Perdue truckers and associates joined community volunteers to renew a 37-year Operation Teddy Bear tradition to deliver a little holiday cheer to residents of the Holy Center, a State of Maryland residential facility for people with mental and physical disabilities. The event aligns with the company’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities. Operation Teddy Bear enables Holly Center residents to take a ride in a big rig with one of Perdue’s professional truck drivers. The caravan of trucks, adorned with holiday decorations, navigates residents on an 11-mile loop in Wicomico County, beginning and ending at the Holy Center. “Operation Teddy Bear really serves to kick off the holiday season for Perdue and its drivers,” said Chairman Jim Perdue. “Events like this really showcase the heart and soul of our drivers, and illustrate a commitment to giving back, including those members of the community who volunteer their time each year to help make this event possible.” Operation Teddy Bear was inspired by the 1976 song “Teddy Bear” recorded by country music artist the late Red Sovine. The song tells the story of a CB radio conversation between a trucker and a housebound disabled boy who desperately wants a ride in a rig after his father, a trucker, has been killed. At the end of the song the trucker goes to pick up the boy to give him a ride and finds the boy’s street clogged with rigs and drivers who heard the conversation over the radio. After hearing Sovine’s song, two Perdue associates were inspired to launch the Operation Teddy Bear program at Perdue to help the residents of the Holly Center. Since the program’s inception, Perdue associates and truck drivers have been volunteering every year to provide rides residents. “There’s nothing better than seeing the smiling faces of the residents during their rides,” said Hal Belote, who looks forward to the event each year.

With demand for Stage V pumpsets outstripping the supply chains of all European pump manufacturers, GAP Group (GAP) and DXB Integrate Limited (DXBi) have agreed for GAP to purchase the existing fleet of high head and high flow DXBi 200mm sewage pumpsets to service the rapidly expanding hire demand from GAP’s customers. The pumpsets being bought from DXBi are identical to the 200mm pumpsets that GAP bought from DXBi in 2022, and will instantly add 40% more to the GAP fleet. This allows the hire company to support the demands for clean engine pumpsets on major projects stipulating Stage V. All the 200mm pumpsets have been designed and manufactured by DXB Pump & Power, the manufacturing division of the DXB Group that has supplied almost 150 Stage V pumpsets to GAP over the last 12 months, enabling them to make a huge impact in the UK’s water industry. Mark Anderson, GAP’s Managing Director for the North commented, “We have seen a good deal of trouble-free success with these 200mm pumpsets powered by Stage V engines, and by purchasing the existing DXBi 200mm fleet, it allows us to quickly fill the growing demand that may have been impacted by engine deliveries, which have always been challenging.” He continued “DXB have done well to supply us around 150 pumpsets this year whilst building their new factory at the same time, which we know was a major challenge in these economic conditions. This purchase enables us to keep driving forward aggressively whilst we wait for the next round of pumpsets which we should have in Q1 2023.” Simon Ruffles, Managing Director of DXB Integrate said “GAP Pump Services is now a major player in the UK pump industry, having only started in 2021, and this is great credit to Mark and his business for having the vision to see the environmental opportunity of Stage V, or electric dryprime pumpsets and committing to it so aggressively.” He continued, “GAP is now the leader in the market in terms of Stage V pumpsets by far and this investment works for both companies, allowing DXBi to focus on more niche market applications such as the high pressure quarrying or oil & gas applications, and the very challenging geotechnical markets where our most recent fleet investments have been made.”

The scale of transformation and challenge since the pandemic is triggering sweeping changes to succession in family businesses, finds research by KPMG Private Enterprise. The commitment to family ownership is steadfast, with more than seven in 10 family business leaders (72%) intending that their children take on the business when they retire. But the succession plans at four in 10 have changed since the pandemic, resulting in more prominent roles for the next generation at nearly a third of family firms (31%). Family businesses look to next generation to drive change. Key Findings: Pandemic grew the role of the next generation in nearly a third of family firms Seven in 10 family business owners intend their offspring to run the business when they retire Four in 10 family businesses changed their succession plans as a result of the pandemic Biggest threat to family firms, cited by sixty percent, is impact of cost of living crisis on consumer demand The research shows a tale of two halves as some family businesses have accelerated succession plans while others have decelerated or even reversed them. At a third of those whose succession plans changed (30%) the impact is an earlier than previously planned step back from the business by leadership. At four in 10 the next generation have become more involved in the management, though not taking over the leadership. Nearly half, (46%) fear that managing succession on top of other risks is too much change at once and have delayed retirement or leaned back in to the business. Mark Essex, director in KPMG’s Family Business team, comments: “Succession in family firms has never been such a hot topic. Many plans have changed since the pandemic and in different directions. In many cases tech-based change has been the reason for the next gen to step up swiftly as their skills became critical to the success and survival of their businesses. Looking ahead a year or two, given the retirements that were postponed or reversed during the pandemic, we can expect to see another uptick in the next generation taking the reins, due to pent up demand for stepping back by the current generation of leadership.” The research, undertaken by OnePoll on behalf of KPMG, also finds six in ten family businesses (61%) consider a collapse in consumer demand as a result of the cost of living crisis to be their greatest threat, followed by a fifth (22%) citing concerns about input cost rises and other supply chain issues. The UK economy is critical to the sector, given the domestic market is the biggest opportunity for more than half (55%). The fact that a third of family firms (30%) anticipate their growth to be driven by products developed in the last 12 months is evidence of transformation, begun during the pandemic and uncovered by KPMG’s 2021 Mastering a Comeback report which found family businesses were 42% more likely to implement a transformation strategy than non family businesses. Further transformation is anticipated in the sector; nearly one in five current family business leaders (18%) expect their company to be a quite different enterprise in the longer term, focused on new products or markets. As family businesses respond to current economic challenges and their transformation programmes deliver a new normal, KPMG Private Enterprise launches The Family Business Leadership Academy , in partnership with the University of Leeds, to help the new-in-role now generation and the next generation to successfully run their family businesses. The 30 week course, of virtual and in-person teaching, begins early 2023 to equip new and aspiring family business owners and managers with leadership, stewardship and commercial skills. Mark adds: “The world the next generation of family business leaders inherit is fundamentally different from even three years ago, let alone the time their previous generation took over. We see a need to augment lessons passed on by previous leaders with insight from world class academics and peers. Nearly four in 10 family business leaders told us they turn to peers for advice and support. At the Family Business Leadership Academy, we hope learners will form bonds with fellow next generation leaders which may prove to be lifelong trusted relationships.” Julia Bennell, Dean of Leeds University Business School, says: “After years of educating business professionals this is the first time we have developed a syllabus specifically for future family business leaders. It blends academic rigour with business mentorship, designed to provide them with the tools needed in order to run resilient businesses.” Further Findings From KPMG’s Research: 90% of family businesses have a member of the ownership family in the management team Seven in 10 (69%) of family businesses have a succession plan The pandemic led 15% of family businesses to seek external talent as they needed skills that were not available in the family Six in ten family business leaders (61%) expect their company stay broadly the same in the longer term 13 percent are unsure about their company’s future, and can foresee the business closing due to economic challenges Only 7 percent expect to have to sell the business in the long term due to lack of appetite for running it from the next generation Four in 10 family business leaders (43%) use the other family members in the business as confidents with 37% turning to other family business leaders for support 1 in 5 family members have never worked outside family business though on average they work for four years outside before joining the family enterprise On average family members work in the business for five year before taking a leadership position but one in 10 become leaders after just one year in the firm

GAP Group’s Head Office has moved premises to Citypoint 2, located at 25 Tyndrum Street, G4 0JY, on the northern periphery of Glasgow City Centre, visible from the M8 Motorway when travelling from east to west. Due to significant growth over the last few years, the hire company has outgrown their previous premises at Carrick Street, at which they were based for 30 years, with the new property being twice the size of the previous. Following the acquisition of the property in 2021, the UK’s largest family-owned hire company has made the move to a bright new office, occupying four floors of the 38,836 sq ft office space, which has been extensively refurbished to Grade A quality at a cost in excess of £2.5m. GAP currently employs almost 2,000 people operating from 175 locations across the UK, with a turnover of £240 million. GAP worked with industry leading suppliers to create an office that is slick, modern and bright, including: 1. Advanced Building Contractors – Main Contractors 2. MacKinnon & Co – Project Management 3. AKD – Electricians 4. AVOne Solutions – Audio Visual Solutions 5. Studio 42 Design – Interior Design 6. Troop Bywaters + Anders – Mechanical and Electrical Consultant 7. Clarke Signs – Signage 8. DT Gen – Generator Install 9. Wagstaff – Furniture Provider Douglas Anderson, joint Managing Director, commented: “During Covid many office workers experienced home working for the first time. Encouraging staff to return to the office can sometimes be challenging, however post-Covid, company efficiency coupled with employee mental health requires a return to the office for all. For this to happen the office must be a place where people want to come back to, and I believe we have achieved exactly that at Citypoint 2.” GAP Group has made significant investment in expansion over the past year with the opening of seven brand-new depots including Tilbury, Caerphilly and Derby, with plans for a further depot opening, in Norwich, in the new year. The hire company also plans to build a new depot located in Bournemouth in early 2023. GAP Group provides products and services from 10 specialist divisions, including our latest addition, Pump Services. The Group is eager to continue to introduce further specialist divisions across the industry.

Get inspired by the traditional apple drink enjoyed by generations of West Country Wassail revellers with the new cider from the Thatchers Cider Barn range. Thatchers Spiced Apple Cider is a traditional apple cider infused with the flavour of warming spices, creating a smooth, rich, full flavoured cider. Crafted from a blend of British bittersweet apples from their West Country orchards including Dabinett and Tremlett’s Bitter, the taste of cinnamon, cloves and ginger bring a sweet and warming character to this 4.0% Somerset cider, balanced with spicy citrus notes. “Spiced Apple has been inspired by the traditional style of rich, round, warming cider enjoyed by generations at West Country Wassail ceremonies. Apple and cinnamon is a classic combination, and there’s good reason for that – the fruity sweetness and spice balance perfectly,” says Head Cider Maker Richard Johnson. The Wassail is a traditional ceremony held in January that sees revellers celebrate the orchards and bless the trees for a healthy crop of apples that year. Mulled, spicy cider was traditionally served to help keep out the winter cold. This cider can be served chilled but try adding a splash of rum and warming through for a delicious mulled cider.

Perdue Farms and the Harry K Foundation joined the Food Bank of Delaware in its annual “Holidays For All” tradition to deliver more than 400 meal boxes and Perdue chicken roasters to children and families in partnership with local schools ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Perdue’s support is part of the company’s “Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors®” outreach focused in part on hunger relief and improving quality of life and building strong communities where its associates live and work, and beyond. “It’s partnerships like this that provide a perfect way to give back to so many of our neighbors who struggle with putting a meal on the table this time of year,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “I am grateful for two valuable partners in the Harry K Foundation and Perdue who share our vision of a community free of hunger.” In Delaware, more than 93,000 people are facing hunger, including one in seven children, according to Food Bank of Delaware data. The Harry K Foundation’s support of “Holidays for All” is part of a larger year-round commitment to ending hunger. “For most of us, it’s hard to comprehend how many of our Delaware neighbours, including children go hungry every day,” said Harry Keswani, founder of the Harry K Foundation. “Our partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware and Perdue Farms brings our vision to end childhood hunger to life.” Perdue, the Food Bank of Delaware and the Harry K Foundation volunteers helped pack and load the food boxes and chicken into vehicles from various school that picked up the boxes at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Milford branch. Boxes were filled with a variety of shelf stable items and a Perdue chicken roaster completed the holiday meal. “Hunger does not take a break around the holidays, and we know for many Delawareans it’s a daily struggle. It takes all of us as a community to help meet the needs of those struggling to put a meal on the table,” said Bill See, senior manager of community relations for Perdue Farms. “At Perdue, we are thrilled to join the Food Bank of Delaware and the Harry K Foundation to deliver a little hope to our neighbours.”

Hiring staff is a key component in growing your family business and as your business grows, you will start to develop your own on boarding practices. Crucially however, you must ensure that you are aware of, and carry out, right to work checks on all new joiners. Right to work checks need to be completed on all new hires regardless of an individual’s nationality or whether they are related to you or anyone else in the business. They must also take place before your new hire starts work. The onus of carrying out these checks falls on the business owner, or if available, an HR professional or consultant. We spoke to by Lisa Uttley, immigration solicitor at Gherson Solicitors LLP to find out more. If you are carrying out right to work checks, and more importantly, carrying them out correctly, your business will be protected from liability in the event that you do hire any individual who turns out not to be legally employable in the UK. Failing to carry out right to work checks altogether and/or incorrectly can expose you to severe penalties that could prove to have a very negative effect hit on your business. Home Office fines can reach up to £20,000 per illegal worker, for example. Recent Changes The Home Office is responsible for designing right to work check policies and recently have made a number of changes to how checks must be carried out. COVID-19 concessions ended on 30 September 2022, and on 1 October 2022 the ‘new’ right to work regime came into force. Historically, right to work checks have been a source of confusion for business owners and HR professionals alike due to a lack of streamlined guidance from the Home Office. The changes introduced on 1 October 2022 left those undertaking the checks to pick from one of three following types: Online Right to Work Service (ORWS) You must use this service where your new hire holds a valid Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), Biometric Residence Card (BRC), Frontier Worker Permit, or e-visa (for example, under the EU Settlement Scheme). The ORWS cannot be used on British citizens or Irish nationals. Using the ORWS has two parts. Firstly, you must request for your new hire to generate and send you a unique share code. Their most recent Home Office approval letter will provide guidance on how they can do this. Then, once you have received your employee’s share code, it needs to be inputted via the relevant ORWS website for employers, along with the employee’s date of birth. If your new hire has the right to work in the UK, this will display immediately on screen, including a summary of the types of work that they are allowed to do in the UK and for how long they are able to work. Online Employer Checking Service (ECS) You must use this service where your new hire has a pending immigration application with the Home Office and they are therefore unable to use the ORWS described above due to not possessing a valid BRP/BRC/e-visa etc. By using the ECS, you are seeking confirmation of the individual’s right to start employment directly from the Home Office, meaning that you will not get an immediate response. Manual Checks Manual checks can only be completed on British citizens or Irish nationals holding valid passports. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office had introduced flexibility for employers to complete manual checks over video call and for scans of immigration documents to be accepted. These flexible measures have now been revoked, so in order to manually check a British/Irish national’s right to work, you must have them physically attend your offices with their original valid passport for your verification. Third Party Checks The Home Office has introduced ‘certified digital identity service providers’, also known as IDSPs, into the right to work process. They can undertake the checks on an employer’s behalf. IDSPs are Home Office-authorised private companies who will charge a business to undertake checks on their behalf. This does not shift the liability for incorrectly undertaken checks to the IDSP, which will remain with the business, as will any penalties. Ultimately, whilst the new right to work check regime might feel daunting now, taking the time to familiarise yourself with how it works and staying up to date will put you in good stead for ensuring your business complies with all relevant laws and can confidently grow its employee numbers in the future.

We are delighted to announce that Jason Rockett of Potter Space has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Champion of Change & Innovation Family Business Steward Potter Space is a family-owned business with five business parks across the UK. Each is connected by road or rail to major business arteries, offering links to the UK’s key cities and ports. They are home to over 40 businesses occupying 1.6 million square feet across a range of commercial properties including warehouse space, factories, offices and small business lets and they also have the capability to build bespoke warehousing on their extensive land portfolio. "In over 50 years of business, building good relationships and supporting customers has been at the heart of Potter Space. Jason is the non-family Managing Director and is overseeing the next phase of the Potter Space journey bringing a wealth of experience and ideas to the table. His leadership is inspiring the next phase of the development of the business and he is well deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that John Tordoff of JCT600 has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Family Business Ambassador Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader With a history that stretches back more than 75 years, JCT600 has come an incredibly long way since it started life as a single garage on Sticker Lane in Bradford. Four generations later, and JCT600 remains a proud family business, despite now being one of UK’s largest and most highly respected motor retailers. JCT600 represents 24 of the world’s most iconic brands at more than 50 locations throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, and the North East, and yet its ambition remains the same as ever – to be the best, not necessarily the biggest. John is an inspirational leader and presides over a business that has family values at its core with the values permeating all aspects of the business where every member of staff lives and breathes their values, delivering magic moments to customers and their fellow colleagues. "This business has come so far from the days when it started out as a single garage which is due to the incredible leadership, vision and ambition which has created a culture of empowerment and growth, all supported by family values, history and heritage. John is a fantastic ambassador for the family business sector, Yorkshire and the broader business community and thoroughly deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Richard Wilsdon of Britcab Ltd has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Co-founding the business back in 2007, Richard has played an integral part in the establishment and progression of Britcab Ltd, helping the company grow from just 3 people around the table in 2007 to three sites, £10 million turnover and 50 employees today. "Richard is a leader that inspires others and is constantly pushing and encouraging the team to progress and develop further. Richard applies a humanistic approach to business, embracing his leadership role wholeheartedly and continues to be an inspiring example to those around him and he totally deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Jane Knapp of Phillips Brothers (Woodshavings) Ltd has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Family Business Steward Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Established in 1894, Phillips Brothers Wood Shavings have been providing wood shavings and sawdust throughout the Southeast of England for over 125 years. They are regarded as experts in the supply of high-quality horse bedding and poultry bedding particularly in Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. As a company, they have over 125 years of experience and 5 generations of knowledge. Jane is a director in the business and has successfully helped the business evolve and grow, engaging the next generation and setting the business on the next chapter of its journey. Jane is a leader that leads from the front and has created a team around her to continue the long-standing success that the business has become, exploring new opportunities for growth and continuing to invest in the people and the business. "Jane is a great advocate of the family business sector too and thoroughly deserving of her place in the Family Business Top 100."

For the sixth year running, GAP Group are sponsoring youth teams throughout the UK and are delighted to be sponsoring more teams than ever for our sixth year. The teams which selected for sponsorship for this year are: Boldmere St Michaels FC – Under 14s football team who play in the Derby City Football League. Bronte Barbarians ARLFC – Under 14s rugby team who play in the Premier League, the top division of Girls Rugby League. Falkirk 2008s – Under 15s football team who play in the West Lothian Association of Youth Football Club, Under 15s A Division. Isla Thistle – Under 12s football team, playing in the Central SWFL League. Leicester Lions Speedway Team – Speedway racing who competes in the National Development League. Leon Henderson Racing – Junior kart racing who competes in the Motorsport UK British Rotax Championships. Newmains United FC – Football team who play in the Central Lanarkshire Youth Football Association. Rayleigh Harriers – Under 11s football team who play in the Essex Girls League. Rhos Aelwyd FC – Under 7s football team who play in the Wrexham & District Junior Football League. Thatto Heath Crusaders – Under 13s rugby team who play in the North West Counties Junior Rugby League. Waterhead Warriors ARLFC – Under 11s rugby team who play in the North West Counties League. Running youth sports is not an easy job, and GAP is thrilled to be able to help out these deserving teams. The funding allows them to cover costs during the season including kits, equipment, and hire and maintenance of ground and pitches. At GAP we are delighted to be cheering the teams on. We will keep in regular contact with them throughout each of their seasons and hope to share their experiences.