Perdue Farms, through a $10,000 grant funded by the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, helped Diakonia Emergency Shelter for the homeless purchase a new security camera system at its Ocean City, Maryland, facility. The funds from Perdue’s charitable giving arm are part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities. “For the protection of our clients, staff and property, we needed to upgrade our security systems to ensure no unauthorized persons create an unsafe space for our vulnerable residents,” said Ken Argot, Diakonia Inc. executive director. “Thanks to the generosity of Perdue, we can better ensure the safety of our clients, which is a top priority.” Diakonia, now in its 51st year, is one of only five homeless shelters in Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties. Argot said it offers services such as rehousing into permanent supportive homes, street outreach and eviction prevention assistance. Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, said Diakonia is a community resource that deserves funding from the foundation. “Diakonia is a leader in helping the homeless on the Lower Shore,” she said. “The Perdue Foundation is proud to lend our support.”

The Garden Centre Association (GCA) Conference, held in Lancashire, saw Perrywood named 3rd in the Top 100 UK Garden Centre League Table, making it one of only ten ‘Garden Centres of Excellence’ in the whole of the UK – and the best in the South of England. Additionally, Perrywood Tiptree came third in the The Outdoor Living Award, third in The GIMA Award (Garden Products Retailer) and was a National Finalist in The Ruxley Rose Competition for Best Plant Area. The GCA carries out an annual unannounced inspection of all its members and uses this to compile the league table. The association adds up scores for a number of elements including customer service, merchandising, sustainability, creativity and innovation, quality and range of products and much more. This is a fantastic achievement for Perrywood and highlights the hard work of every single team member. Simon Bourne, Retail Director, comments: “To be recognised for our hard work, passion and dedication to bringing more plants into people’s lives is a real achievement. As always, we look forward to the new gardening year ahead. Continuing to be the best we can be, customers can be guaranteed some exciting new products and plants, inspiring displays and new customer initiatives in 2023, so watch this space.” Perrywood Sudbury featured in the league table for the first time, at number 40. It is an amazing achievement to have placed so highly after only four years of trading.

A UK-based fulfilment company headquartered in Scunthorpe’s Foxhill Industrial Estate is celebrating a record year of growth after shipping over £10m of products in 2022. The fast-growing shipping and fulfilment firm achieved an uplift in turnover and expanded its warehouse operations in the UK and overseas. Systemise Fulfilment now has four locations in the UK, two in the USA and one in Europe. This increase in customers, profits and outputs drove co-directors Kevin Blackburn and Kylie Thomas to make significant investments in their people and operations. The duo expanded their senior leadership team to support business growth, hiring a Head of Business Development, Head of Global Human Resources and Head of Quality Assurance, along with several other internal promotions. Systemise Fulfilment provides a one-stop solution for prep and order fulfilment needs – handling the receipt, inspection, preparation, quality control, storage, shipping, and order process for Amazon FBA and eCommerce businesses and brands. They have shipped over 4 million units for partners and customers worldwide, with an estimated sales total of over £50 million for their eCommerce partners. Kevin Blackburn, director of Systemise Fulfilment, explains: “We’ve worked hard to get the business where it is now – constantly reinvesting into our people, processes, and systems. We are lucky to have some fantastic employees, partners and supplies and could not have gotten to this point without their help. There were some challenges in 2022 – with rising costs and inflation, to name a few. But, we focused our energy on the things we could control and grew stronger as a team” “We look back with gratitude, appreciation and pride that we have had the pleasure to be involved in so many amazing stories for our partners, customers, clients, and community members.” Now the business has a team of senior expert leaders in place; Systemise Fulfilment will focus on giving eCommerce businesses and brands the ability to expand globally while also expanding its service offerings with the vast number of different platforms available such as Shopify, eBay, and even Walmart. Systemise Fulfilment will continue to help eCommerce business and brand owners with coaching, education, and tools to drive business growth through automation and strategy. In addition, they’ll seek to offer more support to worthy causes after working with The Baby Rainbow Memorial Garden and The Forge Project in 2022.

As part of a commitment to help the next generation understand the importance of agriculture, Perdue Farms has awarded a $5,000 grant to Agriculture in the Classroom in Virginia through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities. “Agriculture in the Classroom’s latest project, Ag 24/7, seeks to educate students and the nonfarming public about the many ways their lives are touched each day by agricultural products and by-products,” said Tammy Maxey, executive director for the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. “Through this project, children will not only understand that most of life’s necessities can be traced back to the farm but will also gain knowledge on the modern farming practices that make it possible to feed the world.” Maxey said the grant would be used to design a poster and produce a video that show the impact of Virginia’s poultry industry and facts about poultry farming. “One of AITC’s goals is to emphasize the impact on the communities where Perdue’s employees work and live on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and in Rockingham County,” she explained. “In our 2020-2021 fiscal year, AITC reached more 1 million children in Virginia with our educational resources. This fiscal year, AITC has committed to connecting 100 percent of Virginia’s children to agriculture.” Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, said Agriculture in the Classroom provides important information. “As part of our ongoing commitment to education, Perdue is thrilled to continue to help Virginia schools reach students through the Ag in the Classroom curriculum,” said Nechay. “It brings a unique opportunity to expose students to the importance of agriculture, including understanding about where much of our food comes from and the industry’s impact in the region.”

Rising inflation, increased geopolitical risks and talent shortages all form part of the perfect storm facing business over the next 12 months. Business leaders must maintain a dual focus on short-term priorities to survive, and longer-term priorities to thrive, according to HLB’s annual Survey of Business Leaders 2023. This year’s research explored how businesses across the world are grappling with a series of ‘low-probability, high-impact’ events. KEY FINDINGS: 82% see inflation as the top risk to business with 35% naming talent acquisition as the primary weakness they need to improve this year. Almost half (48%) of business leaders are focusing on operational efficiencies while at the same time investing to innovate and grow. Flexibility is seen as the top leadership behaviour in times of crisis, followed by integrity and accountability. 51% are rethinking their ESG responsibilities but there is still a way to go for business leaders to embrace the opportunities of effective ESG. 52% plan to accelerate new technology adoption to improve workforce productivity. Respondents identified AI (50%), cloud (47%), and renewable energy technologies (40%) as the most important for businesses over the next 5 years. Marco Donzelli, HLB Global CEO said: “The pandemic coupled with the knock-on effects of the War in Ukraine has challenged the resilience and agility of companies, with many having to swiftly adapt their strategy, business model and ways of working. What is clear from the research is that stakeholders demand that a company guides the way forward with a flexible mindset based on a clearly defined purpose and a strong emphasis on ESG matters.” Through almost 600 responses from over 60 countries, HLB looked at some of the critical leadership behaviours needed during a crisis, the type of actions CEOs should prioritise for 2023, and the benefits of longer-term thinking for future success. Corporate Agility The findings show that flexibility is the top leadership trait needed in times of crisis and must be seen in areas such as talent acquisition, digital capabilities, and supply chain management. 47% are focusing on short-term and longer-term priorities simultaneously. Almost half of business leaders are juggling operational efficiencies for today with investing to innovate and grow for tomorrow. Fostering Credibility And Trust Integrity is the second highest rated leadership behaviour selected by respondents in our survey. Leaders must be credible to foster trust among their stakeholders. 69% agree that they have clearly defined, communicated purpose and 43% are making progress on their journey to become carbon neutral over the next five years. Sustainable Thinking Accountability is the third highest-ranking essential behaviour for successful leadership in times of crisis. Leaders surveyed are well along the maturity curve towards a more purpose-led business strategy and are looking to redefine ESG goals. Among our survey respondents, 15% claim to be entirely purpose-led and 37% try to meet wider stakeholder expectations in their ESG goals. Yet, our data also suggests that not all leaders are as committed. 40% of respondents only do what is required by regulators. 8% disregard ESG entirely, rather than use it as an opportunity to innovate and grow. Check out the full research findings here:

Cargill today announced it has been named a winner in the 2023 BIG Innovation Awards presented by the Business Intelligence Group. Cargill Wins 2022 BIG Innovation Award Cargill is uniquely positioned to lead the transformation of our food and agriculture system to help address many of the world’s most pressing needs – from supply chain continuity to climate action and food security. “Challenges are getting bigger and the time to solve them shorter,” said Florian Schattenmann, Cargill’s chief technology officer and vice president of Research & Development and Innovation. “That’s why our team is constantly focused on innovative solutions and we’re thrilled to receive this recognition.” The company leverages more than a century of experience to innovate solutions to big, global challenges including: In 2021, Cargill launched Cargill RegenConnect, a marketplace that pays farmers for improved soil health, positive environmental outcomes and for each metric ton of carbon sequestered. Cargill created a mobile, artificial intelligence-based platform, Digital Saathi, designed to improve farm management practices for farmers in India where farm productivity is as low as 35%-50% compared to global benchmarks. Cargill has created a portfolio of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to help farmers raise healthier chickens, including GalleonTM Broiler Microbiome Intelligence, which uses statistical analysis and AI to help farmers decode the gut microbiome of their flock, translating into better health outcomes. In spring 2022, Cargill launched Chekt, a new, innovative food locker system piloted inside PPG Arena in Pittsburgh. Developed in partnership with Aramark, the system enables fans to use their phones to place an order and select their pickup location inside the stadium while signalling to concession personnel to prepare the order. “Innovation is ‘business critical’ in today’s society,” said Maria Jimenez, chief operating officer of the Business Intelligence Group. “We are thrilled to be honouring Cargill as they are leading by example and improving the lives of so many.” Organizations from across the globe submitted their recent innovations for consideration in the BIG Innovation Awards. Nominations were then judged by a select group of business leaders and executives who volunteer their time and expertise to score submissions.

In late 2022, GreenGas completed installation of equipment at Perdue’s operations in Lewiston, North Carolina to capture the methane from the operation’s onsite wastewater treatment facility and convert it to renewable natural gas (RNG). Through GreenGas’ partnership with large food producers, industrial, and manufacturing companies all across the United States, the pipeline-grade RNG is transported from Perdue’s Lewiston operation to a GreenGas RNG pipeline interconnection hub, where it is injected into existing pipelines and made available to their customers. A leading provider of renewable energy solutions, GreenGas helps farmers, food processors, and industrial manufacturers capture greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations. Through wastewater optimization and anaerobic digestion, the company converts waste streams into RNG, which is used by their customers as a zero- and negative-carbon fuel source to offset and reduce fossil fuel consumption. In the first two months of this project with Perdue, over 10,500 metric tons of CO2e were captured and converted to RNG. This is the GHG equivalent of eliminating 1,181,500 gallons of gasoline being consumed. “The Lewiston project has been a huge success for RNG development in the agriculture and food processing space, and a wonderful partnership with Perdue. We are excited to help accelerate Perdue’s sustainability journey by reducing emissions of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases, and condition it to a valuable renewable fuel for end-users. The people, integrity, and collaboration at Perdue made this project the success that we are celebrating today,” said CEO and Founder of GreenGasUSA, Marc Fetten. A family-owned, vertically integrated food and agriculture company, Perdue Farms partners with more than 2,600 farmers in North Carolina growing poultry and grain, contributing significantly to the state’s agribusiness industry. “Through this high-impact initiative in North Carolina, we’ve initially reduced Perdue’s companywide carbon emissions by 17 percent, and expect that number to grow considerably over time,” said Drew Getty, Perdue Farms vice president of environmental sustainability and government relations. “Working with like-minded partners like GreenGas, we’re able to accelerate our environmental efforts and continue reducing the impact of our operations.”

Perdue Farms is supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County in Mount Vernon, Wash., with a $10,000 grant funded through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation to promote healthy lifestyles. The donation from Perdue’s charitable giving arm is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities. Mount Vernon is home to Draper Valley Farms and its portfolio of local chicken brands ROXY®, RANGER®, and DRAPER VALLEY FARMS®. Perdue Farms is the parent company of Draper Valley Farms. The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs is to help young people, “especially those who need us most, reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens,” said Ian Faley, chief development officer and executive vice president, noting the organization operates nine clubs that serve more than 5,000 youths in Skagit County. “We’re grateful to Perdue Farms for their continued support of our programming.” Boys & Girls Clubs will use the Perdue Foundation grant for its Healthy Lifestyles & Healthy Habits program, which “engages our youth in constructive activities that stress the importance of healthy eating, maintaining a balanced diet and practicing self-control when making choices and decisions,” Faley said. Healthy Lifestyles focuses on practical cooking skills and understanding the role of agriculture locally and nationally, he said. The program will outline the benefits of exercise and practicing good eating habits. Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation, applauded the work of Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County. “Boys & Girls Clubs does a fabulous job mentoring young people in Skagit County,” she said. “Our foundation is happy to provide this grant for its Healthy Habits & Healthy Lifestyles program.”

Rising fuel and energy prices puts over half of UK small businesses at risk of collapse according to the latest report from Simply Business. KEY FINDINGS: Over half (54%) of SME owners say rising fuel and energy costs are one of their greatest threats to survival A third (36%) say that tax and national insurance hikes are the greatest concern As a result, three in five (59%) small business owners are calling on the government to review or reduce the energy price cap and a fifth (21%) state the VAT cut needs to be reviewed or extended. A survey of over 1,000 UK small businesses has revealed that rising fuel and energy costs is now believed to be one of the greatest threats to SME survival in 2022. The SME Insights Report, published by small business insurance provider Simply Business, also found that one third (36%) stated tax and national insurance hikes are their greatest concern. The report found that 70% of SME owners say that rising costs across the board are their biggest challenge this year. Half (49%) said that they are set to increase their prices in an attempt to offset increased expenditure. One in five (21%) intend to raise prices by 6-10%, and for almost one in 10 owners (7%), these increases could be as much as 20%. As a result, three in five (59%) small business owners are calling on the government to review or reduce the energy price cap. One fifth (21%) state that the VAT cut needs to be reviewed or extended, and over one in 10 (12%) feel that the government should review or reduce national insurance. While the energy price caps do not apply to businesses directly, millions of small business owners are still experiencing increased energy bills at a time when costs are rising in most operational areas. At the same time, with a substantial number of households affected by rising energy bills, consumer purchasing power is going down as people cut back on non-essential spending. SMEs in food and drink, hospitality and retail are most at risk, decreasing revenue and income for small business owners still in the vital post-pandemic recovery period. Wider Threats To SME Survival Looking at wider challenges, the report also found that a fifth (22%) of SMEs state a lack of funds or access to credit could lead to closure this year. Greatest threats to SME survival: Rising fuel and energy costs – 54% Tax and national insurance hikes – 36% Lack of funds or access to credit – 22% Marketing and the ability to find customers – 26% Recovering from pandemic related losses – 18% 87% of small business owners lost an average of £20,981 each over the last two years, with many still suffering financially. The total cost of Covid-19 now sits at £109.6 billion – with one in six (16%) believing they will never recover financially from the pandemic. Green Shoots Of Confidence Three in five (62%) owners believe that the economy is set to worsen over the next six months. Despite this, many SME owners remain confident in their business’ ability to weather the storm. This level of confidence is a stark contrast to levels reported during the pandemic, when in September 2020, one in five (17%) predicted that their business wouldn’t survive another lockdown. Almost two years on, a third (34%) now say they’re more confident about their business’ prospects than 6-12 months ago, with 71% very confident about their business prospects in 2022. Analysing the report, Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at King’s College London, said: “Apart from raising prices, the main response to these adverse pressures from businesses is likely to be to simply hunker down, reduce costs where possible, and get on with it: that is, to pause expansion plans and, for those with employees, to cut back on hiring, hoping that conditions will improve over the coming year. The crucial factor here is likely to be consumer confidence and consumer demand. This has clearly taken a severe hit in recent months, but may recover if inflation reduces and real incomes return to growth.” “What can the government do to help? Fuel and energy prices are by far the largest concern, and here the key drivers are global. However, UK conditions have been aggravated by both Brexit and the recent fall in the pound, which further pushes up energy prices, as well as by the operation of the energy market and the price cap. Nor does the disconnect between the Prime Minister’s call for a ‘high wage, high productivity’ economy and the insistence that workers have to accept large cuts in real wages help to improve consumer and business confidence. While UK businesses remain resilient in the face of further economic turmoil, they need and deserve a more coherent longer-term strategy for the UK economy.” Alan Thomas, UK CEO at Simply Business, said: “Many small business owners are at breaking point – feeling the crippling pressure of rising costs, energy and fuel prices, alongside their ongoing recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic.” “Our SME Insights Report is a clear indication that small business owners want and need government support, with three in five calling for a review or reduction of the energy price cap.” “In the meantime, whilst the energy price caps do not apply to businesses, owners are seeing their energy bills increase overall. The surging cost of fuel and energy, alongside the overall rising cost of living, will understandably see households cut back on non-essential spending. There is a domino effect in place. The impact to consumer purchasing behaviour will trickle through to the books of small business owners, at a time when SMEs need our support the most.” “The latest rate rise also came with a clear recession warning, and poses a serious risk to many small businesses. Sole traders and microbusinesses will feel the pressure more than most. This all comes at a time when many are still in recovery mode. One in six believe they will never financially recover from the pandemic. As a result, two in five owners are calling for long-lasting financial support from the government to help them get back on their feet after Covid-19.” “Accounting for over 99% of all UK businesses and contributing trillions of pounds in turnover every year, small businesses sit at the heart of our communities and are vital to our economy. And while it’s encouraging that the majority remain optimistic about their businesses chances, it’s clear that owners need support to weather the pressure of rising costs.”

Over the last two years, Perrywood Tiptree and Perrywood Sudbury have raised a grand total of £45,000 for local charities, schools and community projects. Every two years, Perrywood choose local charities or community groups to support. In 2021/2, £35,000 was raised for Abberton Rural Training, Together We Grow, Colchester Hospital, ActivLives and Greenfingers. Fundraising activities by the Perrywood team and customers included an afternoon tea party, charity quizzes, prize draws and team Christmas jumper days, and tours and talks to gardening and community groups. The Tiptree Coffee Shop & Restaurant team donated their tips to the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Thanks to the generous tips from customers, they raised £9,720, which went towards equipment at Colchester Hospital. An additional £10,000 was gifted in plant donations, gardening equipment and raffle prizes to other local charities, schools and community projects during 2022. Hannah Powell, Communications and HR Director at Perrywood, comments: “The last couple of years have been challenging for charities, so to raise this much money for them whilst households have been understandably tightening their belts has been amazing. We would like to say a huge thank you to all our customers and our team for their ongoing support. It’s only with their help and enthusiasm that this terrific amount has been possible.” “In 2023/24, we will continue to support Abberton Rural Training to deliver land-based courses to different groups, including those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and isolated and Greenfingers who build beautiful gardens for children’s hospices.” “We also look forward to working with two new charities. Hope for Tomorrow provides mobile cancer care clinics across Essex and Suffolk. The Red Rose Community Farm at Sudbury deliver befriending schemes and support for adults with learning disabilities and need help as they transition to their new site in Lindsey near Sudbury.”

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.”