Monthly Archives: August 2021

Awards, EU, News

Bachem recognised as a winner at the Swiss Biotech Success Stories Awards 2021

Bachem is pleased to announce that the company has been recognised as one of the five winners of the Swiss Biotech Success Stories Awards 2021. 

They have been recognised for the value that they have consistently achieved for the past 50 years — a success story based on quality, innovation, sustainability and technological leadership. The company has grown over 50% in the last five years —  operating with sites across the world — and now offer more than 5,500 different biologically active peptides, amino acid derivatives and oligonucleotides.

The prestigious awards, bestowed by the Swiss Biotech Association, celebrate those who have made important and sustainable contributions to the biotech industry in Switzerland. Selected success stories such as Bachem are showcased to illustrate how Swiss biotech companies contribute to helping patients and improving health care worldwide. The award reflects Bachem’s passionate and unwavering support to their customers in discovering breakthrough medical advances that will significantly improve the life of patients.

It is important to celebrate these success stories and to show the world how vital biotechnology is for the future of humankind to survive and thrive. These life-changing innovations are a result of crucial scientific methods which need substantial financial and public support to keep moving forward.

Thomas Meier, CEO of Bachem AG, commented:

“I am happy that Bachem has won a Swiss Biotech Success Stories Award. Within fifty years, we have grown from a small company of two people to a leading provider for the world’s biopharmaceutical industry. This award is a testament to the team of talented and dedicated people that are the foundation of Bachem’s long-term success. I would like to thank the Swiss Biotech Association for this recognition.

We are proud of our strong Swiss heritage as we are of the strong global impact we can make for our customers and ultimately patients worldwide.

At Bachem, we take a long-term approach and continue to see broad-based growth, both in terms of products and geography. Despite the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to build new production capabilities and hire people across all our sites.”

Luca Bolliger, President of the Jury of Swiss Biotech Success Stories, commented:

“The tag for our initiative is Success Stories, but what we really mean is Value! Bachem is an entrepreneurial story that consistently created value for the last 50 years in Switzerland and abroad. Like with the current laureates and the one to come, it is important to celebrate valuable achievements within the life sciences ecosystem but it is also essential to share it with the public to educate, and the young generations as a palatable path forward for their future.”

Success categories

Bachem was chosen as a winner due to a number of success categories, including:

  • Completed achievement with lasting impact
  • Creation of jobs in Switzerland
  • Enabler for the biotech industry
  • Involvement of one or more Swiss citizens
  • Product approval and sustainable revenues
  • Swiss-based company / institution
  • Swissness: Think global, made in Switzerland

The company is honored to be recognized by the association and will attend the Swiss Biotech Day event on September 7 in Basel where the award will be collected personally.

Logistics, News

ArrowXL Awarded Contract with Direct4X4

Direct4x4 one of the largest 4×4/SUV accessory retailers in Europe has chosen ArrowXL, the leading two-person delivery company to handle the delivery of its premium exterior & auto styling parts to households across the UK.

Direct4x4 supply premium quality expedition wilderness camping gear for 4x4s, SUVs, MPVs, pickup trucks, vans, minivans and off-road vehicles.  ArrowXL’s 2-person delivery service will collect goods on a daily basis from their Derby depot and deliver it to the customer’s room of choice.  The customer will be able to nominate their delivery day and request a 2-hour time slot.   The ‘askAXL’ tracking web-app will allow customers to track their orders in real time as their 2-hour time slot dynamically reduces to just 30 minutes.  Customers can track their purchase as it works its way through the network and on the day of delivery can track the vehicle using the interactive map.
Mark Kerry, General Manager at Direct4x4 said: “Great customer service is paramount for us at Direct4x4 and we were looking for a delivery company who could provide a clear line of communication with our customer, as-well as offer a choice of delivery dates and times.  We’re confident that ArrowXL will provide excellent customer service and we look forward to working together and growing our respective businesses.”

Danny South, Business Development Manager at ArrowXL commented: “With a strong customer driven ethos, Direct4x4 wanted a delivery service to reflect this. Our ability to provide the customer with clear communication, choice and convenience makes for the perfect partnership. One which we hope continues for many years to come.”

News

IRIS Software Group expands managed payroll services offering with Payplus acquisition

IRIS Software Group (IRIS), one of the UK’s largest privately owned software companies, is today announcing it has acquired Payplus, the best-in-class managed payroll services provider for businesses and educational organisations in the UK.

Founded in 2008, Payplus’ managed payroll and P11D services enable employers to free themselves from the administrative burden of running payroll to focus on more profit-orientated tasks and growing their businesses.

The move comes as the Office for National Statistics reports the number of payroll employees continues to rise, totalling 28.9 million in June 2021 as COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease across the country. Over decades, IRIS has built unrivalled knowledge and expertise in payroll software, delivering huge efficiencies to payroll teams so they can focus on growing their business. Over 6 million employees globally, including one in five of the UK’s workforce, are paid by IRIS payroll offerings.

CIPP Payroll Assurance Scheme (PAS) accredited, Payplus is a highly regarded partner to businesses and educational organisations and its solutions complement IRIS’ broader managed payroll services portfolio and philosophy – to take the pain out of processes and enable professionals to focus on the work they love.

With payroll now more complex than ever following the introduction of furlough during the pandemic, there is an increasing need for trusted, reliable payroll services. This move demonstrates IRIS’ commitment to investing in people and products that broaden its service offerings for businesses and education organisations. It marks the next stage in IRIS’ mission to increase its reach and market share in the managed payroll services arena as part of its long-term ‘build, buy, partner’ strategy.

Elona Mortimer-Zhika, CEO of IRIS Software Group says, “Payplus joining the IRIS family allows us to expand our offerings for managed payroll services, delivering businesses and educational organisations a best-in-class service, getting payroll right first time, every time. The sheer complexity of payroll, especially during the pandemic, with ongoing regulatory changes around the furlough scheme, has meant businesses need the bandwidth and energy to focus on profitable growth.

“Our goal is to support our customers to work productively and remain compliant. We are delighted to bring Payplus onboard and will continue to support its growth and invest in its best-in-class services to benefit both existing and new customers.”

Robin Mead, MD of Payplus says, “We’ve spent the last 13 years working with businesses and educational organisations to develop managed payroll services that enable them to outsource the burden of payroll so that they can focus on more profit-focused work. With the incredible IRIS resources and working with the brilliant IRIS team, who are obsessed with everything payroll as we are, we’ll be able to take our services to the next level. We couldn’t be more excited about joining the IRIS family.”

News, North of England

Female Entrepreneur Beats the Pandemic Odds by Growing Business By 30%

As many businesses have suffered greatly from the fall out of Covid-19, the world’s first geospatial marketer and Yorkshire resident, Elaine Ball has announced the successful growth of her business, Elaine Ball Ltd – a dedicated business & marketing consultancy for the global Geospatial industry, delivering business, sales, and marketing consulting services through workshops, consultancy, training, and execution.

Expecting to be impacted negatively by the pandemic, Elaine has in fact seen revenue grow by 30% and staff increase by 25% over the past 12 months.

In 2013, Elaine invested £60,000 of her own savings to launch Elaine Ball Ltd, hiring seasoned professionals from the field to bolster team experience and skill – an investment that has paid off eight years later.

The company has experienced a period of rapid expansion, particularly with the launch of its Get Kids into Survey recruitment campaign, designed to introduce and educate the younger generation to the relatively unknown world of surveying and encourage them to consider it as a possible career path. 

Elaine Ball Ltd has also now formally launched the all-new global Geospatial Marketing Academy (GMA). This is an online programme for survey companies and equipment manufacturers/resellers, helping them to get clear on their transformations and bring a client-driven marketing approach in house. 

Elaine comments:

“It’s fantastic that the business has gone from strength to strength and we’re turning over more revenue than we ever have before. I truly believe this is down to the passion behind and intent of the team, focused on raising the standards of sales and marketing within the Geospatial industry.”

“The pandemic hasn’t deterred our mission at all – in fact, it may have helped. As strange as that may sound, the industry as a whole is very behind in terms of techniques, for instance many of them haven’t been using digital marketing techniques. Lockdown forced many geospatial companies online for the first time, which was necessary and long overdue!”

Cybersecurity, News

Check Point Software’s Mid-Year Security Report Reveals a 29% Increase in Cyber-attacks Against Organizations Globally

‘Cyber Attack Trends: 2021 Mid-Year Report’ uncovers how cyber criminals have continued to exploit the Covid-19 pandemic and highlights a dramatic 93% increase in the number of ransomware attacks globally

 Check Point Research (CPR), the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, has released its ‘Cyber Attack Trends: 2021 Mid-Year Report’, which shows how cyber criminals have continued to exploit the global shift to hybrid working and target organizations across all sectors, including government, healthcare and critical infrastructure.

Organizations have experienced a 29% increase in cyber-attacks globally. The EMEA region showed the highest growth with 36%, followed by the Americas with an increase of 34% with APAC witnessing a 13% growth in attacks.  This year has also seen a new ‘Triple Extortion’ ransomware technique emerge.  While there have been successful international operations targeting cyber-crime, such as the take-down of the notorious Emotet botnet, threat actors launched sophisticated attacks which exploited organizations’ supply chains to cause widespread disruption.

Key trends revealed in the report include:

  • Global increase in cyber-attacks: In 2021, US organizations saw an average of 443 weekly attacks, marking a 17% increase compared to earlier this year. In EMEA, the weekly average of attacks per organization was 777, a 36% increase. APAC organizations saw 1338 weekly attacks, a 13% increase. Specifically within Europe there was an increase of 27% while Latin America saw an increase of 19%.
  • The rise of ransomware attacks and ‘Triple Extortion’: Globally, the number of ransomware attacks on organizations increased by 93% in H1 2021, compared to the same period last year. Increasingly, in addition to stealing sensitive data from organizations and threatening to release it publicly unless a payment is made, attackers are now targeting organizations’ customers and/or business partners and demanding ransom from them too.
  • Supply chain attacks step up: The well-known SolarWinds supply chain attack stands out in 2021 due to its scale and influence, but other sophisticated supply chain attacks have occurred such as Codecov in April, and most recently Kaseya.
  • The race to become Emotet’s successor: Following the botnet’s takedown in January, other malwares are quickly gaining popularity, namely: Trickbot, Dridex, Qbot and IcedID.
  • Predictions for H2 2021: Ransomware will grow, despite law enforcement stepping up. Increased use of penetration tools to give live hackers ability to customize attacks on the fly and a trend towards collateral damage well beyond the initial target victim calls for a collateral damage strategy.

 “In the first half of 2021, cyber criminals have continued to adapt their working practices in order to exploit the shift to hybrid working, targeting organizations’ supply chains and network links to partners in order to achieve maximum disruption,” said Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software. “This year cyber-attacks have continued to break records and we have even seen a huge increase in the number of ransomware attacks, with high-profile incidents such as Solarwinds, Colonial Pipeline, JBS or Kayesa.  Looking ahead, organizations should be aware of the risks and ensure that they have the appropriate solutions in place to prevent, without disrupting the normal business flow, the majority of attacks including the most advanced ones.”

Top predictions for H2 highlighted in the report include:

The war on Ransomware will intensify – Ransomware attacks will continue to proliferate despite increased investment from governments and law enforcement, especially as the Biden Administration makes this a priority.  With such investment and ever more advanced tools, the authorities will enjoy some successes, but threat actors will evolve, and new groups will emerge in the ransomware arms race.

Man-in-the-Middle becomes the hacker in the network – Over the past two years, we have seen an acceleration in the use of penetration tools, such as Cobalt Strike and Bloodhound. These tools don’t just pose a real challenge from a detection point of view, they also grant live hackers access to compromised networks, allowing them to scan and scroll at will and customize attacks on the fly. Security professionals will need a whole new set of skills to detect this form of attack and prevent it from happening in the future.

Collateral Damage beyond the initial target – The growing trends of triple extortion, supply chain attacks and even just remote cyber-attacks may affect businesses more than ever. The triple extortion trend in ransomware now includes not only the original target organization, but also its customers, partners and vendors. This multiplies the actual victims of each attack and requires a special security strategy.

The ‘Cyber Attack Trends: 2021 Mid-Year Report’ gives a detailed overview of the cyber-threat landscape. These findings are based on data drawn from Check Point Software’s ThreatCloud Intelligence between January and June 2021, highlighting the key tactics cyber-criminals are using to attack businesses. A full copy of the report is available from here.

News

25 Years of the Nightingale House Hospice Lottery

Nightingale House Hospice is sending a big thank you to all its lottery members for their incredible support over the last 25 years, especially during the challenging times of the last seventeen months. Last year the Hospice lottery raised over £500,000 towards providing specialist palliative care services for patients and their families.

Lockdown meant the closure of the Hospice shops and cafés and the usual ways of fundraising were not possible. The revenue generated by the lottery became a lifeline and a vital source of regular income.

The first Nightingale House lottery draw was in April 1996 and 499 members from that draw are still playing today. Many other members have been playing for over 20 years. Ann and Ray Ledsham are two of the original members. Ann tells us why they still play:

“We are delighted to have been involved with the Hospice lottery since it began 25 years ago. My husband and I both joined as we wanted to help in any way we could, and the lottery seemed a great way of supporting on a regular basis. My parents also joined at the same time and my mother is still a member at the age of 92. We know that the income from the lottery is more important now than ever.

The Hospice cared for four very dear friends of ours who received the most wonderful care. When we visited, straight away you could feel the warm and caring atmosphere. It is such a positive place which made such a difference to the last weeks of their lives. We also know the incredible support they give to families. They care for and support the whole family as well as the patients. It is why we have continued to play for so many years, knowing that Nightingale House is so important to so many people in Wrexham.

We’ve been lucky enough to have two wins playing the Hospice lottery. Our first win was used for a holiday and the second is ear marked for a new patio. We would encourage everybody to join the lottery and support the Hospice.”

 

Tracey Price, Lottery Manager at Nightingale House Hospice said:

“We’d like to send a big heartfelt thank you to the 15,000 lottery players who support the Hospice every week. Thank you for being part of something amazing. The income the lottery generates is more important now than ever. We want to lay the foundations for the next 25 years and build the lottery to ensure that we can continue to care for more patients and their families in the years ahead, but this requires new members.

Joining the lottery is one of the easiest ways you can support the Hospice. Each week you could be in with a chance of winning the jackpot prize of £2,500. Your £1 a week could do so much. New members of the lottery and the ongoing support from our players is one of the most valuable ways of supporting us.”

 

You can join the lottery at www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/join-ourlottery/

 

Charity & CSR, Entertainment, News

The Wildhearts to support Huggard Centre with charity gig

One of this country’s best known rock bands, the Wildhearts, are opening their UK tour this September with a concert in aid of Huggard, Wales’ leading centre for people who are sleeping rough.

The gig at the Tramshed in Cardiff on Friday 3 September, is the start of an 18-date schedule taking the band from Wales to venues in England and Scotland. It’s also the launch date of their new album “21st Century Love Songs”.

The concert comes a year after the Wildhearts released their album, “30 Year Itch”, which was recorded during The Renaissance Men and Diagnosis tours in 2019 – the last to happen before the COVID Pandemic.

Huggard provides specialist support for people who are homeless. Individuals who often live complicated lives in traumatic circumstances.

Richard Edwards is Chief Executive of the Cardiff based charity. “The past 18 months have been hard on us all.  The COVID pandemic has impacted on every part of society, including the music industry, and we are very grateful to the Wildhearts for staging a concert in aid of us.

“Not only will it bring in much needed funds, it will also give us the opportunity to raise awareness about the work we do in helping people who are sleeping rough or are at risk of becoming homeless.”

The Wildhearts were formed in 1989 and the band’s sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music.

CJ, one of the founding members of the Wildhearts, said: “It will be a rather special concert and all the profits will go to Huggard. It is going to be a really good night, the first of the UK tour. It’ll be a party, so come and join us.”

Marketing, PR and SEO

How to Elevate the PR Strategies of Your Business

Public relations (PR) is designed to improve the public’s perception of your business by distributing information. For example, if your clothing company has unveiled a new Spring collection, you would create a press release to announce this news to your customers. PR should also increase brand awareness and generate a buzz around your business. It can be difficult to nail your PR strategies and ensure that they effectively engage your target audience. To help any readers with this predicament, we thought we would share some helpful tips to elevate the PR strategies for your business. If you want to find out more information, be sure to continue reading!

Create Opportunities

Public relations relies on having newsworthy information to share. But you cannot wait around for opportunities to fall into your lap. You need to be proactive, chasing them down or creating your own! But how exactly do you create your own opportunities? Well, you should start by looking around. Has anything happened in the news recently that could be related back to your company? If there are any charities or causes that you would like to support? Doing so could significantly improve the public’s perception of your business, thereby elevating the effectiveness of your PR strategy.

Good Design

Though we might not like to admit it, at the risk of looking superficial, appearances matter. This is especially true when it comes to business. If you want your promotional materials to be suitably engaging, then you should invest some time into making them look eye-catching and aesthetically appealing. Don’t worry if you aren’t a specialist in graphic design. You can use brand identity agencies like Ice House Design to help with your PR strategies. These companies will produce PR templates for you, which you can use for everything from social media posts to packaging and printed materials. Aesthetics should make a significant difference to the effectiveness of your PR campaigns.

Valuable PR Content

If you want the press and other businesses to distribute your PR materials to the general public, then you need to produce content that is genuinely valuable. Two questions should always be at the front of your mind when writing your press releases. Firstly, is this information actually newsworthy? Secondly, will other people genuinely care? This might sound simple to some, but you would be surprised how many professionals in PR overlook this.

Build Meaningful Relationships

Public relations isn’t just about improving your customers’ perception of your business. You also need to build meaningful relationships with the press and other companies in your industry if you want your PR strategies to be successful. Don’t send out loads of cold emails with zero personalisation. Instead, tailor each of your messages to the person you are contacting. Maybe even give them a call. Show them how affiliating with your brand could benefit them as much as it does you.

These are some effective ways to elevate the PR strategy of your business. Follow our advice and you should see a significant difference!