John Good Group has achieved operational carbon neutrality for all its businesses – John Good & Sons, Good Travel Management, Dan Shipping & Chartering, TEPS, and Bay Shipping. In a significant step towards its long-term sustainability plans, the 190-year-old family business was supported by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM to measure and report the carbon footprint for 2022 aligned to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and their Quantis tool for Scope 3 emissions. Achieving operational carbon neutrality is one of many steps in John Good Group’s sustainability journey. The Group has rolled out carbon reduction programmes across each of its businesses, including renewable energy generation, the introduction of Hybrid and EV vehicles, a review of suppliers, and the development of several people focussed initiatives aimed at carbon-contributing factors such as commuting miles. The reduction initiatives will continue at pace over the coming years to ensure the business is reducing its emissions as much as possible. However, the Group’s largest carbon-producing business, TEPS, is constrained by the pace of the industry’s technological developments. Progress on new fuelling solutions is slow and the availability of suitable vehicle alternatives is still several years away. Frustratingly for the Group, additional solar energy generation is also being limited by the national electricity grid – which is currently prohibiting the business from exporting surplus solar energy, which it could generate by making extra investment into solar panels on its warehouses. These are issues the Group hopes will diminish over the coming years. To offset the Group’s residual emissions for 2022, John Good Group partnered with Climate Impact Partners to purchase carbon credits. Working together, the two teams selected initiatives that make significant contributions to the communities they serve while also addressing the global issue of climate change by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions. The projects selected include Rural Clean Cooking in India, Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD++ in Indonesia, Mudbrick Rocket Stoves in Malawi, and Degraded Grasslands Afforestation in Uruguay. James White at Climate Impact Partners explained, “Our collaboration with John Good Group is about delivering action on climate change and creating a more sustainable world. We worked together to identify projects that truly align with their ethos and support the UN’s SDGs in the most meaningful way.” These projects align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals that John Good Group has committed to: No Poverty (SDG 1), Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Climate Action (SDG 13). Adam Walsh, Chief Executive of the John Good Group, commented on the milestone, “It’s an important first step for the Group to achieve operational carbon neutrality, and I’m proud of the team that has worked on this. It’s something we’re all passionate about, but we’re fully aware we have a lot more to do." "For our non-operational scope 3 emissions, which are more than 100 times greater than our operation emissions, we’re engaging with both customers and suppliers to look at solutions that are on the horizon and how they might meet our customer needs. A good example of progress in this area relates to the emissions relating to the flights we book in our travel business on behalf of our customers." "We’ve introduced carbon insight at the point of booking for our customers, and all our team has undertaken sustainability training led by travel sustainability experts, Responsible Futures.” Walsh continues, “Reduction is our focus now, and whilst it might be our reality for several years yet, we know reliance on carbon offsets is not the answer to the climate problems we’re facing or to be relied upon by the Group for the answer to our responsibilities." "Our businesses operate in industries that have material impacts on the environment, so reducing carbon output is essential. Our view is a pragmatic one, however, and we believe by engaging and collaborating within these industries, showing leadership and working with others to make a difference, we have the opportunity to challenge and influence the wider industries we operate in to help shape a greener future.”

Hendy Group is celebrating success in the Dorset Business Awards winning one of the most prestigious categories on the night and being named runner-up in a second. The company took top honours in the Community Award for the work of Hendy Foundation which was set up in 2019 to provide grants to the local communities in which Hendy Group operates. Hendy Group was also a finalist in the category for Best Places to Work, supporting its commitment to its colleagues across the business. Hendy Group director commercial operations and Hendy Foundation trustee received the Community Award from HM Lord-Lieutenant for Dorset, Angus Campbell and paid tribute to everyone involved in the foundation where 98 per cent of all donations are redistributed to local charities and good causes. “Hendy Foundation is dedicated to providing grants to a wide range of local projects with more than £200,000 donated since we first set up,” said Mark. “Winning this award is tremendous for both Hendy Group and Hendy Foundation and we thank the judges and Dorset Chamber for recognising the work we do to support the local communities in the areas in which we operate.” “We were also honoured to be named among the county’s best places to work and we are proud to employ more than 1,600 colleagues as one of the UK’s largest multi-franchise dealership networks.”

Fifth-generation family bedmaker, Harrison Spinks, has welcomed the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Mr Ed Anderson, to its Leeds headquarters to formally receive its two prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and International Trade. The King’s representative visited the 183-year-old bed manufacturer’s Innovation Centre in Leeds to present its two King’s Awards to the company, which is headed by Group Chairman, Simon Spinks. The King's Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen's Awards for Enterprise, is the highest official UK award for British businesses - Harrison Spinks’ latest two awards add to the five it has previously received. The King’s Award for Innovation was granted in recognition of the company’s significant work as an industry leader in innovation and design, including its design and manufacture of revolutionary glue-less fine-wire pocket springs. Harrison Spinks also secured the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade thanks to its continued focus on manufacturing premium, responsibly sourced, handmade beds and spring components in international markets. Simon Spinks, Group Chairman for Harrison Spinks, said: “We’re all feeling extremely proud and humbled to have welcomed Mr Ed Anderson to our headquarters to receive our two King’s Awards. He met with colleagues across various areas of the business, acknowledging the group effort that has made these award wins possible." “These awards are especially important to us as a British business – we are a company that champions homemade and homegrown materials and supports other manufacturing businesses both in the UK and overseas – they are a reflection of the hard work the team has delivered, ensuring we are constantly championing innovation and high-quality design while keeping the planet in mind.” The Leeds-based company was awarded a Queen’s Award for Innovation and one for International Trade in the 2018 awards, as well as Sustainable Development in 2019. It previously received Queen’s Awards for Innovation and Sustainable Development in 2013, bringing the total number awarded to the company to seven.

Gebrüder Weiss has responded to the increasing trade volume between the United States and Mexico. One and a half years after opening a branch in El Paso, Texas, the international transport and logistics company has also added a location in Laredo, Texas – the biggest trans-shipment center for imports from Mexico. Every day, nearly 800 million US dollars’ worth of goods are transported across the border. One reason the flows of goods from the Mexico border to the United States has increased is because of a growing logistics trend called nearshoring: the practice of transferring manufacturing operations to a nearby country. Mexico is an attractive manufacturing location for corporations from China, Europe, and Latin America to shorten their supply chains into the US and an efficient alternative to overseas operations for US companies. As Mark McCullough, Country Manager of Gebrüder Weiss North America explains: "Our new team is located in Laredo directly at the intersection of two countries, both of which are major trading partners. As much as 40 percent of the trade between Mexico and the United States is handled via Laredo." Gebrüder Weiss covers the resulting transport needs with cross-border and US-wide delivery services. Moreover, a logistics warehouse provides 1,500 square meters of floor space for handling goods, including those designated as hazardous. The services provided include customs clearance and bonded storage. The new location in Laredo is just a three-hour drive away from the Mexican metropolitan region of Monterrey. In the industrial parks, US and European corporations produce electronic goods, chemical products, household appliances, textiles, steel, automotive parts, and food for global export. The exchange of goods with the United States is additionally boosted by a free-trade agreement that facilitates Mexico’s access to the world’s largest consumer market. Gebrüder Weiss has been active in the United States with its own country organization since 2017. The logistics service provider has been successful in gaining a foothold in the market, continuously expanding its network. A total of ten locations offer transport and logistics services for air & sea, land transport and warehouse logistics: Chicago, where the head office is located, as well as Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, El Paso, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and now also Laredo, Texas.

Brewers has announced the launch of their industry leading sustainability framework to support its journey to be a net zero business by 2040. As a family business trading for 120 years Brewers has always prided itself on taking a responsible approach to doing business, caring for its people and supporting the communities it operates in. To formalise this, 2023 is the year that they have set their goals, plans and actions into a sustainability framework that will inform the way they do business for the next 20 years. At the heart of the framework are 4 sustainability pledges: To decarbonise To consume less and eliminate waste To improve lives To develop the next generation To help them meet these pledges and measure progress towards them, they have established 6 primary targets: To be a net zero-carbon business by 2040. To reduce the total of our scope 1, scope 2 and transport related scope 3 emissions by 15% per annum from a 2022 base line. Through targeting a minimum volume reduction of 10% per annum, to phase out interior solvent borne decorative trim paint by 2030. To reduce, reuse, remanufacture or recycle all waste by 2030. To be an Accredited Living Wage Employer. To demonstrate a 10% annual improvement in social value through the TOMS (themes, outcomes & measures in social value) framework from a 2022 baseline. Mark Sandison, Head of Sustainability at Brewers explains more adding that "The first step has been to quantify where we currently are on our sustainability journey." "This proved to be quite challenging and we were pleased to work with our partner ‘PlanetMark’ to deep dive into the business and calculate our current carbon footprint and social value." "This has now given us a baseline upon which we can build future actions and seek continuous improvement. In the spirit of transparency, our full PlanetMark report can be viewed via our sustainability web page." "In planning our journey from this baseline, it has been vital to ensure that the whole business is involved and that we weigh three key elements – doing the right thing for the environment, doing the right thing for people and doing the right thing commercially. It’s a delicate balance but we believe the pathway we have set for the business achieves this and is, in itself, sustainable." "It has been very important to ensure that our sustainability framework is science based and fully verifiable. To ensure this we have worked with our specialist partners – PlanetMark and Resource Futures throughout the process." "Our sustainability framework is industry leading and will make a big contribution to helping to make the world a better place.” Visit their website here to find out more.

As part of a commitment to environmental stewardship, Perdue Farms associates and family members recently joined Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) representatives to build oyster cages to support the Marylanders Grow Oysters program to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The partnership aligns with the company’s “Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors®” initiative to improve quality of life and build strong communities. “The Oyster Recovery Partnership has led the way in efforts to protect and preserve the regional oyster population, and we’re proud to continue our partnership with ORP that highlights our company commitment to environmental stewardship and strengthening the vitality of the Bay watershed through this volunteer effort,” said Drew Getty, vice president of environmental sustainability for Perdue Farms. The Marylanders Grow Oysters program, an initiative of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, provides an opportunity for waterfront property owners to grow oysters from their piers to be planted on local oyster sanctuary preserves around the Bay watershed to help rebuild the oyster population. The cages are used to support the growth of young oysters during their most vulnerable first year of life. Once the oysters are about one inch in size, they are planted on local sanctuaries where their filtration powers will be put to work enriching tributaries’ ecosystems and providing habitat for marine life, such as fish and crabs. “We applaud the associates and leadership of Perdue Farms for their long-standing commitment to oyster restoration and the Chesapeake Bay. The Marylanders Grow Oysters program is an important part of Maryland’s plan to rebuild our oyster populations,” said Ward Slacum, executive director of the Oyster Recovery Partnership in Annapolis. This marks Perdue’s 14th year partnering with ORP for community-based conservation efforts. Learn more about how Perdue is helping protect the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Perdue associates have committed more than 8,000 volunteer hours to support the Oyster Recovery Partnership, building more than 200 cages and filling 10,000 shell bags for the Marylanders Grow Oysters program. The work has resulted in more than 25 million juvenile oysters planted in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The LEGO Group announced an expansion of its digital office in Copenhagen a little more than a year after its opening to support the needs of the rapidly growing digital team. The expansion includes an additional floor, extending the playful and creative workspace to three floors in the Central Copenhagen building. Atul Bhardwaj, Chief Digital & Technology Officer said: “We are delighted to be expanding our digital workspace in Copenhagen, literally taking it to the next level, which reflects the great progress we've made in becoming a more digital business. Innovative digital solutions are a vital part of making every LEGO® brand experience awesome, with the LEGO brick at our heart – whether that’s for people who play with our products, shop with us or partner with us, or who are our colleagues.” Denmark ranks as number one in the 2022 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking and Copenhagen is widely seen as a global hotspot for innovative tech start-ups and global software companies. Atul added: “Building awesome LEGO experiences requires us to continuously recruit talented new colleagues but digital talent is limited and highly sought-after. The central location in Copenhagen has proven to be great for attracting the local and international top-tier talent we set out to welcome in Copenhagen. To our diverse workforce of 23 nationalities, it means a lot that there is an international vibe, and easy access to our colleagues in Billund and the rest of the world. We are committed to further investing in creating a playful and creative work environment and look forward to continued growth and digital advances with the team.” By the end of the year, the LEGO Group aims to have tripled the size of its digital team, with around 1,800 digital colleagues in four locations: Billund, Copenhagen, London, and Shanghai. Therefore, it is actively seeking software engineers, digital product managers, designers, security specialists, technical program managers, UX/UI designers, and data scientists. Some of the company’s latest digital advances created by the LEGO Group’s in-house digital teams include a new point of sale handheld device and app that enables LEGO store teams to interact with shoppers and complete purchases anywhere in the stores and new digital tools that flow orders between warehouses to reduce delivery times for customers. Others are the new LEGO Insiders loyalty program and the LEGO digital building instructions. The digital office in Copenhagen, which currently houses more than 300 employees, is carefully designed in dialogue with the digital teams working there to enhance digital and flexible ways of working in teams - including the company’s ‘best of both’ concept that embraces working from home as well as from the office.

The biggest fleet of JCB Pothole Pros - a machine which fixes potholes in eight minutes flat - is set to hit the road in the UK after one of the country’s leading hirers placed a massive order for 50 machines. Commercial asset supplier Dawsongroup has already bought 11 JCB Pothole Pros – but all are now out on long-term hire with councils up and down the country, with more urgently needed. Demand for the machines is huge, especially given the Asphalt Industry Alliance’s (AIA) Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey estimating that there are a record £14 billion worth of outstanding road repairs in England and Wales – or a nine-year backlog. Dawsongroup | emc Managing Director Glen Carruthers said: “We only bought our first JCB Pothole Pro under a year ago and the response has been staggering, with the whole of the current fleet now out on hire. We have placed this additional order simply to keep up with demand.” JCB Municipalities General Manager Ben Rawding said: “It’s great to see the success that Dawsongroup is enjoying with the Pothole Pro. More and more local authorities, and the contractors working on their behalf, are recognising that the Pothole Pro is the best way to fix Britain’s roads quickly and permanently, first time. It is now easier than ever for UK authorities to get a JCB Pothole Pro on to their network, whether it’s in a city or in a rural county and the public will now really start to see their presence on the roads and streets around the UK.” Tests show the JCB Pothole Pro can complete a pothole repair in less than eight minutes, four times quicker than standard methods and equivalent to 700 potholes per month. With a 40km/h travel speed, the machine can also rapidly relocate between sites without additional transport costs. The JCB Pothole Pro is a unique 3-in-1 machine, cutting out the damaged surface, cropping the edges and cleaning the hole, ensuring a permanent fix. Dawsongroup | emc is JCB’s official rental partner for the Pothole Pro and the additional machines will be supplied through dealer TC Harrison JCB. Dawsongroup | emc, previously known as Dawsongroup | sweepers, is part of a global group of companies committed to providing an extensive product range, and first-class customer service across the supply chain.

Arco , the UK’s leading safety products and services company, has announced the renewal of its long-standing relationship with FedEx, the world’s largest express transportation company. The exclusive multi-million-pound deal will ensure Arco’s commitment to deliver excellent customer service and remain at the forefront of logistics and supply chain excellence. Hull-based Arco provides a joined-up safety approach through equipment, expert knowledge, training and consultancy services. As the only safety partner to deliver a strategic end-to-end approach across the hierarchy of control, its collaboration with FedEx will continue to enhance the efficiency of its operation. Working across Arco’s operating bases including the National Distribution Centre in Hull, the Arco Clothing Centre in Preston and all other retail operations, FedEx currently processes over 7,500 parcels per day, for next day delivery. This collaboration has been a vital part of Arco’s supply chain, ensuring seamless logistics and timely deliveries to customers across the UK. The long-term close strategic relationship between Arco and FedEx first began in 2009 and has since been extended to December 2026. Throughout this relationship, FedEx has consistently demonstrated its ability to provide high-quality services, making them an ideal supplier for Arco's ongoing growth and development. Neil Griffiths, Divisional Director, Logistics and Supply Chain at Arco said: “Since we signed the original contract in 2009, FedEx has proven to be the perfect supplier for Arco." "With demonstrated excellence in reliability and customer service, we are delighted to extend this exclusive agreement through to the end of 2026. Both companies share the same values in terms of innovation and quality, and together we can build a positive future for our business and the customers we serve.” ‘’We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with Arco. We’ve been working closely with them to improve and optimise their supply chain to deliver outstanding customer experience whilst delighting Arco’s customers.” said Rob Peto, Vice President Ground Operations, FedEx Express.

JCB announced it is set to build a new factory in North America which will create 1,500 new jobs over the next five years. The construction of the 720,000 sq ft (67,000m²) factory will begin early next year on a 400-acre site in San Antonio, Texas. The new facility will manufacture machines largely for customers in North America, the world’s biggest market for construction equipment. The plant will be the second JCB factory in North America, where the company began manufacturing in Savannah, Georgia, in 2001. JCB North America already employs 1,000 people. Details of the products to be manufactured at the new plant will be announced at a later date. JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “North America is integral to the growth and success of JCB’s business in the future and the time is now right for JCB to expand its manufacturing presence there. Texas is a vibrant and growing economy, and the State offers great advantages in terms of a central location, as well as good highway and port access, The city of San Antonio also has a well-established skills base, which makes it a very attractive place to set up a factory.” JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “JCB has come a long way since selling its first machine to the US market in 1964 .This new investment is good news for our North American customers and is a fantastic platform on which JCB can build.” Richard Fox-Marrs, President & CEO of JCB North America, said: “The growth we’ve experienced in the past few years in North America has been extensive and demand for our products continues to grow. The decision to expand our manufacturing footprint will bring us even closer to our customers and will allow us to further capitalise on market opportunities in North America.” JCB has 22 factories around the world, including 11 in the UK, and others in India, Brazil, and China. The company will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.

As part of the British Chambers of Commerce's annual Chamber Business Awards 2023, we are delighted to announce that Omega Proteins Ltd Penrith (Leo Group Ltd) has been named the regional winner of the Chamber Business Awards 2023 in the Planet Saver category. The awards, now in its 20th year, is one of the showpieces of the business calendar, highlighting the role of firms in delivering growth and prosperity for the UK and local communities. The Planet Saver award recognises the work of an organisation with sustainability at the heart of their business. They are fully committed to sustainable best practice and making the world a better and safer place. We are proud to be this year's Cumbria Chamber of Commerce regional winner. Protecting the environment and contributing to a sustainable future have been at the forefront of Leo Group's vision and values over the last four decades, modernising the rendering industry, focusing on environmentally friendly equipment, powering its plants with renewable energy and reducing its carbon emissions. Danny Sawrij, CEO and owner of Leo Group, said: “We use pioneering and environmentally friendly technologies to convert animal waste into valuable, sustainable and reusable resources, reducing the impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate. Receiving this award for our continued commitment is a fantastic feeling.”

Members of Family Business United can get a 20% discount on HMG Paints range of decorative and protective coatings from shop.hmgpaint.com. The offer covers a range of paints and coatings ideal for decorating your home or offices along with your garden. Also available is a range of protective coatings including Ferrozinc Rust Converter and a range of Floor Paints. Find out more about the products by visiting the shop here and remember to add the code FAMBIZ20 when checking out in order for the 20% discount to be applied. Established in 1930 HMG has grown to become the UK’s Leading Independent Paint Manufacturer. Offering innovative and compliant paints and coatings to a variety of markets all backed up with outstanding technical support and customer service. For this HMG have accepted numerous awards such as the UK Coatings Care award and were the first independent UK Paint Company to be awarded British Standards quality BS5750 (FM1524). HMG’s Head office and primary manufacturing plant is based in Manchester, UK.