats at sea," Pedro says. "It turned the supply chain into a point of pride and a conversation starter in the office."
Evolution Power Tools and Flexport have engineered a partnership built for performance. By ensuring their supply chain is as sharp and precise as the tools they manufacture, Evolution is building a better future, one shipment at a time. As Rob Heywood puts it: "The software and systems have done the job, and the people have backed it up. That’s all I could really ask for.”
About Evolution Power Tools
For more than 30 years, Evolution Power Tools has grown from a small Sheffield workshop into a global power tools manufacturer, recognised worldwide for its cutting technology expertise. What began in the UK has expanded into a network of teams and facilities across Europe, Asia, and North America, all united by the same Sheffield‑engineered core.
Evolution’s product range is built around cutting innovation. From multi‑material technology that allows a single machine and blade to cut steel, wood, aluminium, plastics, and composites, to industrial steel cutting solutions that deliver cool, burr‑free, weld‑ready results, every tool is developed to perform in demanding real-world conditions.
Guided by their brand ethos - Build What Matters - Evolution Power Tools designs tools that empower people to build with confidence, efficiency, and pride. Whether it’s a business, a community project, or a family home, Evolution Power Tools focuses on supporting users to achieve better results with less friction, wherever in the world their work takes them.
To find out more about Evolution Power Tools visit:
https://shop.evolutionpowertools.com/ (UK)
https://store.evolutionpowertools.com/ (US)
https://magasin.evolutionpowertools.com/ (FR)