Key Thoughts: The new world of hybrid working is complicated and changing all the time. It is tempting to put off major decisions until this has settled down and the labour market has organised into a new stable set of norms. I don’t think this will happen within the next few years. The dynamics of today’s hybrid labour market form a complex system, which is therefore inherently unpredictable. This is uncomfortable because preserving optionality will be expensive. But making significant commitments on the assumption that any one model will prevail is risky, particularly for businesses with lots of interdependencies. Instead family businesses like any other organisation must accept that the way we work is going to be unpredictable and take decisions which are resilient to this change, rather than try and ‘see round corners.’ In a tight labour market where talent is scarce family business should make a virtue of their optionality and flexibility on this issue to attract talent. Family business pride themselves on valuing trust between them and their stakeholders. Some businesses really struggle with hybrid working because they simply don’t trust their employees to be productive when WFH. They need to be able to see it or measure it. Family business could again differentiate themselves here by having faith in their employees to “do the right thing”? Email is 51 years old and has been a staple tool of office workers for at least 25 years. However, in that time we still haven’t really adopted a set of ubiquitous norms; we still receive 100’s of messages a day and use basically the same workflow for ‘fancy a brew’ and ‘please see attached a multimillion pound contract.’ If we haven’t been able to come up with a standard approach to using that mature, stable 25+ year old technology, the idea that we are going to quickly settle on new ways of working after the shock of the pandemic is a pipe-dream. We have all made discoveries we cannot unmake. We’ve learnt that it is possible to run many business-critical processes from home. The teams or zoom call is not nearly as horrible as the early video-conferences. Staff working from home can be just as productive as those in the office. This gives us enormous possibilities; and our staff get to save the time lost in commuting and reinvest that into their fitness, their family or any number of other wellbeing enhancing activities. No wonder so many finance directors look at the real estate costs and see opportunities for savings. Others, faced with a sunk cost of long term leases are trying all sorts of experiments to fill those desks on Mondays and Fridays from free lunches to surge-pricing desk recharge schemes. Even the weekend, Henry Ford’s 96-year old invention, might be up for renegotiation, traded away for a 4 days in 7 flexible work pattern and childcare savings. It’s no wonder that those faced with a major decision today, such as whether to invest in more space, or whether to adopt a new home working policy are finding that call hard to make. How long should we wait for things to settle down? My advice is not to wait at all. I think the only sensible forecast about the future is that its going to be uncertain for a while. Let’s look at things from our staff’s point of view. For them, we have inadvertently created a new set of incentives around coming to the office. Pre-pandemic, a season ticket for the train or a car park was good value. But we don’t buy the season ticket for 2 days per week. We pay as you go. And that means the marginal cost of a trip to the office has gone from £3 for a coffee perhaps £20 or £30. Now commuting is an investment decision. The day in the office has to be worth it. And now, getting your team all in on the same day is an exercise in game theory. Family business pride themselves on valuing trust between them and their stakeholders. Some businesses really struggle with hybrid working because they simply don’t trust their employees to be productive when working from home. They need to be able to see the work being done or measure it. Family business could again differentiate themselves here by having faith in their employees to “do the right thing.” But when it comes to other stakeholders, we need to take account of the way they’ve chosen to work. How often have we rearranged our whole week so we can come in on a different day to meet that important customer? And then asked all the other people we were going to meet to shuffle their diaries. That creates a whiplash effect whereby the diaries of our junior staff are constantly changing. And until we get some amazing AI-based, high frequency trading algorithms constantly shuffling our appointments, this is going to make life unpredictable for some time yet. While firms are trying different approaches, staff will move from one place to another; and in a seller’s market for talent the best staff will seek an organisation that flexes to suit them, not the other way around. In a tight labour market where talent is scarce family business should make a virtue of their optionality and flexibility on this issue to attract talent Take advantage of speedier decision making and shorter chains of command. Pivot faster than slower-to-act competitors with more complicated governance. The upshot of all this uncertainty means I predict that we are going to be in a ‘wild west’ of experiments and competing norms for some time. Remember, we still haven’t cracked how to manage email and we’ve had that for a quarter of a century. So, how much real estate do you commit to and for how long? How permanent do you make your work from home policy? All things being equal I’d pay a premium for a break clause rather than commit hoping any emerging model will prevail. And I’d be open with my staff that we are trying things out. Rather than try and see round corners, I think those organisations which keep their options open have the best chance of attracting post-pandemic talent. About the Author - Mark Essex is the Course Director for KPMG’s Family Business Leadership Academy. Our flagship programme helps the next generation to hone the skills to lead in a macro-economic environment very different from the one the previous generation faced. Mark has a background in business modelling, strategy and public policy across sectors. Since 2016 he’s being helping clients with problems without a playbook. Think Brexit, Covid, and hybrid working. Now he helps clients attract and retain the best people in a seller’s market for talent. For these challenges, there is limited data. Mark helps leaders to use other tools such as first principles analysis, systems thinking and looking to other times, sectors and markets for answers. And to use these plus imagination and courage to take decisions when the world is uncertain and ambiguous.

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

The benefits of sustainability for UK SMEs and how debt funding can help your journey to net zero. SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy, representing over 90% of all UK businesses. Therefore, environmental, and social challenges can only be addressed appropriately with the small business sector fully involved. In fact, the role of SMEs in sustainability is of tremendous importance for a sustainability agenda to be realised. In a continuing complex, competitive and volatile business environment, the adoption of sustainability principles is of utmost importance for SMEs. Given the growing amount of regulatory and business requirements related to sustainable practices and reporting in SME sectors, such as legislation, investors, supply chain, clients, talent etc. It is important to address the topic to help future proof small businesses. In recent years, SMEs have started to change the way they look towards sustainability. It is not only good for the environment, but also good for business. In this blog post, we look at the benefits of putting in place a sustainability strategy for your business and how debt funding can help. Sustainability is no longer just a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a business necessity. Businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve are increasingly investing in sustainability, both in terms of their operations and in terms of their products and services. This is good news for the environment, and its’s good news for the economy too. If you’re a business owner, there are many things you can do to make your business more sustainable, including: Introducing energy-saving measures in your workplace Switching to environmentally-friendly products and services Encouraging your employees to adopt sustainable lifestyles Communicating your commitment to sustainability to your customers and supplier Is sustainability a mere goal or a broader strategy? The challenge for most businesses is not just changing their approach towards sustainability – it’s making the transition from seeing sustainability as a goal, to seeing it as a strategy. This requires a shift in thinking. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help you make the transition and put in place a sustainable business strategy. So, what are the core areas businesses need to be most aware of? Environmental Issues The most obvious benefit in an increased focus on sustainability is environmental. In the past, many businesses saw sustainability as a nice to have, but not something that was essential to their operations. However, this is no longer the case. As more people become aware of the severe environmental problems that we face, they are demanding that businesses do their part to help address these issues. This increased awareness has led to a change in attitude amongst SMEs, who are now seeing sustainability as an important business goal that can help them connect better with their target audience. Sustainability Is Good For Businesses What’s good for the environment is good for business. Many businesses view sustainability as a cost-saving measure. They see it as a way to reduce their environmental impact and save money on resources. However, what they are starting to realise is that sustainability can also have a positive impact on their bottom line. Sustainability can help businesses attract and retain customers, who are increasingly interested in supporting sustainable businesses. Plus, it can also help businesses reduce their operating costs, by making them more efficient. In other words, sustainability is not just good for the environment – it’s directly good for business too! Changing Regulations In many countries around the world, including the UK, governments are introducing legislation that requires businesses to take steps to improve their environmental performance. This is having a big impact on SMEs, who are now starting to see sustainability as a compliance issue. It is important to note that these regulations can also be an opportunity for businesses to gain a competitive advantage. Those businesses that are able to comply with the regulations early will be in a strong position to capitalise on the growing demand for sustainable products and services. The Green Manufacturing Processes One area that has seen a noticeable change in attitudes is manufacturing, with a shift towards Green Manufacturing Processes. The Greenhouse gases from industries are one of the main reasons for climate change. These gases come from different sources in an industry like burning fossil fuels, chemical reactions, and other industrial processes. If the process of creating a product is not sustainable, it can have a negative effect on the environment throughout its life cycle. It is important for businesses to consider the sustainability of their manufacturing processes to help reduce pollution and conserve resources. There are many ways that businesses can make their manufacturing processes more sustainable. One way is to use green energy sources like solar or wind power. Another way is to use recycled materials instead of virgin materials. And another way is to implement lean manufacturing principles to reduce waste and increase efficiency. As is the case with most processes, the first step here is to assess the sustainability of your current manufacturing processes. Once you have done this, you can then start to look at ways to improve them. Implementing even a few simple changes can make a big difference to the environmental impact of your business. How Can Debt Funding Help? It goes without saying that it’s not just big businesses that need to worry/care about sustainability – it’s important for businesses of all sizes. SMEs are often in a better position to make the transition to sustainable business practices than larger businesses. This is because they are usually more agile and can respond quickly to changes in the market. The attitude of SMEs has shifted to taking sustainability as a norm, rather than a good to have. The need for sustainable finance to unlock SME greening is therefore critical. Access to finance is high among the challenges entrepreneurs face in the journey to net zero. They are less able than larger firms to absorb up-front costs of developing green products or investments, where benefits take time to materialise. At SME Capital , we can provide specialised, long-term financial alternatives for SMEs looking to invest in, and scale, their sustainability strategy as part of their growth plans. In fact, we exist because we firmly believe that our specifically designed finance solutions for UK companies, which will aid in your growth and success, represent a better option. We use a cash flow-based approach to lending, offering a multiple of business profitability, specifically EBITDA, as opposed to a loan amount being directly tied to the value of specific assets. We can provide an economic solution to consolidate smaller lenders, or refinance expensive short-term loans, while providing additional working capital for the business. And we do not ask for personal guarantees or collateral. To learn more about our debt funding solutions, get in touch with us today.

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

Gebrüder Weiss offers its customers a particularly eco-friendly transport solution: the logistics company uses an e-cargo bike to deliver consignments to private households and companies in Lauterach, Wolfurt, Hard, Kennelbach, Schwarzach, Dornbirn and Bregenz. The vehicle, which, like an e-bike, moves supported by an electric motor, can transport consignments with a total weight of up to 200 kilograms and cover 80 kilometers per day on one battery charge. There are plans to expand the service to other locations. “E-cargo bikes are emission-free, maneuverable, largely independent of traffic density, and can ride right up to the recipients’ front door – even in the pedestrian zone,” explains Stefan Oberhauser, Branch Manager Vorarlberg Land & Logistics at Gebrüder Weiss. Oberhauser expects around 900 consignments a month to be delivered by the Wolfurt-based cargo bike. The cargo bike is used by employees of Integra Vorarlberg, a social organization and work initiative for the long-term unemployed. For Irena Lang, Managing Director of the social integration company, this cooperation is a success in several respects: “In this way, we offer our clients new perspectives and opportunities for development after a prolonged period of job hunting. This is one of our central concerns. And we can contribute to the conservation of natural resources, which is also very important to us.” Delivery by e-cargo bike is another measure taken by Gebrüder Weiss to make transport more sustainable. The logistics expert is already using various alternative drive technologies in trucks and is currently testing an e-truck in everyday logistics operations in Vorarlberg.

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

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

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

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

It didn’t matter whether you were a business or a consumer, everything from the UK energy crisis to cost of living made 2022 an incredibly tough year for many. Unfortunately, with a poll of 101 economists for the Financial Times claiming the UK is facing the “worst and longest recession” out of the G7 nations, 2023 has not started any better. If a silver lining is to be found, however, it’s worth remembering that in periods of great difficulty, such as this, the innovative attitude of savvy entrepreneurs can help them thrive! Here, Sarah Kauter – managing director of the digital PR and marketing agency, VerriBerri – has provided her top 5 tips to ensure your business succeeds in 2023. 1. Don’t Face It Alone A lot of entrepreneurs hold the very proud notion that they have the ability to handle every aspect of their business by themselves. Whilst their technical understanding and methodical approach to it all may well be phenomenal, this attitude is just not practical or sustainable. Furthermore, every successful entrepreneur must prove their ability to successfully delegate. For an employee to give you their all, they need to be challenged with the authority to solve problems for themselves. Aside from your business’ needs, however, make sure to consider your needs, too! By opting to tackle everything alone, loneliness is inevitable. Building a trustworthy team will not only help you to improve your business, but may also provide many mental health benefits. 2. Hire The Right People As an entrepreneur, letting go of complete control can be difficult but having a solid team around you to delegate to can ease this anxiety. The right hiring strategy will need to be in place in order to make this possible. Many employers will focus their interview questions solely around the task, without much of an attempt to learn about the person. This certainly isn’t a foolproof way of securing a great hire. Speaking to someone on a personal level will help you make a clear judgement. All the traditional aspects of the interview process are, of course, important and shouldn’t be forgotten, but it’s also a good idea for the candidate to meet the team before they’re offered the job (and before they accept it!). Give them the opportunity to speak with the team; for questions to be shared back and forth. You’ve interviewed them, now give them the opportunity to interview you. This will ensure you’re hiring someone that isn’t just capable, but passionate about the work. 3. Understand Your Audience It goes without saying that the way you present yourself to customers and clients is very important. One mistake a lot of entrepreneurs make right off the bat is assuming everyone is their client; everyone is their customer. It’s easy to see why this enthusiastic mindset could be viewed as a positive, but it’s ultimately a hindrance, as you will be unable to effectively pinpoint your actual target audience and deliver the value they expect and deserve. Pleasing everybody is an impossibility. Success in 2023 will require many businesses to adopt a more customer-focused approach. As many people have less money to spend, they will inevitably put a greater focus on purchases that have real value. Listen to what your prospective clients and customers not only want, but need. This will help you maximise the value you provide. 4. Self-Reflect It’s easy, and largely correct, to state that such things as the cost of living crisis and the recession are holding our businesses back. No one can dispute that. Something often dismissed, however, as it’s not particularly pleasant to consider or address, is that in many cases, we are the ones who hold ourselves back. Self-reflection will lead to a greater awareness of how your relationship with work may be preventing you from meeting your own personal needs. Dismissing this can lead to negative emotions which, in turn, will result in negative work outcomes. Consider what decisions you can make that will leave you feeling calmer and more content in yourself and in the way your business operates. Perhaps you don’t see yourself as particularly creative, but your business requires a certain degree of creativity. Don’t just suffer with your perceived inadequacy, as this mindset will only hold your business back. Work out what you can do to address these weaknesses and grow your business. 5. Learn From Your Mistakes The previous four tips have been suggested in the effort to prevent mistakes, but it’s also very important to know how best to deal with the mistakes and issues that will inevitably arise. Mistakes are bound to happen, and embracing them as ‘feedback’, rather than ‘failure’, is one of the most productive things you can do. Always strive for excellence over perfection. If something is perfect, it never wasn’t perfect, which is entirely unrealistic. If something is excellent, however, it exhibits hard work, resilience and dedication. Success can’t exist without mistakes!

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

Latest research shows that there are still significant barriers to growth for all businesses, including family firms as a result of the pandemic. KEY FINDINGS: 59% of workers believe the pandemic has had a negative long-term impact on the operations of the business they work for A third of workers think their business is less efficient since COVID-19 37% believe their employee experience has got worse 84% would like to see policies that were dropped as a result of the pandemic brought back Face-to-face training found to be the activity most employees want to return According to new research, 59% of workers in ‘deskless’ industries, including manufacturing, care, construction, and retail, believe the ongoing effect of the pandemic is having a negative impact on the operations of the business they work for. This is a challenge which, left unaddressed, could have disastrous consequences for UK industry. On top of this, almost a third of workers (30%) think that the business they work for is less efficient now as a result of its response to COVID-19. The study found that employee satisfaction is also continuing to suffer in the aftermath of the pandemic. Over a third (37%) of workers state that their employee experience is worse now than pre-2020. The most common reasons for this included staff shortages (51%), less in-person training (37%), worse communication (36%), less training across the board (32%), and fewer opportunities for development (26%). This is having devastating consequences for the UK’s deskless workforce. 53% feel less motivated, 32% are unhappy at work, and 31% are less productive. One in five are even considering leaving their company in the next 12 months, whilst 17% suggest they might leave the industry they work in altogether, posing a significant risk for those industries already facing skills shortages. The research, which was conducted by Cloud Assess , also analysed the specific policy changes that are driving these ongoing challenges. It found that 85% of businesses adopted new policies for their deskless workers as a result of the pandemic, 80% of which are continuing some of these practices today. The new policies which are most likely to have continued include calls hosted on Zoom, online training, fewer meetings, and fewer site visits from management. Some of these changes are supported by workers. For example, 76% support the move towards video calls, rather than phone calls, whilst 61% believe having fewer meetings is having a positive impact on the business they work for. However, as well as taking up new policies, almost two-thirds (64%) of businesses stopped some activities entirely because of the pandemic and have not resumed them since, leading to dissatisfaction and concern amongst employees. The activities that are most likely to have been dropped include team parties, in-person meetings, and in-person training. The research found that 84% of workers would like to see at least some of these activities return, suggesting a strong demand amongst employees for vital face-to-face contact with team members to resume. Interestingly, in-person training was found to be the activity that most workers would like to see resumed. This is no surprise, given the huge impact the pandemic had on training provisions in businesses across the UK. In fact, almost three quarters (73%) of the employees researched claim that the training they are offered by their employer has been affected by the pandemic. 26% state they are being offered fewer training opportunities, whilst over one in 10 (11%) claim that their employer has stopped providing training and development opportunities altogether. Many employers are also opting to move toward online training, or e-learning. 28% state that more of their training is delivered online, with 11% stating that 100% of their training is now delivered online. This shift in training provisions has not proven popular. 85% of workers whose employees have moved towards online training believe it has had some negative impact on them. The most common complaint is that training sessions are now boring (39%). This is followed by a feeling that training is now being viewed as a tick box exercise by employers (34%). More concerning still, 28% feel like they retain the information for less time when learning online, whilst 21% feel as though they are learning less. Just 20% believe that the online training provided to them is benefiting their long-term career, whilst even fewer (18%) think it’s making them better at their job. Over one in 10 even stated that they feel less valued by their employer as a result of the move towards online training. Rob Bright, CEO and Founder of Cloud Assess, comments: “Whilst the pandemic did lead to positive changes for some businesses, our research shows the extent to which deskless industries, in particular, are being held back by lockdown hangovers. Clearly, UK industry is facing a major challenge when it comes to staff engagement and satisfaction, with many craving in-person interactions which employers have failed to resume since the pandemic.” “This is understandable. Skills shortages mean resources are tighter than ever before, making it tempting for businesses to cut corners when it comes to activities like employee engagement and training. However, our study demonstrates that these ‘time saving’ policies could be hampering long-term success and growth." "For example, whilst e-learning might be saving time for employers in the short-term, it’s failing to truly upskill workers in the long run, leading to poor ROI and growing disillusionment amongst the workforce. When coupled with ongoing operational and efficiency challenges, these post-pandemic legacies are set to pose a significant threat to firms across Britain if not addressed quickly.”