Jutexpo owner’s have announced a restructure in the shareholding with their Chinese partners now taking a stake in the business. After a five year partnership through their HALT Alliance with manufacturing partners in China, Baichuan (Best Trade Group Limited) and FeiFei (Lai Guang Zhou), Barrie and Sam Turner, owners of Warwickshire based Jutexpo have announced the Chinese firms will become shareholders in their business. Baichuan are the converter of used post-consumer plastic bottles to yarn, and ultimately the fabric we use of various standards and qualities. FeiFei are the manufacturers of the finished products, with each product being made from recycled plastic bottles. Chairman of Jutexpo, Barrie Turner has said: “In the true sense we become an international business, with a strong technical base, both at the core of the raw material, and in our product range. As senior shareholder/Chairman of this exciting company, I believe that taking this cooperative step is good for all staff, bankers, customers and our suppliers. Moreover, the blend of ownership underpins expansion and security – leaving the business free to concentrate on developing the range of unique products we supply.” Sam Turner, Managing Director of Jutexpo added: “We are very excited to welcome our Chinese partners into the business, working collaboratively with them on the bottles to bags over the past 5 years has added to our success and this next stage in our business will shake up the reusable bag sector.” “What we are most excited about is being able to take the first steps in reducing the globablisation of the industry, and reducing the manufacturing process for our clients. Decreasing the current 3-5 month lead time to just a couple of weeks. This will be a gamechanger for our clients in the retail sector over the next couple of years.” Lai Guang Zhou, FeiFei: “It’s our great honour to be a partner of Jutexpo alongside Baichuan. Our cooperation gives me further confidence in our vision of preventing waste. By taking this next step, we aim to make even greater contributions to environmental sustainability.” Feipeng Zhang, Baichuan: “Our relationship with Jutexpo and Fei Fei has exemplified the idea of ‘doing well by doing good’. The nature of our work means our business will only thrive by helping people make greener choices, and our newly deepened partnership will undoubtedly help us achieve this goal.” Jutexpo are the UK market leader in reusable bags and products made with rPET (from post-consumer plastic bottles), along with Jute, Juco, Cotton, and their core principle is ‘Beyond the bag’ which focuses on integrity through ethical production, social responsibility, quality and trust. Supplying clients such as Sainsbury’s Waitrose, John Lewis, Tesco and Marks & Spencer.

Business owners often underestimate the impact their death or incapacity will have on the short‑term continuation of their business. Estate planning practitioners are used to advising on long‑term succession strategy, but short‑term day‑to‑day practical implications are often ignored. Here, Hayden Bailey of Boodle Hatfield sets out the advantages of a business having an emergency board plan (‘EBP’). Drafting An EBP An emergency board plan (EBP) to deal with immediate management decisions in the event of a sudden absence can be a useful tool for estate practitioners and can focus the business owner’s mind on an area that might otherwise be overlooked as unimportant and generating unnecessary costs. An EBP is a non‑binding document that sets out a protocol for decision making in the event that the business owner is not available, either through incapacity or death. What To Include An EBP will likely cover a wide range of areas, including how to manage the announcement of the death or incapacity, both internally and externally. It is crucial that communications to staff show that there is a clear, predetermined emergency plan that is being implemented. Another vitally important part of this is keeping key customers and investors informed as to what is happening. The EBP will establish a protocol to deal with immediate pressure areas, such as bank loans, financing, debt management, cash‑flow issues and cheque‑signing authority. The plan might name trusted friends or advisors from other similar businesses who could be brought in to ‘steady the ship’ for a defined period. It will also assign key decision‑making roles to individuals currently within the organisation and identify a successor chair, as well as a process for hiring an interim chief operating officer, a chief financial officer and lawyers to monitor risks. The EBP will also define how and when the board will be expected to report to the family or executors. Additionally, it will confirm how the interim board and advisors will identify the key decisions that must be taken in the first week, month, quarter and year after the death. Next Steps Once this EBP has been drafted, it can be reconsidered and shared with key people in the business so that it can be finessed over time, making the discussion about long‑term succession planning easier to break down into something understandable and tangible. The EBP should also be shared with the business owner’s attorneys, who will have control of the shares in the event of incapacity. It can often be appropriate for business owners to create a separate business assets lasting power of attorney (LPA) that covers shares in the business only, rather than all of their assets. The attorneys of such an LPA can receive copies of the EBP, keeping the management of the owner’s business assets distinct from their personal assets, where different attorneys may be involved. Choice of attorneys requires great care, as selecting a person involved in the business could create a conflict of interest if that individual relies on the company for employment. Conclusion Business owners often do not think through how decisions will be made when they are not here, adopting a ‘trust no one’ and ‘I am the board’ mentality. The process of identifying and establishing a management structure or executive board can initially feel like a reduction of control, akin to giving oneself a boss. The benefits are substantial, however, and prevent the business relying on a single point of failure. If the process of preparing an EBP highlights that ‘no one will ever understand this business the way I do’, then the conversation may lead to the conclusion that creating a board will never work. In that case, the EBP’s focus may move towards a strategy for an organised sale or break‑up instead to avoid a fire‑sale scenario. However, presented in the right way, EBP discussions can lead to founders ultimately embracing the involvement of their spouse or children, finding joy and a reduction in stress by offering experience and guidance to a fledgling board. A more developed EBP might ultimately expand to include elements of the business owner’s vision for the future of the business. By focusing on the practical aspects, the owner can more readily engage with more conceptual questions around how the board might in the future deal with changing markets, expansion and other internal and external risks, and how that should impact the family shareholders, including the dividend policy and family remuneration. An EBP, used in conjunction with a well‑structured will, lifetime trust, LPA and, ultimately, a set of company governance documents, is one of a number of tools that can assist estate practitioners in breaking down into digestible projects otherwise arbitrary and conceptual discussions around business succession. This article was first published in the STEP Journal in August 2022 (Issue 4, Journal, Vol30 Iss4) and has been reproduced with their permission.

The KBB Centre in Ipswich is a long-standing, family run business dedicated to serving the surrounding communities. Brothers Roger and Patrick Peck run the business, with more than 60 years’ experience between them supplying kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. Paul Andrews met with Roger to find out more. The brothers have followed closely in the footsteps of their family tradition. The journey started back in 1974 when Roger and Patrick’s late father, Alan launched a home improvement business in Ipswich called Star Lines, first from a shop in Foxhall Road, before moving to the town’s Fore Street. Initially the shop sold a variety of home improvement furnishings, before Alan eventually decided to specialise in kitchens and bathrooms. Star Lines will always be remembered for its catchy advertising jingle, with many locals singing ‘Let’s go down to Star Lines’ to the tune of Mike Oldfield’s ‘In Dulce Jublio.’ People still remember it to this day. Star Lines was ahead of its time back then, being the first Kitchen and Bathroom showroom in Ipswich. As Roger explains, “For our family, community is everything and we have a business that is all about relationships and trust. The strength of The KBB Centre lays not just in its rich heritage, but also in the fact that our customers recommend us so whole-heartedly.” Both Roger and Patrick are also passionate about Suffolk and the local community, and are heavily involved in local sports, with The KBB Centre sponsoring several community teams and supporting Grassroots festivals throughout Suffolk. Community is everything to this family firm and Roger is the first to admit that ‘this business is in their blood’ and something that both he and his brother are passionate about. The journey has not always been easy. In the April of 1979, Star Lines was tragically burned to the ground by a devastating fire caused by arsonists, causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage. The Peck family were devastated and spent long hours, seven days a week to rebuild their livelihood. In August 1979, 14 weeks after the fire, Star Lines was reopened into a temporary store, which was actually the company’s warehouse, Richmond House on Waterworks Street, now Star Lane. They created the warehouse into a purpose-built store that they used for 2 years whilst they rebuilt the original store in Fore Street. In 1981 Star Lines re-opened its Fore Street store after a full refurbishment, where Rosabel, Alan’s wife joined the business, along with his cousin Frances, who actually worked with the brothers at KBB as their Bathroom Showroom manager for many years, only retiring a couple of years ago. In 1985 – Star Lines closed its doors for good with Alan Peck going on to work on a self-employed basis. Both Roger and Patrick worked at Star Lines during their youth, and although they went on to do other things in the industry throughout the years, they joined forces and came back to their roots, establishing KBB in 2003, in a small unit on Elton Road Business Park in Ipswich. As the company grew in 2005, they moved to Lion Barn Industrial Estate in Needham Market. In 2008 KBB moved to Dales Road, where a disused warehouse unit was turned into a kitchen and bathroom showroom. The KBB Centre was officially opened in 2009 by Ipswich Town footballer, Fabian Wilnis. The family has continued to invest in the business over time and in 2011 with the business still growing the brothers refurbished the showroom again and built a 2nd floor in the unit. This made room to not only extend their current Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom displays but include appliances, tiles, flooring and a larger office space. The KBB Centre is now one of the largest independent kitchen and bathroom retailers, with the store spanning over two floors. The showroom allows customers to see the exciting range of new kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, together with top-of-the-range appliances and innovative furniture and storage solutions. Roger is full of entrepreneurial spirit and clearly loves this business. “There are plenty of challenges when it comes to running a family business in the current climate but when you love what you do it is somehow easier,” adds Roger. “I love talking to people and helping them to achieve their dreams and it is our customers that get me out of bed every morning,” he continues but it is fair to say that the past couple of years and the impact of the pandemic have left an indelible imprint too. As Roger continues, “Prior to the pandemic I had not really thought too much about the future of the business but I have a grandson now and am not getting any younger and there is a part of me that needs to think about it. My brother and I started in the business to grow something to provide for our families and now we have to think more broadly as there are other families involved in the business too.” The past couple of years has enabled the team to focus, reset and now focus on where they are going moving forward. The business is always changing, something that drives the underlying energy within the business and Roger remains optimistic for the future. “There are plenty of challenges associated with supply chain, manufacturer capacity, skills in our sector and pricing to name a few but we are in a sector that has seen positive growth in the past couple of years with people investing in their homes and gardens so there is a lot to be positive about.” “As a family firm we do have a next generation. Some of them have found their own path outside the family business and we do advocate working elsewhere to gain experience. It is always a possibility that they may bring this experience back to the business in the future, if that’s what they’d like to do and we can facilitate them in the company.” he continues. “Patrick’s wife Sarah has worked for the company for many years and is now our General Manager and their son, my nephew Thomas, joined the company last year as an apprentice to learn the ropes as a kitchen fitter. He will then have the option to carry on gaining experience in that position and specialising in that role or if he so wishes he can go into different role in the business such as designing or plumbing. Alternatively, he may decide that he wants to take an entirely different path in life. The option is there for them all.” The core values of this family business are all based around relationships – trust, honesty, integrity and authenticity. Proudly standing as a family firm that delivers great service to customers is evident when taking to Roger. This family are proud of their legacy and the journey to date but remain focused on doing what they do best, supporting and being an integral part of the community in which they operate. They are proud of their Suffolk roots, proud of all that they have achieved to date and proudly give back to the community too. Their pride in where they work is clear for all to see and this is a great example of a family business that continues to invest over time, focuses on the customer journey and delivers too. They have come a long way since 1974 when the journey started and are approaching a golden milestone in 2024. We look forward to celebrating with them as the journey continues to unfold.

Tyson Foods is donating four million meals and deploying other disaster relief efforts to support storm victims, volunteers and first responders in Florida devastated by the recent flooding and severe weather from Hurricane Ian. The company is partnering with Walmart to help distribute more than one million pounds of protein to feed those in need in Fort Myers, Florida, and surrounding areas. The company is also partnering with Publix, Feeding America and three of their local member food banks, All Faiths Food Bank, Harry Chapin Food Bank and Feeding Tampa Bay, to provide protein to people affected by the storm. In addition to its commitment to donate one million pounds of protein, the company will provide ongoing support to Feeding America and other relief agencies to best serve the ongoing needs of the community as it moves from response to recovery in the wake of the storm “The impact of Hurricane Ian is absolutely devastating and we’re deploying resources where we can make the most impact,” said Tim Grailer, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Tyson Foods. “This response wouldn’t be possible without the support of our disaster relief partners and customers, who are all volunteering time and resources to make sure our response is as successful as possible. Our hearts go out to those who suffered tremendous losses in the wake of Hurricane Ian.” Tyson Foods plans to locate its Meals That Matter® disaster relief trailer at Walmart in Fort Myers, Florida, this week and will have volunteers on site who will distribute food, water, and ice. The volunteers involved include grill teams from Tyson Foods’ facilities in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Volunteers from other Tyson locations in Arkansas will also assist.

Thatchers has become the Official Cider of Southampton Football Club in a new three-year partnership between the Premier League side and the Somerset-based cider maker. As part of the agreement, flagship cider brand Thatchers Gold will be available in all bars throughout St Mary’s, with best-selling fruit flavoured ciders Blood Orange, Cloudy Lemon and Dark Berry served from Thatchers pioneering Fusion dispense in the Saints Bar. Blood Orange cider will be made available throughout all hospitality lounges. Thatchers will also have visibility across the club’s growing digital channels. “As a proud independent, British cider maker, we’re really excited to have the chance to showcase our cider to Southampton fans and can’t wait to be part of the match day experience,” said Philip McTeer, Head of Marketing at Thatchers. “Thatchers shares our commitment to community, sustainability and building long-term success and we look forward to creating a thriving partnership over the coming years,”said Sarah Batters, director of marketing and partnerships at Southampton Football Club.

The latest survey from Family Business United has identified the key challenges that are being addressed by family business leaders in board rooms up and down the country. With so much political and economic uncertainty at present it is not easy running a business where there are constant business and economic announcements and regulatory changes and therefore unsurprising that macro issues top the agenda again this year. This year’s Family Business Survey sought to get a picture of the issues that are facing family businesses and to highlight the complex agenda that is being addressed. The results are in and clearly identify the main areas of concern for family businesses across the country. The Top Challenges Facing UK Family Businesses Today 1. The Economic Climate (76%) 2. Rising Costs of Labour & Raw Materials (60%) 3. Supply Chain Issues (48%) 4. Recruiting, Retaining & Motivating Staff (42%) 5. Staff Shortages & Vacancies (41%) 6. Global Political Uncertainty (35%) 7. Regulation, Red Tape & Legislation (25%) 8. Profitability & Sustainability of the Business (20%) 9. Environmental Issues (18%) 10. Improving Customer Engagement (17%) As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United explains, “These results give us a broad indication of the challenges being faced by family business owners. It is well documented that the past year has been incredibly challenging for businesses across the UK and the boardroom agenda is packed with challenges that do need to be addressed.” “Along with the ongoing issues associated with the economic climate, businesses are still dealing with the fallout from Brexit and the pandemic and other issues remain significant challenges including supply chains, the rising costs of raw materials and labour and in some cases labour shortages, increased energy costs and inflation.” “Family firms have shown their resilience and entrepreneurship over the last few years and continue to be innovative in their business decisions but it is clear that there are concerns. Cash is, and always will be king, and with the need to repay loans, deferred rates and tax bills, but with ongoing concerns about energy costs and potential blackouts, it is clear that there are longer term concerns around profitability and sustainability for many family businesses too.” “There is a lot on the business agenda and compared to prior years some of the family challenges around succession, transition, governance and engaging the next generation are deemed less important but they should not be forgotten. Family matters will need to be addressed going forward but it is understandable at present the focus remains on the measures that will enable businesses to survive for the longer term,” continues Paul. As Lyn Calder, Edinburgh Managing Partner & Head of Family Businesses at AAB, sponsors of the 2022 Family Business Survey adds, “Family businesses are the engine room of the UK economy supporting the nation through the provision of jobs, generation of income and wealth creation, not forgetting the contribution and support that they give to communities the length and breadth of the country.” As Lyn continues, “Family businesses are known for taking the long term view and in many cases those running a family business today see themselves as custodians or stewards of the business for future generations." "Running a business at the moment is challenging but family firms are also adaptable, entrepreneurial and innovative, as many have been for generations, and will continue to take the necessary steps to deal with the challenges they face.” “The survey clearly identifies the challenges faced by family business owners around the UK and helps people appreciate that they are not alone in facing these challenges and it also gives recognition to the concerns of this rich, vibrant and diverse sector of the economy. It also gives an indication as to the nature of the conversations that should be taking place around the family business boardroom table too,” concludes Lyn. Family Business United conducted the survey during the summer of 2022.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today opened a viral clearance (VC) laboratory as part of the first building phase of its new € 29 million China Biologics Testing Center. The 5,000 square meter center is the first of its kind for Merck in China. The VC laboratory allows customers to locally conduct viral clearance studies from pre-clinical development to commercialization and will meet the double-digit demand for VC testing services in China.1 The VC laboratory will add around 120 jobs by 2023. “The opening of this viral clearance lab signifies a new chapter in our partnership with our Chinese clients who are at the forefront of reshaping modern medicine,” said Dirk Lange, Head of Life Science Services, Life Science business sector of Merck. “This lab and future labs will provide our Chinese customers with critical local services backed by our 75 years of global experience in the testing market.” The first building phase of the centre adds laboratory capacity for viral clearance studies, one of the most critical steps in drug development. These studies are key to supporting the Investigational New Drug (IND) and Biologics License Application (BLA) filing milestones, which are required by regulatory agencies around the world to complete clinical trials and move to commercial manufacturing. The second phase of the centre's facilities will open in late 2023 and will offer cell line characterization and lot release testing services. The facility in Shanghai joins Merck’s global viral clearance suites network with sites in Singapore; Stirling, UK; and Rockville, Maryland, USA, and shares the same global expertise, standards, and operating systems. “This opening signifies another major investment milestone in our strategic journey in China, and to our commitment to building a robust presence within the country for our Chinese clients and partners,” said Marc Jaffre, Managing Director for China, Life Science business sector of Merck. “With the strong growth expected over the next decade, we look forward to hiring more aspirational local talent to meet that demand.” Merck’s BioReliance® testing services portfolio is known for leading innovation to ensure the safety and quality of the biopharma industry’s supply chain. As a leader in the biosafety testing industry, Merck has performed more than 17,300 studies for more than 500 clients globally. 1Based on Merck’s industry expertise and internal market modelling

As part of a commitment to improve the quality of life in its communities, Perdue Farms delivered a little hope to youth ages 8-18 served at the non-profit SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park, an innovative after-school program in northeast Detroit. The outreach is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® initiative focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities where our associates live and work, and beyond. Associates from the company’s Alexander & Hornung specialty meats brand operation in nearby St. Clair Shores provided 125 students with backpacks filled with school supplies. Additionally, the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, provided a $10,000 gift to support the after-school programming as well as the company delivered 4,000 pounds of nutritious chicken for its meal program. “We know Perdue Farms strives to strengthen communities by focusing efforts on several areas that align with our goals at SAY Play like improving education and fighting hunger and poverty,” said Mitch Albom, SAY Detroit founder and best-selling author and journalist. "We’re grateful to have such a caring new corporate neighbour extend a helping hand with their wonderful generosity.” “The Perdue grant will help us reach our goals by supporting our efforts to increase the number of low-income students we serve by growing our population; by helping to create new academic, computer and arts programming; and by helping us to provide real-world skills and job training initiatives to the community.” Gary Malenke, senior vice president of the Perdue Premium Meats Company pork operations, praised the work of SAY Detroit. “After-school programming can be a real game changer for our youth,” Malenke said. “We learned of SAY Detroit’s wonderful track record of impacting young lives and are honoured to provide funds and resources to support their Play Center at Lipke Park so they can continue to deliver the kinds of programs for our youth that really make a difference.” As SAY Detroit Executive Director Richard Kelley, explains, “Compared to other communities, our students face obstacles that are mountains to climb. Their childhood experiences include poverty and food insecurity, exposure to violence, high levels of parental stress, and socioeconomic adversity." "SAY Detroit Play Center’s supportive programming seeks to help members become active, productive citizens for the betterment of themselves, their families, and their community. We’re proud to have Perdue as a partner in that journey.”

According to McKinsey ‘95% of senior leaders describe cultural fit as critical to the success of integration but 25% cite a lack of cultural cohesion and alignment as the primary reason integration efforts fail.’ For most family businesses, acquiring another business will be one of the most process critical operations they carry out. Aimed at delivering growth, it’s also one that demands the closest of detailed planning across your entire business, if it is to succeed. During the acquisition process, cultural compatibility is likely to have been considered, particularly when it comes to overall vision and company values. However, as with many things, the devil is in the detail, and it is often when operating the new combined business on a daily basis and how the teams interact that problems can arise. Many family businesses have strong, well-defined cultures which are viewed positively by their employees. Therefore, there can sometimes be an assumption on behalf of the family business owners that the people in any newly acquired business will automatically want to be part of that positive culture and will want to work together in the same way. That may be true but bear in mind that most people find any change difficult, even those changes that ultimately end up being positive ones. So be wary of dumping every aspect of the acquired business’ culture. Cultural integration is not something that can be left to chance. It needs careful thought and planning if you are to maximise your acquisition efforts. If you’d like to ensure that you’ve ‘ticked all the boxes’ when it comes to successfully integrating your acquired businesses into your family business culture, here are the key considerations. 1. During an acquisition process, take steps to understand the culture of the business you are going to acquire. Go deeper than just the values; understand their cultural strengths. Which aspects of their culture do you want to preserve? Are there elements of their culture that can further enhance and strengthen your own? 2. Understand the detail behind their culture. How do people work together? How are decisions made? What kind of behaviours and achievements are rewarded? How are staff motivated? 3. Speak to employees from the acquired business. How would they describe their company culture? What elements mean the most to them and which are the areas for improvement? This will be vital information as you look to culturally integrate the new business with your own. 4. Based on the points above, create a clear understanding of the similarities, differences and potential friction points between the two cultures. 5. Develop and share a detailed cultural integration plan which builds on the similarities, leverages the strengths, and solves differences and potential pain points. This plan must be reviewed regularly and adjusted as necessary to ensure maximum effectiveness. 6. Welcome employees from the acquired business immediately. Acknowledge the strengths of the current culture, communicate the benefits of your culture in terms of ‘what’s in it for me’? 7. Be clear and specific about what your culture looks like. Provide examples of “how we work around here” to help new employees to understand what is expected. Ask your employees to share what makes your culture (ie. don’t have the business leaders do it). 8. Provide the support that allows your acquired senior managers to buy into and adopt the new culture as soon as possible. Set out the expectations in terms of their behaviours that will allow all employees to on board as quickly as possible. Identify influencers across both sets of employees. 9. Regularly seek feedback from all employees to help monitor how the cultural integration is progressing. 10. Identify your key ‘cultural symbols’ e.g. uniforms, dress code, signage and ensure that they are in place as soon as possible to signpost the change of culture. 11. Set clear measurements for cultural integration and monitor them regularly and course correct as necessary. 12. Keep an eye on staff turnover in the newly acquired business as this can be an indicator of how well your cultural integration is progressing. It is probably the best for everyone if people who cannot personally align with your culture, decide to leave the business. However, take care that you do not inadvertently lose good talent you wish to keep because you have failed to adequately support them on their own personal cultural integration journey.

In advance of the official groundbreaking of the Food Bank of Delaware’s new 67,000-square-foot Milford facility on Sept. 29, Perdue Farms jump started the Building Hope in Milford capital campaign by presenting a $250,000 donation. The gift from the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the company’s charitable giving arm, is part of Perdue’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach focused on improving quality of life and building strong communities. With more than 50,000 residents of Kent and Sussex counties struggling to afford food, food insecurity in the First State has been exasperated by the pandemic and inflation. “What a wonderful way to head into our groundbreaking festivities with this incredibly generous gift,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “Perdue has been a long-standing partner of the Food Bank of Delaware, donating more than 17.2 million pounds of protein products and $560,000 since the start of our partnership. This new facility is a huge undertaking, but it is greatly needed so we can serve the residents of Kent and Sussex counties who need us. Together, with our community partners, we will raise the needed money so we can build hope here in Milford.” With the current Milford branch located at 1040 Mattlind Way operating at more than 163 percent capacity, the Food Bank of Delaware determined in 2020 that a new facility was needed. Last summer, the hunger-relief organization purchased an 11.5-acre parcel of land from the City of Milford and has spent the past year designing the new facility. An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 29. “At Perdue Farms, we believe we have a responsibility to help individuals and families in need in the communities we call home, including here in the First State." "We employ more than 2,800 people in Delaware, many of them right here in Milford,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “We have long recognized the valuable role the Food Bank of Delaware plays in our communities and share a common mission to deliver hope to our neighbours who struggle to put a meal on the table. We see this as not only an investment in the food bank, but an investment in the well-being of our neighbours. We’re proud to lend our support and hope it inspires others to do the same.”

As part of Perdue Farms’ “Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors®” initiative focused on improving the quality of life in our communities through hunger relief, the company teamed with the Delmarva Shorebirds Class A minor league baseball team and three Delmarva Peninsula food banks to deliver 136,000 meals across the region’s communities in the season-long 2022 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva. “Economic challenges, combined with the lingering impact of the pandemic, has brought so much uncertainty and challenge to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity on the Delmarva Peninsula,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. “We’re proud that this year’s campaign once again provided a collaborative platform to raise public awareness about the problem of hunger and food insecurity and deliver much-needed relief to our neighbours in the communities where we live and work.” According to research from the food banks, on average one in seven people on the Delmarva Peninsula are challenged by food insecurity. One third of that food-insecure population is children. Since 2011, Perdue, the Shorebirds, food banks and the community at-large have embraced the Strike Out Hunger Challenge to generate more than 1.3 million meals for those in need on Delmarva. “That is an outstanding number of meals produced through the Strike Out Hunger Campaign.,” said Jimmy Sweet, assistant general manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds. “I would like to thank the Delmarva community for their continued support and look forward to continuing this partnership and providing even more meals in 2023.” To drive this year’s Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva, Perdue Farms issued a $15,000 challenge grant funded by the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Foundation — the charitable giving arm of the company — to benefit the Eastern Shore Branch of the Maryland Food Bank, the Food Bank of Delaware and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. Each of the food banks were required to engage the Delmarva community to raise the equivalent of 10,000 meals to claim their equal share of the first $10,000 of the Foundation challenge grant. This included any combination of pounds of food collected, monies collected and donated, or volunteer hours throughout the duration of the Shorebirds’ season. Perdue also donated $10 for each time the Shorebirds’ pitchers struck out an opposing batter, up to $5,000. “We are so grateful for Perdue’s support through the Strike Out Hunger Challenge,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Cathy Kanefsky. “We look forward to this collaborative community partnership each year so we can collectively serve our community’s most vulnerable. When we work together, we can truly deliver hope to our neighbours. More than 100,000 of our neighbours here in Delaware are struggling to afford food. This effort will enable us to put meals on the tables of those who need it most.” “As financial effects of the pandemic continue to impact Maryland households, more people are turning to the charitable food system. Having the continued support of Perdue Farms and the Delmarva Shorebirds through “Perdue’s Strike out Hunger Campaign Challenge,” the Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore is better positioned to meet increased needs,” said Jennifer Small, vice president of partner logistics and programs for the Maryland Food Bank.

Mississippi Lime Company (MLC), an HBM Holdings company headquartered in St. Louis, has acquired Singleton Birch, the leading independent supplier of lime products in the United Kingdom. The acquisition, which closed today, is part of MLC’s strategy to drive growth, innovation and sustainability through geographic expansion and new products and technologies that proactively address customers’ changing needs. Financial terms of the transaction will not be released. “For more than 115 years, Mississippi Lime has been focused on meeting the evolving needs and priorities of our customers. That focus has served our customers, our employees and our business very well. Our approach is to grow by finding businesses that represent a good cultural fit for us and can complement what we already provide to customers. Singleton Birch is a great fit, and we are delighted to welcome them to the Mississippi Lime family today,” said Paul Hogan, President and CEO of Mississippi Lime Company. Singleton Birch is based in North Lincolnshire, UK, where it employs more than 150 staff. It will continue to operate under its existing brand and the Singleton Birch management team, led by Chief Executive Officer Richard Stansfield, who will remain in place. “Singleton Birch has done tremendous work, and we are grateful that Richard and the leadership team will remain in their roles leading the business,” said Hogan. “This acquisition is about growth, innovation and sustainability, and we do not anticipate reducing the number of jobs at Singleton Birch as a result of this transaction.” “Being part of the Mississippi Lime family will enable us to invest more and power the growth of Singleton Birch,” said Stansfield. “We’re delighted to have a partner for the next stage in our development that shares our culture and values.” Singleton Birch has a number of business lines, including a chemicals division, which provides specialty calcium products to the rubber and plastics markets. It also provides services and solutions to the renewable energy, water treatment and waste management industries. Singleton Birch is an industry leader in sustainability. The business works with local farms to run anaerobic digesters that provide electricity used by the business from renewable zero-carbon sources. Like Mississippi Lime, Singleton Birch has partnered with Origen to develop greener and more sustainable lime kiln technologies. “The commitment that Singleton Birch has already made to sustainability is significant and will help inform and drive MLC’s ESG efforts,” said Hogan.