An Orkney family business has enjoyed a dramatic increase in sales and social media followers, after one of its products appeared on James Martin’s Saturday Morning, which showcases recipes and products to a range of celebrity guests. The Orkney Gin Company, founded by husband-and-wife team Gary and Andrea Watt, uses a traditional process to distil its spirits, which include gin, vodka and Scotland’s first akvavit. The team hand-picks its base botanicals, distils the spirits slowly up to eight times, and hand-fills and corks its Selkie Folk inspired bottles, which are designed in-house in a nod to Orkney’s history and folklore. Wholesalers make up the majority of The Orkney Gin Company’s customer base, but its products are also sold by Trade, John Lewis, Amazon and other online outlets, as well as its own website. After securing their operating license in 2015, Gary and Andrea initially approached Business Gateway for support in starting-up, and received advice on their business plan and help to secure their first premises. Gary Watt, Co-owner and Distiller at The Orkney Gin Company, said: “We’re passionate about our Orcadian roots and about gin, so we knew we were capable of creating something amazing when we first approached Business Gateway for help to set-up." “We truly thought our business would remain a local one, but we’ve enjoyed steady demand over the years, which snowballed after we won our first World Gin Award.” The business saw a particularly large spike in sales after its Aatta gin, Christmas Old Tom gin and Orkney Akvavit appeared on James Martin’s Saturday Morning programme in late 2023. Gary continued: “We were approached by James and his team at a Country Living Fair in 2022 and couldn’t quite believe it. We are a small-scale family business at heart, so were very proud that someone with James’ profile liked our gin so much.” As well as a sales increase, The Orkney Gin Company has also secured additional trade customers, and has grown its website subscribers and social media following since the programme’s broadcast. The business also saw a sales increase for its Orkney Akvavit. Looking ahead, Gary and Andrea are now turning their attention towards securing larger premises to keep up with product demand, with the overall goal to introduce a visitor centre to make the most of Orkney’s tourism. Gary said: “We would love to open up a visitor centre in Orkney, and will certainly be reaching out to Business Gateway for advice on this next step in our journey. They’ve already signposted us to various Covid Bounce Back funding schemes, which have been so helpful for keeping our operations afloat. “Business Gateway has been a great support to our business operations over the years, so I’ve no doubt their continued support will be valuable as we enter this next chapter.”

The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Perdue Farms, has awarded a $42,500 grant to aid the Bloxom Volunteer Fire Company in the purchase of state-of-the-art emergency response equipment to serve Accomack County. Bloxom Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Bagwell: “We’re grateful to Perdue for this generous gift to replace equipment that was purchased in 1994 and currently doesn’t meet today’s standards. The new equipment — the jaws of life, stabilizing struts and lifting airbags — will be faster, lighter, and safer for our first responders and ensure that we can provide the best care to save lives in our community.” The grant from the Perdue Foundation is part of the company’s Delivering Hope to Our Neighbors® outreach to improve quality of life and build strong communities where Perdue associates live and work. Perdue’s Accomac operations are in the Bloxom VFD’s response area. The 104-year-old Maryland-based company has had operations in Accomack County for more than 50 years. It employs more than 1,500 associates in the county and provides economic impact of nearly $440 million. “At Perdue, we salute those who dedicate themselves to the service of others in our communities,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Perdue Foundation. “We appreciate the sacrifice of those men and women representing the Bloxom Volunteer Fire Company and their efforts to keep Virginia’s Eastern Shore and our associates and neighbours safe. Knowing we can depend on Bloxom VFD gives us peace of mind. We’re happy to award this grant to the fire company.”

Families are relying on their business to fund retirement with 83% saying they regard their company as their pension, new research with family-run businesses from the UK’s leading discretionary wealth manager, Investec Wealth & Investment shows. The independent study by the company, which is part of Rathbones Group PLC, with family businesses which have a combined annual turnover of £781 million found more than one in four (26%) expect to fund 50% or more of their retirement spending from their business investment. Shockingly nearly one in 10 (9%) say they do not have or don’t know whether they have a private pension outside of the investment in their business. Around one in 25 (4%) say they didn’t start saving into a pension until they were aged 40 or over. The research found the current generation in charge of family-run businesses do not intend to work until they drop. Almost all (97%) are expected to stop working and being involved in the running of the business by the age of 65. Around 30% questioned, said they expect the current generation to quit before 60. It’s not all bad news on the personal finances of family-run businesses – around 79% questioned, estimate the finances of their senior family members are good or very comprehensive in terms of investment in pensions and ISAs. Around 85% questioned, estimate that less than 50% of their wealth is tied up in the family business, with 21% saying the figure is lower than 25%. Around a third (31%) estimate they have more than £500,000 invested in their private pensions. Analysis shows around 4.8 million UK businesses are family-run – around 86% of all private sector businesses – and they employ up to 13.9 million people while contributing £575 billion to the UK economy. Nadine Collins, Financial Planning Director, at Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) said: “Many families clearly have substantial wealth tied up in their family businesses and it is perfectly understandable that so many rely on that wealth to fund retirement. Many will have neglected pension contributions over the years to understandably ensure the success of their business, resulting in a smaller traditional pension pot or none at all." “There are however huge tax disadvantages to ignoring private pensions and there will be issues about extracting wealth tied up in family businesses to fund retirement when people are no longer working in the business. To have the ability to take advantage of the allowances bestowed to pensions, planning needs to take place at least four to five years in advance of a business exit and businesses need to consider that tax rules may change." “Sourcing professional advice on the best approach to funding retirement and releasing wealth from family-run businesses is important for any family business, given the potential for personal and business finances to become entangled.” For more information visit www.investec.com

The KaterBake bakery range at Central Foods has been expanded with the addition of five new donuts for the food service sector, including a gluten-free version. Ahead of National Doughnut Week 18th to 26th May, frozen food distributor Central Foods is launching sugared donuts, mini sugared donuts, chocolate iced donuts, mini chocolate iced donuts, and the gluten-free midi sugared donut under the KaterBake range. The ring-shaped, cake-style donuts are suitable for vegetarians and simply need thawing before serving. Gordon Lauder, MD of Central Foods, said: “Doughnuts and their American-style donut counterparts have been one of the greatest success stories of recent times, with huge innovation in the sector." “We’re delighted to be expanding our popular KaterBake bakery range with the addition of these five new ring donuts for our food service customers. The inclusion of a gluten-free ring donut means that coeliac customers don’t miss out on these popular sweet treats." “Our new cake-style donuts have a slightly denser texture, meaning they provide a more filling treat. But donuts are more than just a sweet treat; caterers can use them to decorate a freak or milkshake, an ice cream sundae, include as a component of afternoon tea or even to ‘sandwich’ savoury items, such as chicken burgers, to make unusual flavour mash-ups that can go viral on social media! The only limit with donuts is a chef’s imagination!" “Frozen donuts are ideal as operators can defrost them as needed, ensuring there is always a ‘fresh’ supply to hand and reducing wastage.” The KaterBake range is Central Foods’ own-brand of bakery products for the food service sector and includes speciality bread and morning goods such as flatbreads, crumpets, waffles, bao buns and yum yums. Central Foods was founded in 1996 and is one of the UK’s leading food service frozen food distributors. The company is proud to be a catering partner across the whole food service sector, supplying to hotels, restaurants, bars, universities, schools, pubs, care homes, garden centres, leisure outlets and more. Based in Collingtree, near Northampton, it currently sells to over 180 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. For more information, visit www.centralfoods.co.uk

A Shropshire-based husband and wife team of entrepreneurs have been offered a £50,000 investment for their pet smoothie drink business on the popular Business show, Dragons' Den. Husband and wife, Ian and Louise Toal from Much Wenlock in Shropshire secured a £50,000 investment for a 35% share of their company from fashion retail entrepreneur and investor, Touker Suleyman, for their award-winning range of smoothie drinks for dogs. Furr Boost was the inspiration of Louise who, for over 20 years was a technical manager to the food industry. Louise’s Beagle, Phoebe at the age of 18 months became unwell with bladder problems which after investigations with her vet, were linked to the dog’s food. Using her technical food background, Louise then started experimenting with protein shakes to help flush out Phoebe’s system and to provide her with the hydration that she needed when she was refusing to drink enough water particularly in the summer months. This led to the creation of the Furr Boost range of smoothie drinks. During the episode, Louise explained that the drinks were unique on the market and that each of the recipes contains a real meat, fruit and vegetable, along with added oils and vitamins to support the dog’s wellbeing in areas such as digestion, skin and coat, anxiety, metabolism and immunity. The drinks can be served straight from the carton, frozen as an icy treat and Louise demonstrated to the Dragons the most popular way to serve the drink by creating an Ultimutt Furr Boost Puppuccino! The couple were seeking investment to expand their business into further major retail outlets including supermarkets, to export to more countries and to launch a range for cats. Commenting on their time in the Dragon’s Den Louise said, “It was pretty nerve-wracking having to present our business to the Dragons and they certainly put us through our paces, but we were delighted with the outcome.”

In this article we are going to delve into what the key challenges and opportunities facing UK businesses are. The typical economic cycle encompasses the recurring pattern of prosperity and recession within the economy. This usually consists of a period of expansion of economic growth, but then due to limited capacity there will be inflation. In response to this, central banks will then need to raise interest rates to cool the economy, and therefore bringing inflation back down to the desired level. This time, it was different. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a massive economic contraction, with huge government spending then required to support the economy. The problem that then followed was supply chain disruptions, caused by geopolitical factors like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and more recently the war between Israel and Hamas. The biggest impact this had in the UK was a spike in energy prices. The added challenge of the escalating situation in the Suez Canal has added further supply chain problems for the UK economy. This route accounts for 12% - 15% of global trade , and the reroute round South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, is adding significant costs to UK businesses to get their goods in the UK. For UK businesses, this means that with such an uncertain backdrop it is extremely important for management to understand what goods they need, from whom, from where and why. Contingency plans and workarounds are now also crucial, alongside making sure the correct business insurance is in place. All these factors have combined to reverse the trends towards globalisation and now government and companies are being forced to look closer to home to trusted partners for more resilient growth models. This can be a big opportunity for UK companies. Challenges In The UK Economy Staff Staff shortages in the UK are a real issue currently, with 9.2 million people aged between 16 – 64 who are not in work and not seeking employment. That is 700,000 people higher than before the pandemic . Compared with other G7 countries, the UK is the only country whose workforce has actually shrunk since 2020. Labour Costs The cost of labour is also increasing, by April 2024 the minimum hourly pay will rise by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour – the sharpest increase since 2001. Since January, all food retailers have said that store staff with receive at least £12 per hour from April 2024. Understandably some businesses are running out of ways to absorb higher wages and maintain their operating margins, given the other cost pressures, such as energy, that they are facing. Looking Forward Recent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth figures suggest the UK economy emerging from a shallow two quarter recession in the second half of 2024. January saw a monthly GDP increase of 0.2% on the back of increased high street and online spending. Furthermore, UK inflation is coming down, albeit slowly, towards the 2% target. That said, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted on 20 March 2024 to maintain interest rates at 5.25% . MPC has stated it needs to see wage growth moderate first; it is coming down, but not fast enough and is still higher than inflation. What Are The Opportunities? Generative AI It was just over a year ago that Open AI’s Chat GPT widely launched but Generative AI was not on many people’s agenda. Now the use of AI has come a long way in a short space of time. Companies need to consider how they can use AI in order to streamline their business and maximise growth and productivity. A recent Salesforce survey found that higher performing companies are more than twice as likely to use AI than underperformers, so the potential is clear. The Transition To Net Zero Small to medium sized companies are generally further behind larger enterprises in planning for the net zero transition. However, this is likely to change as larger customers and suppliers start to look to the carbon footprint of their supply chain. Furthermore, when tendering for government contracts they may deem it mandatory to have a net zero policy in place. Conclusion UK businesses are facing a wide range of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, geopolitical risks, political uncertainties, and rising costs. However, when we examine the overall economic landscape, there are positive signs: Receding global recession fears : The spectre of a global recession has diminished. Despite the challenges, economies are showing resilience. Unemployment rates have not surged significantly, providing hope for recovery. Inflation trends: Inflation, which soared during the pandemic, is gradually easing. Central Banks’ targets are coming back into view. Interest rate cuts are increasingly likely, aiming to support economic stability. In Summary, while obstacles persist, there are promising indicators that point toward economic improvement. Businesses must adapt and navigate these complexities, but the horizon holds potential for recovery and growth.

Independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame was named Best Partnership Pub Company (up to 500 sites) at the Publican Awards on Wednesday, March 27. The Faversham-based business was also shortlisted in the Best New Site category for its recent refurbishment of the Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable. More than 1,500 guests attended the award ceremony, held annually to celebrate excellence across the pub and bar industry, which took place at Evolution London in Battersea Park and was hosted by comedian Tom Allen. Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, said: “These awards are the Oscars for the hospitality trade and are the ones to win for all operators in the sector. The judging process is rigorous and fair and we put all our finalists through their paces before picking out our final winners." “All of the companies shortlisted in the awards are outstanding businesses, so to come out ahead is a fantastic achievement and one to be proud of.” Shepherd Neame currently has 219 tenanted and leased pubs and hotels throughout London and the South East, as part of its 300-strong estate. Its in-house tenanted team offers a diverse range of bespoke support and initiatives to pub partners, including guidance in areas including cellar training, wine, food, marketing and compliance. Licensee Clive Price, Managing Director of Barons Pub Company, which runs two of Shepherd Neame’s Surrey sites – The Cricketers in Woking and the Crown and Cushion in Camberley - was also named Best Pub Employer (up to 500 employees) at last night’s awards, for a third year in a row. Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We previously won the Publican Award for Best Tenanted and Leased Pub Company back in 2020, so to be honoured again within four years is just fantastic." “When it comes to running a pub with Shepherd Neame, we don’t believe one size fits all. Just as our pubs have their own individual character, we know that every one of our partners has their own unique vision for their business. Our role is to offer all the support we can to help them achieve their individual goals and business ambitions." “We have a brilliant tenanted team, led by Director of Tenanted Pub Operations Greg Wallis, who work incredibly hard to support our licensees, and it is great to see their efforts recognised at a national level with this award.”

Willmott Dixon’s team of leisure experts are helping Stockport Council to develop a state-of-the-art Community Hub in Marple, supported by a £20 million grant from the Levelling Up Fund. Stockport Council has submitted a planning application for a new Community Hub in Marple, procured through Procure Partnerships Framework. The project will deliver a two-storey community hub located in Marple Memorial Park with a five-lane swimming pool, a ground floor library with a small cafe, a 60-station fitness suite, shared community spaces, and the relocated Marple clinic. The formal planning submission follows an extensive consultation process to finalise the designs, which will see the Marple’s existing police station, library and a health clinic demolished to make way for the new Community Hub with all of those uses retained on the site. The Library and Clinic will be relocated into the new complex with the Police relocated into Hollins House. The hub project will also replace the village’s previous swimming pool which closed in 2018. Pending planning permission, the project will be completed by the end of 2025 and comes hot on the heels of the official opening of Stockport’s transformational town-centre Viaduct Park and Interchange, delivered by Willmott Dixon for Transport for Greater Manchester. Earlier this month Stockport was also officially named the Best Place to Live in the North West of England by the Sunday Times. What people are saying Councillor Colin MacAlister, Stockport Council cabinet member for economy, regeneration and housing: “We have listened to what the people of Marple have said and this fantastic new facility reflects what local people have wanted in their area for a long time. I am delighted that we continue to move this forward. If planning is granted, this hub is going to make a huge, positive impact on the prosperity, health and wellbeing of the residents of Marple and the borough." “I was very impressed with how Willmott Dixon operated its Building Lives Academy during the construction of the town’s new Interchange and Viaduct Park, so I am looking forward to more of the borough’s youngsters having the opportunity to be involved in the construction of the Hub if the plans are approved.” Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the North: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with Stockport Council once again, and to be playing our part in creating a vibrant and innovative community hub for the people of Marple. In delivering Stockport Interchange and Viaduct Park, we worked alongside incredible local organisations such as Pure College, the Webb Lane Community Allotments, The Wellspring and The Samaritans and we look forward to continuing to support more amazing local causes." “At Marple Community and Leisure Hub we are committed to delivering a social return on investment of £3.78m including 132 weeks of apprenticeship training and 40 weeks of work placements. We look forward to also running two bespoke ‘Building Lives Academy’ skills programmes for students with special educational needs and for care leavers.” Natalie Palframan, Key Account Manager at Procure Partnerships Framework added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Stockport Council and our contractor partners to deliver a community-focussed project that leaves a legacy." "Should planning permission be granted, this new facility, coupled with the project’s focus on social value, is set to make a lasting impact on the residents of Marple as well as the wider borough.” Willmott Dixon has nearly 90 years’ experience in the wet leisure sector. In the last 10 years, the business has built over 160 leisure facilities for private, public and educational sector customers. A decision on the development is expected in June 2024.

St Austell Brewery has been recognised at one of the top award ceremonies in hospitality. The business took home ‘Best Accommodation Operator’ at the Publican Awards last night - widely regarded as the pub industry ‘Oscars’. With 44 pubs in its managed estate, St Austell Brewery has over 500 rooms to offer in some of the South West’s most popular locations, from St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly to Bath. The business has invested millions in refurbishing its accommodation over the past four years. Earlier this month, one of its biggest pub transformations to date - the Masons Arms in Branscombe, Devon - was named in the Sunday Times ‘100 Best Places to Stay in the UK’. Other recent investments include the Harbour Inn in Porthleven and the Rising Sun in St Mawes. The iconic Pier House in Charlestown, with 23 new-look bedrooms, is currently undergoing a full refurbishment and will be reopening this summer. Kevin Georgel, Chief Executive, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won a Publican Award for our accommodation offer. This recognises all the hard work and commitment from our operations team and wider support teams, as we strive to make our pubs the best they can possibly be while delivering great experiences for our guests. It’s been a huge team effort, and I couldn’t be more proud." “We are lucky to operate pubs across the South West, one of the most beautiful regions in the UK. From coastal spots and rural escapes to city breaks, we have a wonderfully diverse estate. We are continuing to make significant investments into our pubs and our accommodation offer as it’s an extremely important part of our business. Providing the very best experiences we can for our guests, all year round, is right at the heart of that.”

AW Hainsworth, a British fabric manufacturer and woollen mill in West Yorkshire, has achieved Zero to Landfill status through recycling and waste reduction. The 240-year-old heritage textile mill, which creates exquisite woollen cloth, high-performing textiles, and iconic fabrics for customers worldwide, tracked and measured its waste to develop a plan to reduce it to zero. AW Hainsworth partnered with Reconomy, a circular waste management provider with excellent sustainability credentials and clear traceability for waste streams to reach this goal. Reconomy outsources management services to approved local providers to minimise transport costs and emissions and allow for quick and effective turnarounds when collecting. The recycling centre they use recovers 97% of all materials received and exceeds MRF Code of Practice requirements. The vertical manufacturer has invested in better machinery to manage on-site waste, installing energy-efficient plastic and cardboard balers, each sent to recycling. AW Hainsworth has also ensured the recycling process is as simple as possible, with improved signage throughout the mill and employee waste management education. During the past year, the textile producer has completed several projects to help reach its sustainability goals, increase operational efficiency, and reduce energy consumption and waste. A key example is using undyed yarns in partnership with some aviation customers to create sustainable seating and vertical surface fabrics. Using 100% undyed wool reduces energy, water, and waste effluent in manufacturing. AW Hainsworth has also analysed ways to reduce packaging waste from suppliers. This involved working with a regular yarn supplier to reduce the packaging weight by 79.92% and condensing the packaging to reduce freight space by 9.51%. Another supplier switched from shipping products in disposable dye cones to reusable ones, ensuring empty products no longer entered the waste stream. The supplier now collects and re-enters the cones into production, saving 936kg of cones from being sent to waste in 2022 and 948kg in 2023. This small switch resulted in nearly 45,000 cones being recycled. Other waste-saving steps include offering employees working technology equipment and recycling electronics through Revive IT. Amanda McLaren, MD of AW Hainsworth, explains: “As manufacturers, we know that our processes can result in high emissions. We continuously monitor our energy and water use and remain conscious of ways we can limit waste while continuing to operate efficiently and effectively. We also regularly review our manufacturing processes and their impact to identify areas for improvement." “We had already made good progress with improving waste reduction on smaller projects in specific departments. However, looking at our overall waste management process and strategy for site-wide improvements was important." “We started tracking our waste streams to measure what was being re-used or recycled and what was being sent to energy recovery, making significant changes and improvements. There is still work to do to increase recycling and reduce energy recovery, which will form part of our goals for waste management over the next three years.” The company has recently published their 2023 Sustainability Report, which documents the mill’s sustainability journey. Continuing on their path to becoming a more sustainable manufacturing business, a head of sustainability will join the AW Hainsworth team this year.

St Austell Brewery’s Tribute (4.2% ABV), has won two medals at the prestigious International Brewing Awards 2024. Tribute - St Austell Brewery’s longstanding flagship pale ale - is still making waves in the world of beer, 25 years since it was first brewed. The beer scooped a bronze medal in the cask ale category (3.9%-4.3%) and a silver medal in bottle (2.9%-4.3%). The International Brewing Awards are often dubbed ' the Oscars of the brewing industry'; an award is a recognition by fellow professional brewers that a beer is an outstanding commercial example of its style. The competitions were first run in 1888 and have constantly developed to reflect the global market for beer. Georgina Young, brewing director at St Austell Brewery, said: “To win these accolades is a very proud moment for the team and testament to the effort put in to brewing such a timeless, quality beer which can stand up to both old and new beers entering the competition and still hold its own." “It’s particularly special that both packaged Tribute and cask Tribute have been recognised as best-in-class; we’re proud champions of cask beer and continue to shout about how important it is to British brewing. Tribute is a great example of how brilliant cask beer can really be when it’s brewed and treated with the care and attention it deserves.” Tribute has stood the test of time; it was launched to commemorate the 1999 solar eclipse. It was originally a one-off special named Daylight Robbery, but proved to be so popular it was reintroduced as Tribute and has since won various awards over the years. The zesty and fresh pale ale brewed with specially sourced ingredients, including Cornish Gold malt and hops from the UK and the USA, is one of the nation's best loved cask brands, sitting in the top 10 best-selling cask nationally. Tribute was also the best performing premium ale brand across the Off Trade in 2023*. *Source: Circana/SIG BWS/Actual Value Sales growth 52wks to 30/12/23 vs YA.

Leading UK plant nursery, Johnsons Nurseries Ltd, has supplied 29,000 woodland trees and whips to the 20,000-acre Swinton Estate in Masham, North Yorkshire, to create new woodlands in the north of England. Over 30 varieties of trees were supplied to the Estate, via The DTMS Group, which has been contracted to deliver the landscaping for the project. The varieties included Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus robur, Salix caprea, and Acer campestre. Trees were specifically selected and sited for water and biodiversity improvements and for their many climate benefits from providing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide to providing resources and habitat to wildlife. Funding for this project has come from the White Rose Forest via their Trees for Climate programme, part of the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund. The White Rose Forest is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire and works with landowners, businesses and communities across the region to provide support and funding for woodland creation projects that will benefit communities and the environment. Founded in 1921, Johnsons Nurseries has vast experience in contract growing for hotel developments on a large scale, having provided both Seaham Hall, in Durham, Grantley Hall in Ripon, Another Place in Ullswater and The Torridon, a 5-star luxury Scottish Highland Hotel, with substantial amounts of plants. Johnsons Nurseries’ marketing manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We were excited to work on this project in collaboration with the Swinton Estate, The DTMS Group, and the White Rose Forest. Johnsons has over 100 years of experience in sourcing and supplying the highest quality plants, finding the best species suited to our clients’ needs." "The trees that we supplied included a range of native species, from pines to oaks, enhancing the natural beauty of the estate and contributing to improving biodiversity and water quality.” Will Richardson, Forestry Advisor to the Swinton Estate said: “The Swinton Estate have a long-term ambition to increase tree cover by 50% over the next 20 years, creating around 350ha of new mixed woodland and wood pasture. This is driven by a desire to improve sustainability and nature conservation across the estate, sequester carbon and to produce sustainable crops of timber in years to come." "This has been the first phase of this programme, and we are delighted with the contributions made by the White Rose Forest, DTMS as contractors and Johnsons as tree suppliers in helping us to deliver this. We very much look forward to seeing the new woodland thrive and mature over the years.” DTMS Group’s Managing Director, Dan Lazenby added: “We at DTMS were excited to be given the challenge of planting such a substantial quantity of trees with a deadline fast approaching." "The team achieved this despite some very challenging conditions and received positive feedback in the process from our client, Swinton Estate. It was a great scheme to be part of and provided us with opportunities to develop all staff members, including our Horticulture apprentice." "We welcome any opportunities to work alongside fellow local businesses, especially when we are enhancing the environment in the process.”