A family-owned craft drinks B-Corp, an electric vehicle company and a rapid diagnostic tests specialist are among the 2024 winners of the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards announced today. Now in their second year, the awards celebrate the international sales success of small-medium businesses across the UK and provide a stepping stone for further growth and opportunity. Winners include Warner’s Distillery, an independent, family-owned craft drinks producer that creates 100% natural, sustainably sourced products crafted from ingredients grown on its farm in Northamptonshire. Awarded in the Agriculture, Food and Drink category, the B Corp accredited business’s range of spirits and non-alcoholic drinks are listed in major UK retailers and sold in over 30 countries, including the United States, Australia, China, and nations across mainland Europe. The awards come after new figures from the UN’s body that leads on global trade show the UK was the 4th largest exporter of goods and services globally in 2022, moving up from 7th in the rankings in 2021. Minister for Exports Lord Offord, said: “We’re proud of our British exporters and these Awards highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products around the world." “I hope the winners serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder and encourage more businesses to showcase the incredible talent and innovation of UK businesses selling abroad.” Cabinet Office Minister Ester McVey said: “Selling overseas is key to driving economic growth across the UK. As part of the GREAT campaign, it’s wonderful to celebrate these businesses who showcase the best of what Britain and Northern Ireland have to offer the world.” The winning businesses have been drawn from a diverse range of 12 sectors across 10 categories: Agriculture, Food & Drink; Creative Industries; Education & EdTech; Financial Services and FinTech; Retail & Consumer Goods; Consultancy & Professional Services; Healthcare; Infrastructure & Engineering; Low Carbon Energy; and Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing & Construction. The latter five categories have been introduced as new additions this year to ensure that businesses from all sectors could enter. In the Low Carbon Energy category, Glasgow-based Munro Vehicles was recognised for its next-generation, fully electric commercial vehicles that are designed to help essential but carbon-intensive industries transition to net zero. The company, which exported to 16 countries in 2023, ranks as Scotland’s only “volume production” car company and plans to build 50 vehicles by mid-2024 before shifting to a new purpose-built site near Glasgow later in the year, creating up to 300 jobs. The Healthcare winners are pioneers CIGA Healthcare, a leading UK company specialising in rapid diagnostic tests including fertility tests, blood pressure monitors and blood glucose monitors. CIGA Healthcare’s products are supplied to national health services and international brands, such as Walmart and AmerisourceBergen, and the company’s international reach extends to over 80 countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, and nations across South America. Within each category, three additional businesses were also awarded highly commended status for their inspiring business stories and exporting prowess. Marco Forgione, Director General of The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) and judge on the panel for this year’s awards, commented: “The calibre of businesses that entered across all categories has been incredibly high and selecting a winner has been a tough job. We are delighted to offer an IOE&IT membership to these winners alongside the businesses that are highly commended and look forward to working with this year’s companies, helping them to grow and expand through international trade." “These awards provide an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the global trade success stories of small businesses from all Nations and regions – and we hope these winners will inspire even more budding business owners." “The evidence continues to tell us that businesses that trade internationally are more sustainable, more resilient, more innovative, employ more people and, ultimately, are more profitable. So, it is vital that these businesses are supported in their exporting journeys and that their success stories are celebrated.” In 2021, DBT launched the ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ campaign to celebrate exporting success from across the UK and tell businesses’ stories. The awards programme builds on this to further recognise and celebrate the global trading success of SMEs from across the UK. Winning businesses receive an invitation to an evening Parliamentary Reception and receive a year’s free membership with the Institute of Export and International Trade (IOE&IT). They will also win a digital badge, physical certificate and trophy and enjoy promotional activity across DBT channels, including individual profiles to share their export success.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) and Perdue Farms (Perdue) celebrated the 54th Earth Day and their strong partnership by planting more than 300 trees on a family poultry farm in Quarryville, PA. This partnership, announced in October 2023 with funding from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), has already made substantial strides to positively impact the environment on farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, meeting with over a dozen farms that are now moving forward with enhancements to increase sustainability on-farm. The partnership has big plans for additional on-the-ground projects throughout the rest of 2024 that will help reduce energy costs, minimize disease risk, increase carbon sequestration, and boost local air and water quality. This includes providing technical and financial support to install six manure storage sheds and/or compost barns and seven tree planting installations within pastures and around poultry barns, planting 1,800+ trees on farms in the region this spring, and leveraging various state and federal cost-share programs to accelerate conservation practice implementation and effectively stretch the grant dollars further. Drew Getty, vice president of environmental sustainability at Perdue Farms said: “Earth Day is a reminder of our obligation to future generations to protect and preserve our communities, like the beautiful Chesapeake Bay watershed. To go beyond good stewardship and make a big impact, it takes all of us working together." "That’s why this partnership is so mission critical. Collectively, we can make sustainable practices more accessible and approachable to anyone who works with Perdue Farms, which ultimately advances the work to protect our natural resources.” Since 2017, the Alliance has worked alongside agricultural supply chain corporations, like Perdue Farms, and their farm providers to accelerate conservation efforts throughout supply chains in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This approach allows farms to increase long-term sustainability while elevating environmental standards throughout the agricultural industry. “The Alliance is excited to partner with Perdue. Their commitment to helping farmers reach conservation standards that go above state regulations is exciting,” said Brittany Smith, agriculture project manager at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. “Through this collaboration and Perdue’s investment in conservation, the team can build capacity for technical support and offer financial assistance for Perdue’s independent-contract growers, often with no out-of-pocket costs to the farmers. Perdue’s leadership and commitment to sustainability elevates environmental standards throughout the agricultural industry.”

A hotel employee has notched up a century of customer and colleague testimonials for going the extra mile in her work. Ilse Bujok, the reception manager at The Wild Boar near Windermere, is the first person from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues to reach the milestone as part of the hotel group’s +1 initiative. The customer service led programme is designed to raise standards and encourage creativity and innovation amongst team members. The +1 initiative is all about recognising the small acts of extra care, service and kindness occurring each day across its venues. Perhaps a bit like a player of the match award in sport, it seeks to recognise the efforts of staff to go over and above normal service for guests and colleagues. Every month team members are nominated for activities or performance that exceeds guest or colleague expectations. Ilse is the very first member of staff to attain 100 +1 award nominations and the first recipient of English Lakes Hotels Platinum award for reaching that milestone. She has also been rewarded with £250 worth of English Lakes Gift Vouchers to mark her customer service excellence achievement. Highlights along the way have included Ilse finding a guest’s lost wallet which they had left at Windermere golf club, and rescuing a stray dog which ran into The Wild Boar on its own. Giving the stray a bowl of water, Ilse’s first thought was to ring around the local farmers and sure enough, she managed to find the owner. English Lakes Hotels managing director Ben Berry explains: “We all know how good it feels when someone highlights a good piece of work you have done. Now imagine that happening 100 times. It’s quite an achievement and a real feather in the cap for Ilse and the team at The Wild Boar.” “The +1 award scheme is a great source of motivation for me,” adds Ilse. “It’s nice to hear from colleagues or guests that they think I’m doing a good job.” The hotel group also awards silver, gold and champions awards to team members who achieve over 10, 25 and 50 +1 nominations respectively.

Love Family Women’s Center doors open for next generation. For matriarch of the Love family, Judy Love, not much will stand in her way when it comes to her dedication to making a difference in the community. Not even a global pandemic. Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City started its campaign for a massive new women’s center in December 2019, a few months before the beginning of the pandemic. Most involved had no idea what was coming. At the time, Love was on the Mercy Health Foundation board and believed the organization had the ability to raise the funds to bring an innovative and technologically advanced women’s center to the Oklahoma City metro. Her and late husband Tom Love gave a $10 million lead donation to kick off the project, and in partnership with co-chair and former state first lady Cathy Keating, they helped raise more than $30 million from Oklahoma families and businesses. The facility is called the Love Family Women’s Center and honors four generations of the family. A onesie that says "I'm a Love Family Women's Center Baby" for Mercy. New facility expands women’s care, touching the lives of generations of families to come. “Mom and Cathy were very involved in co-chairing a silent campaign to raise funds for this women’s center,” explained Jenny Love Meyer, Judy’s daughter and chief culture officer of Love’s. “Trying to raise $40 million during normal times would have been a lofty goal, but COVID changed a lot and only three months into the campaign. We are very proud of them for dedicating themselves to raising an historic amount of money during a time of economic uncertainly and amid a global pandemic.” The impressive new Love Family Women’s Center is dedicated to providing advanced medicine and exceptional care for Oklahoma women. The new center is a 175,000-square-foot, four-story building on the Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City campus and has 30 patient rooms to accommodate the significant increase in child births. Over the last 10 years, the hospital has experienced a 34 percent increase in childbirths, which is nearly 4,000 births each year. The women’s center will increase the hospital’s delivery capacity by 40 per cent. Mercy honors three generations of the Love family and looks forward to the fourth generation. According to Love Meyer, just like the Love family, Mercy’s roots run deep in Oklahoma, which is another reason the family decided to support the project. The facility’s expanded capacity and innovative technology will have a lifelong impact on the community. “Our family’s roots run deep in Oklahoma and so does Mercy’s roots with the Sisters of Mercy and their commitment to serving Oklahomans. This project builds on both legacies and reinforces our standard of supporting the communities in which we live and work. As the only remaining family-owned and operated travel stop company in the industry, it’s wonderful this center is opening during our 60th anniversary as we look to investing in and supporting future generations.”

Inspirational achievers have been named among the finalists in the sixth Ladies First Network Business and Inspirational Women Awards. Finalists, selected from hundreds of nominations from across the UK, were invited to an independent judging day in Leamington Spa, ahead of a prestigious awards ceremony at Dallas Burston Polo Club, in Warwickshire, on June 13th. New categories are also among those being contested this year, including Sustainable Business Leader, Trailblazer of the Year and Inclusivity Leadership with a special Inspirational Women Award going to The England Women’s football team, The Lionesses. The Awards were unveiled at The House of Commons in January and are headed up by Ladies First directors Tracey McAtamney from Balsall Common and Karen Massey from Leamington Spa. Tracey said: “With over 300 nominations entering this year, each and every finalist should be exceptionally proud of their achievements." “We strive to make every finalist feel special and like a winner, with goodie bags, certificates and professional head shots on interview day. A huge thank you to Mallory Court, the Awards Team, all of our judges and sponsors Edwards Wealth Management Ltd, Alsters Kelley Solicitors and Pertemps for a fabulous day!" “We are beyond excited to announce that we are presenting our 2024 Inspirational Woman Award to the England Football Team." “The Award is in recognition of their outstanding leadership which embodies true spirit, determination, unity and excellence. Also, for their profound impact on the world stage, inspiring and capturing young hearts around the globe!” Vying for to top Business Woman of the Year award are: Elinor Perry - Pentlands Accountants and Advisors, in Leamington; Jackie Allan – Revolve, in Leamington; Jaide Ellery-Martin – Jaide’s Stage Studios Limited, in Rugby; Louise Adkins – Share Haulage, in Rugby and Marie Quarterman – The Education Network, in Birmingham and Nina Attfield – Lustrelash in Wellingborough. For the full list of finalists visit here: This year’s awards are also supporting The Giles Trust Brain Tumour Fund, established in 2015 by former England cricketer Ashley Giles MBE and his wife Stine, who was diagnosed with three brain tumours over 12 years. The charity raises funds for research, pioneering equipment and support for patients. Photo credit: Karen Massey Photography.

Croxsons’ long-lasting partnership with Yarty, known for its unique and handmade premium cordials and vinegars, continues to evolve. The ongoing collaboration demonstrates the value the leading glass packaging firm places on aligning with brands that share its vision of excellence. And despite challenges like sourcing bottles post-Brexit and COVID-19, the relationship between both parties has thrived, ensuring a continuous supply of quality packaging. Yarty is known for creating drinks of exceptional quality, with each cordial being handmade from the finest fruits. Showcasing their commitment to craftsmanship by bottling and labelling each product by hand, their drinks are favoured at prestigious events and by corporate clients. Croxsons supplies Yarty with high-quality glass packaging in 250ml and 750ml sizes that perfectly complement Yarty’s cordials. These include the elegant 250ml mountain bottle, the 750ml soft drink bottle and the 250ml king quadra bottle for oils and vinegars. Additionally, Croxsons provides various screw caps that ensure the longevity and quality of the product. Yarty’s Violet Cordial stands out as a symbol of this partnership's success. It connects back to a historic recipe made for royalty, now enjoyed by modern consumers, including King Charles himself. Recreated for the King’s coronation in 2023, Croxsons was honoured to contribute to this tradition by supplying the necessary packaging. David Mugridge, Yarty's co-founder and marketing director, commented: "Our partnership with Croxsons is invaluable. Their commitment to quality and understanding our needs ensures that our cordials are presented beautifully, reflecting the mastery that goes into each bottle." Tim Croxson, CEO of Croxsons, added, "Working with Yarty is a testament to our shared values of tradition and quality. We are proud to supply them with packaging that meets their high standards and celebrates their artisanal products." For more information on Croxsons, visit here.

LEGO Group has been ranked as the most reputable company in the world in the annual Global RepTrak®100 survey released by the RepTrak Company™. Chief Executive Officer of the LEGO Group, Niels B. Christiansen, said: “I am very proud the LEGO Group has been named the World’s Most Reputable Company again in 2024. This is testament to the dedication of our colleagues who all play a part in building a sustainable future and a better world for our children to inherit. Together, we’re working to create positive, lasting impact and inspiring the builders of tomorrow.” This is the second consecutive year that the LEGO Group has been ranked number one, and the eighth year in a row the LEGO Group has been ranked in the top three. The Global RepTrak® report developed by the RepTrak Company™ ranks the 100 Most Reputable Companies. The report is the world’s most comprehensive reputation study, compiled for the past 13 years using RepTrak’s in-depth analysis. RepTrak gathers data from more than 230,000 ratings surrounding perception on a variety of elements of reputation, including ESG, Workplace fairness, leadership, branding, and more.

Bavaria’s Minister-President Dr. Markus Söder opened the new branch of GW in Straubing. On “Logistics Day” (“Tag der Logistik”), when the nationwide industry opens its doors every year, the Minister-President described the 14 million euro investment by Gebrüder Weiss in Straubing as: "Excellent news at a time when the Federal Government is massively jeopardizing truck logistics in Germany. CO2 prices are up, tolls have doubled, e-mobility funding has been cut." "This is damaging to such a systemically relevant industry, and once again fueling inflation. It can’t be overstated: we need forward-looking entrepreneurs and motivated employees more than ever." Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, made a clear commitment to Bavaria as a place of business: “The Free State of Bavaria offers us a good set of conditions on which we can base our plans for expansion in Germany. Over the past five years, we have invested 120 million euros in Bavaria with the aim of giving Bavarian industrial and commercial enterprises access to markets both in Germany and around the world.” "At the same time, Senger-Weiss was critical of the obstacles facing e-mobility. “E-trucks cost three times as much as diesel-powered vehicles, which is why we need a clear roadmap in Germany on the future of e-truck subsidies.” Nevertheless, his company is taking advantage of every opportunity available to transport freight in a climate-friendly way, eschewing no technology, with the aim of operating its own facilities and vehicle fleet in a climate-neutral manner by 2030. An e-truck is already stationed in Straubing for short-distance transport of general cargo. During his visit, Minister-President Söder was briefed on operating processes and procedures. Incoming goods are prepared in Straubing over an area of 3,700 square meters for forwarding in Germany, for onward transport to European countries and for air and sea freight overseas. The terminal also serves as a distribution center for the economic regions of Eastern Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate. “Our new location brings us even closer to our customers in Bavaria, to whom we offer reliable transport and logistics solutions, digital services and a direct connection to our global network. We guarantee efficient land transport from a single source with our close-knit network of locations, particularly to Austria and South-Eastern Europe,” said Wolfram Senger-Weiss. There are already plans in the works to expand the location in the coming years to include additional warehouses and handling facilities. The company is investing an eight-figure amount in expanding the Straubing location. In recent years, Gebrüder Weiss has built up a dense network of locations in southern Germany and, in addition to Straubing, has its own branches and subsidiaries in Aldingen, Altensteig, Bayreuth, Esslingen, Konradsreuth, Memmingen, Nuremberg, Passau and Waldkraiburg.

While every family business needs to plan for the future, conversations about what this means in practice aren’t always easy. The Logan family of hit TV programme Succession springs to mind as one example of how not to hand over a business from one generation to another. One of the primary strengths of family businesses, however, can lie in their long-term perspective. Family-owned enterprises often prioritise sustainability over immediate gains, whilst aiming to leave a positive legacy for future generations. Yet succession planning can be a delicate process; and planning ahead is not just needed as we get older and potentially lose the capacity to make decisions. Illnesses and accidents can change the fortunes of a business overnight. Conversations about such risks are vital to protect the long-term future of a business. Here are our three top tips for any family firm planning how to manage potential capacity issues, illness and lasting power of attorney. 1. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate The first step is to have those potentially difficult conversations that are easy to put off. When publishing a report about the families that STEP members advise, and their wealth and succession planning needs, we asked what one piece of advice they would give. Respondents overwhelmingly identified communication and, in particular, early and open conversations about planning and succession within families. This means putting aside time for everyone concerned to have an honest, open conversation about succession planning. This can avoid upset in the future, which will benefit not only those crucial family relationships but also the business and its legacy. 2. Protect Your Business With A Power Of Attorney Individuals can lose mental capacity because of dementia or sudden illness, such as a stroke. Fortunately, a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows you to nominate someone to take decisions on your behalf. There are two types: one for health and welfare matters, and another for property and financial affairs. However, it’s much less well known that an LPA can be put in place for a business. Sudden illness of the owner could have serious ramifications, so we strongly advise anyone involved in a family business to set this up. If a business owner does not have an LPA and they lose capacity, the Court of Protection will appoint a ‘deputy’ who will have the power to run the business. This process can take several months; plenty of time for the decision-making processes and daily operations of a business to fall apart. Conversely, putting a business LPA in place ensures that a person you know and trust will take the reins immediately. As with personal LPAs, it is very important to choose the right person. 3. Don’t Wait To Take Action A recent STEP survey found that the majority of solicitors and professionals have witnessed first-hand instances of actual or suspected financial abuse of a vulnerable person. A whopping 70% of STEP practitioners in the UK – including solicitors and those helping clients with estate and wealth planning – have observed instances of financial abuse or suspected financial abuse. The report also considers growing mental incapacity issues among an increasingly ageing population. Cases of dementia are set to triple by 2050. In the UK alone, there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia and The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that this will rise to 1.6 million by 2040. This underlines the importance of having an LPA in place and choosing someone you really trust. This may be a lawyer rather than a family member or friend. We urge those managing family businesses to seek expert legal advice and appoint only the most trusted family members, friends or legal professionals to act as representative. Preparing For Any Eventuality Lives can change very quickly and even the best laid plans may not cover every eventuality. If your family business needs to remove a director due to sudden illness, for instance, it’s important to navigate the process of applying to the Court of Protection to appoint a deputy. We would also welcome wider cross-border recognition of LPAs, which will benefit an increasing number of families whose assets are spread across different countries. Family businesses are a significant contributor to the global economy in terms of employment, income generation, taxes, wealth and philanthropic endeavours. They contribute significantly to both local and international economies. Logan Roy and his offspring in Succession scheme amongst each other to take over their family-owned media conglomerate, proving that it can be a messy thing being in business with family. But with strategic forward planning, it doesn’t have to be. Forward planning can ensure your business continues to flourish for generations to come. About STEP - STEP is the global professional body for inheritance advisors, with over 21,000 members in around 100 countries. STEP helps families plan for their futures, from drafting wills to issues surrounding international families, protecting the vulnerable, family businesses and philanthropic giving.

Manufacturers find recruitment challenge easing – with two thirds of companies filling the majority of their vacancies, up from 43% last quarter, but long-standing skills challenge again cited as the main barrier to securing new staff according to the latest research from Make UK. Key Findings: 83% of manufacturers attempted to recruit new staff in Q2 – and more manufacturers (67%) were able to fill most of their vacancies compared to any point since end of 2022 Biggest barriers still lack of candidates with the right skills (65.6%) followed by lack of applicants with right qualifications (31.9%) 33% of companies have increased pay to the new living wage level – a hike of A third of companies say employment costs now count for between a quarter and half of their total business expenditure The employment picture is on the whole looking a little healthier, with manufacturers across the board reporting an easing of recruitment pressures with more vacancies being filled than at any point in the last two years. However, Britain’s manufacturers are still facing the long-term skills challenges which have held businesses back from growing to their full potential for the last few years, according to Make UK’s Q2 HR Bulletin. Just over 65% of companies could not find candidates with the right technical skills needed for the roles advertised, while 31.9% of those questioned told us that they were also struggling to find people with the right qualifications. The brighter recruitment landscape is through to be as a result of a combination of reasons -with companies citing better staff retention and older workers coming back into the workforce as a contributary factor. Sickness absence has come down and is combined with lower pressure on pay demands, although 33% of businesses told us they had increased pay to the new national living wage level. More companies than ever have reported that they have fully embraced flexible working for their staff which is helping significantly with retention. Jamie Cater, Make UK’s Employment policy lead said: “While manufacturers report an easing of immediate labour shortages, long-term skills challenges remain. The Government has made welcome improvements to the apprenticeship system in recent months – not least additional funding to support high-value manufacturing courses and reduce barriers faced by SMEs." “However, there remains further to go, and a full review of the apprenticeship system – with the goal of restoring the number of manufacturing apprentices to its pre-levy high and further reducing the number of vacancies in the sector – must be a priority.”

Business activity among UK SMEs has expanded at a solid rate throughout the first quarter of the year with the NatWest SME PMI Business Activity Index recording 52.6 in March. NatWest’s index is a key indicator of the health of the UK SME economy. A PMI reading over 50.0 indicates growth or expansion, while a reading under 50.0 suggests contraction. Key Findings: Recovery in overall UK SME output supported by renewed manufacturing sector expansion Service sector remains the main growth engine Spending on more energy efficient business processes is projected to rise at a fast rate among SMEs, with 18% planning to invest in the next year and 41% within five years Over half of UK SMEs plan to invest in EV infrastructure or have already done so The recovery in overall SME output levels was driven by improving order books, with new work increasing for the fourth month running in March. Leading the way, the services sector recorded the fastest upturn in business activity in March, recording 53.2, followed by the manufacturing sector, which recorded 51.4. SME construction output meanwhile near-stabilised in March at 49.6, which also represented an improved trend after stronger declines in activity in the second half of last year. In the latest survey, SMEs reported another sharp rise in their average cost burdens, especially those in the service economy, largely due to rising salary payments and transportation costs. However, the overall rate of input price inflation was the slowest since November 2023. Efforts to alleviate margin pressures nonetheless led to the fastest rise in prices charged by SMEs since June 2023. Business activity expectations remained upbeat in March, with SMEs confidence holding close to February's two-year high. Renewable Energy Investment Plans The NatWest Sustainable Business Tracker found that there was a rise in the proportion of SMEs that have already invested in renewable energy investment plans compared to the same period in 2023. UK SMEs were most likely to report plans to invest in more energy efficient business processes over the coming 12 months. Currently, 11% of small and medium-sized enterprises have already invested, a slight uptick from the 8% recorded during the same period last year. Additionally, 18% of SMEs expect to invest within the next 12 months and the longer-term outlook is much more upbeat with 41% intending to invest within five years. The survey also found that over half of UK SMEs plan to spend on EV infrastructure or have already done so. Of all six categories monitored by the survey, the use of electric vehicles (or installation of their charging points) recorded the largest proportion of SMEs that have previously invested (18%), with an additional 29% expecting to invest within the coming five years. Sebastian Burnside, NatWest Chief Economist, said: “Businesses have shown great resilience in the face of challenging market conditions as rocketing inflation and then rising interest rates made their mark. So, it’s good to see that firms are now reporting much more muted inflationary pressures at the same time as five months of growth in a row." "When it comes to job creation, the picture is more varied. Higher levels of SME employment largely reflects greater recruitment in the service economy, while hiring trends were much more subdued in manufacturing and construction. But optimism about future activity is widely shared with both services and manufacturing registering scores of above 70.” James Holian, Head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “It’s really encouraging to see small businesses have had a strong start to the year and remain optimistic about their future growth. The recovery in output has been driven by improving order books, with new work increasing for the fourth month running in March. This suggests that falling inflation and hopes of lower interest rates is leading to an upturn in economic conditions, which is likely to support growth in the year ahead." “These findings show that over half of UK SMEs plan to spend on electric vehicle infrastructure or have already done so. As well as the environmental benefits, many businesses stand to benefit financially in the long term by transitioning their fleets." "In partnership with Diode, we are supporting our customers to access a tailored EV readiness assessment that breaks down the costs and potential return on investment of electric vehicles, so business owners can make the right decision for their individual circumstances.”

Independent family brewer Shepherd Neame has unveiled a new look for its popular Spitfire Lager. The refreshing British lager (4% ABV) now has an equally refreshing new visual identity incorporating a bespoke hand-drawn Spitfire logo emulating the vapour trails created by the iconic wartime aircraft which the beer takes its name from. It retains a Spitfire silhouette, along with a recrafted Shepherd Neame monogram inspired by its heritage as Britain’s oldest brewer, accompanied by the text ‘Kent Born’, drawing upon the provenance and quality of its centuries of brewing experience. In a first for the Faversham-based brewer and pub company, its Spitfire Lager keg lenses also have an eye-catching additional gold collar, representing the beer’s golden colour and further helping it stand out on the bar. Shepherd Neame has partnered with global creative partner, Thirst, to deliver the new look for the beer, part of the award-winning Spitfire collection which also includes Spitfire Amber and Golden Ale. Matt Burns, Executive Creative Director & Co-Founder at Thirst said: “Spitfire is a beer that not only represents the history of Britain, but also the modern credentials of the Shepherd Neame brand. It's not often a brief like this comes along and it provided Thirst with a perfect opportunity to celebrate the historic and the modern in equal measure." "With typography being the centrepiece of the new identity, we crafted a wordmark that felt fresh and interesting for a younger consumer, but with distinguishable hand finishes that offer the feeling of credible nostalgia. We evolved the colour palette to link directly to the open Kentish skies where the Spitfires once soared. The blue still feels proudly British yet through a modern lens.” Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are very proud to unveil this exciting new look for Spitfire Lager, offering a fresh, contemporary celebration of its iconic British namesake alongside the unique brewing heritage of our Kent homeland.”