All posts by Lisa Baker, Editor, UK Business News

Lisa Baker is an experienced journalist, Owner of Need to See IT Publishing and the Editor of Business in the News. Lisa covers Business, Health, HR and Technology.
Health, News, North of England, Tech

How a life-threatening diagnosis and kidney transplant motivated entrepreneur to build a business

Leeds entrepreneur, Manpreet Singh found a new lease of motivation after a traumatic personal battle behind closed doors gave him a whole new perspective that he used to drive his business forward. 

Manpreet founded his business, Bobble Digital – a media-focused digital marketing agency in 2017 at 27 years old, following a terminal diagnosis of IgA nephropathy, also known as IgA disease or Berger’s disease – a kidney disease that causes inflammation and kidney damage, which can ultimately lead to kidney failure – as it did in Manpreet’s case. This led him to make the risky decision to have a kidney transplant in the height of the pandemic in spring 2020.  

Telling his story to help raise awareness of IgA nephropathy and to inspire other entrepreneurs facing uncertain health issues, Manpreet explains: “The idea to start Bobble Digital originally came midway through 2016, when I was forced to move to part-time hours at my job due to my symptoms progressing. I needed to earn the same level of income in a way that allowed me to work more flexibly and at my own pace. 

“For four to six months leading up to my kidney failure I experienced chronic fatigue, tiredness and lack of appetite. I had very little energy to get out of bed each morning. In December 2016 however, things took a drastic turn for the worst. I caught pneumonia and what little function my kidneys had was killed off. I spent New Year’s Day of 2017 seriously ill in hospital with pneumonia and kidney failure, and was told I would start dialysis within a week.  

“It was completely devastating and took a long time to come to terms with. I was told dialysis treatment isn’t a permanent solution, as the body can only handle so much and that I’d be lucky to live for another 15 years. To hear this at just 27 years old was a total shock, it took a huge toll on my mental health, I lost all sense of purpose, and felt the best years of my life and plans for the future were being robbed from me.

“Going through dialysis was exhausting and life-altering. I could no longer travel far, go on holiday, I couldn’t even drink much fluid, I struggled to walk long distances, sleep, dealt with many infections with my dialysis line, I was in hospital multiple times a week and had multiple surgeries. I had to take lots of medications every day, my life felt like it revolved around a box of pills. It didn’t feel like living anymore, it felt like a life of just surviving. 

“Setting up Bobble Digital gave me purpose again. It gave me something to be passionate about and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. In the early days of the business, it was a way to help me survive. However, when I began to build a pattern and control of my treatment – my mindset shifted to ‘what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger’ and I became focused on improving. I learned I needed a positive mindset to keep moving forward and that became a powerful tool I use in my daily life now – to keep fighting on even through the toughest of times.

“Of course, there’s been times when I thought running a business was too much whilst dealing with all the symptoms and side effects of treatment and the mental toll. The initial economic impact of covid even nearly ended the business, but I took this as a lesson and accepted that sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward again, there are always good days and bad days but the good days give you the energy and enthusiasm to continue.

“There were many difficulties that came with running the business whilst going through dialysis, I had to account 6 hours 3 times a week for dialysis – so fitting when I could work around this was hard. However, once settled into a routine and moving my treatment pattern into evenings meant I could work whilst on dialysis.”

In order to make Bobble Digital a success, Manpreet also sold assets including his beloved Mustang so he could invest funds into the business. He shared: “Things like the Mustang are just materialistic, they hold no value in the grand scheme of things and I knew I had the skill set and expertise to rebuild everything I had, so it was an easy decision to make”.

In March 2020, Manpreet was given a life-changing opportunity to go ahead with a kidney transplant. He shared: “It was a scary decision to make, as although the odds of surviving a kidney transplant are high (around 99%), there was the risk of my body rejecting the kidney. The biggest risk, however, was catching covid, as this was during the worst of the pandemic when a lot was unknown – other than if I did catch it, there was a high risk it could be fatal. 

“After a lot of thought about the risks, the extremely tough road to recovery and also the financial impact it would have on the business and support from amazing friends, family and doctors, I decided to go ahead. Ultimately the doctor’s confidence gave me enough hope that it was worth the gamble, and I’m lucky to say it has changed my life, I will be forever grateful to all the doctors, surgeons and nurses and everyone else who has helped me through this journey.”

Now, five years since being dealt the blow he potentially had only 15 years to live, the charismatic entrepreneur, whom listeners to marketing advice podcast BobblePod – will know as #MrBobble – Manpreet has guided the business to achieve astonishing success. The agency has grown into a fully-fledged agency team, achieving a 300% growth in turnover from 2020 to 2021, through supporting local, national and international brands with their digital marketing.

On Bobble Digital’s success, Manpreet commented: “Making the business a success has been what’s kept me going through these incredibly testing times. However, the business wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have without our fantastic team and clients”. 

Since having his transplant, Manpreet still lives with the risk that the IgA nephropathy may come back and impact his transplant and has to take daily steroid medication indefinitely – but he doesn’t let this get in the way of living his life to the full and is working towards plans to open international Bobble Digital offices in the near future. 

What is immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy?

IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, is a kidney disease that occurs when IgA deposits build up in the kidneys, causing inflammation that damages kidney tissues. IgA is an antibody and protein made by the immune system to protect the body from foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses. 

What are the symptoms?

Each person can have different signs and symptoms, but the most common are:

  • Hematuria: Having blood in your urine that can sometimes make it dark brown or cola-coloured.  
  • Proteinuria: Foamy urine due to large amounts of protein leaking into your urine.

Kidney Donation

Donating a live kidney can potentially save someone’s life. Find out more and register your interest to become a kidney donor here.

News, Wales News

Minister for Economy meets Jobs Growth Wales + learners at ACT!

Vaughan Gething, Wales’ Minister for Economy, was greeted by staff and learners at ACT’s Cardiff headquarters. The MS saw the Welsh Government’s flagship Jobs Growth Wales + (JGW+) programme being carried out, at the leading training and education provider’s Ocean Park House centre.

He observed hands-on learners, who were simulating real workplaces, and spoke to staff, during his visit on Tuesday, August 23. With specialist equipment, Care learners took part in mock working environments, giving them a taste of careers in childcare and adult care. This included making play areas safe from dangerous items and choking hazards. They were challenged to remove harmful items from a sandpit, after which they told the Minister of their plans for the future.

Some learners, in the Engagement group, were busy working on budgeting and managing money, in preparation for when they become employed. They discussed how they could balance money for food, rent, internet and car payments, with Mr Gething.

Mock interview sessions were also held with the World of Work learners and guidance was given on CVs. Learners told the Minister that they’d like to work in such sectors as physiotherapy and construction, after they complete courses on the JGW+ programme.

Vaughan Gething said: “It’s always great to call into ACT, to see and understand what they’re doing to help learners on their journey. That’s not just about qualifications, it’s about understanding the different challenges they’ll have in life to get to this point, but also in the wider world of work.”

He added: “I’m really impressed to meet people here, to understand the choices they’re making to take care of themselves and to invest in their own futures.”

Richard Spear, ACT’s Managing Director, said: “It was great to welcome the Minister to ACT and show him how the Welsh Government’s investment in the JGW+ programme is changing lives. We offer our learners flexible and specialist support to tackle any barriers they face. Our learners have fun whilst improving their skills, and they participate in exciting enrichment experiences that help them grow personally and professionally.”

He added “As always, the Minister engaged our learners with interest and passion and inspired them on their learning journeys.”

The JGW+ programme is tailored to each individual learners’ need, whether they’re unsure on what to do next, or have a clear focus.

To find out more about JGW + and other opportunities available at ACT, please visit www.acttraining.org.uk.

News, North of England

Seeking the Land of Opportunity? Look North!

  • Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds revealed as the cities offering the most job opportunities outside London
  • Scottish cities Edinburgh and Glasgow boast the highest growth in job creation this year
  • The tech industry is thriving with more jobs available than pre-pandemic

The UK’s top job hotspots have been revealed, with opportunities soaring in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and beyond.

While London retains the top spot, in the first six months of this year, Manchester has taken the crown as the UK’s top job hotspot outside the capital – creating more than twice the national average number of job opportunities.

Insight from global recruitment specialists Michael Page, shows that there is a wealth of opportunity across the nation – with the top hotspots out of London ranging from Edinburgh to Bristol.

Businesses are increasingly moving out of London in the quest for talent, meaning that workers no longer need to move to the capital in search of their dream job. According to new data, a whopping 83% of jobs are currently being advertised outside the capital – creating a new national landscape for job opportunities.

When looking at job opportunities created outside London in the first six months of this year, the UK’s top eight hotspots, in order of total jobs advertised, are:

  1. Manchester, job opportunities up 18% on H1 2021
  2. Birmingham, job opportunities up 27% on H1 2021
  3. Leeds, job opportunities up 24% on H1 2021
  4. Bristol, job opportunities up 24% on H1 2021
  5. Glasgow, job opportunities up 40% on H1 2021
  6. Edinburgh, job opportunities up 40% on H1 2021
  7. Cambridge, job opportunities up 39% on H1 2021
  8. Reading, job opportunities up 36% on H1 2021

Before the pandemic, the job market in the North and Midlands was already growing, but as data from Michael Page’s Page Insights shows, these regions have officially cemented their status by offering the greatest opportunity for those taking the next steps in their careers.

There is good news for Scotland too. Glasgow and Edinburgh are the cities that show the largest growth in job creation outside of London compared to 2021, both increasing by an impressive 40%.

Doug Rode, UK MD at Michael Page, explains: “The UK’s job landscape is changing and there has been a notable increase in companies moving out of London due to cheaper rents and greater access to untapped talent pools, just look at the BBC and Channel 4 as key examples. The Government’s levelling up agenda has also seen many government departments partly relocate across the country, which has been a great driver of jobs to other cities, with many departments heading north to Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield.

“Big companies moving into new regions naturally creates more local jobs and therefore there is more competition for the best talent. Now that people realise that they don’t have to move to London to fast track their careers, employers are also starting to view regional offices and hires as a long-term investment.”

Driving the job market in Manchester, is a thriving tech scene. In fact, Manchester is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best places to be globally for tech jobs, which in turn is attracting more people to live and work in the city.

Doug Rode added: “Booms in growing industries, such as tech, are creating thousands of jobs in cities across the country. The rise of hybrid and remote working has levelled the playing field and unlocked huge talent pools nationwide, which is great news for employers and workers alike. People no longer need to feel the pressure of having to move to London to get the job they want. The working world is changing. Candidates can afford to shop around for the best job, wherever that might be in the country.”

Top tips for looking for a new job:

  1. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and look at where the hotspots are for your dream role or industry.
  2. Don’t just look at where big companies are headquartered, explore their office locations too.
  3. Investigate the job opportunities in your city. The business landscape is constantly evolving – you might find the perfect job on your own doorstop.

 

News, Telecoms, Telecoms News

UK Businesses Lose Over £500k to Phone Scams

The VOIP and business broadband experts at Bionic, have analysed data from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Action Fraud, to discover which regions of the UK are targeted most frequently with scam calls and are cheated out of the most money as a result. The study also examines which type of company scam callers pose as the most. 

You can see the full study here: https://bionic.co.uk/blog/how-to-prevent-phone-scams/

Overall, there were 2,482 instances of phone fraud reported to UK Police across the last 13 months. This amounted to £1.8m in losses and of this £520,700 was lost by organisations & businesses. 

According the the study, these were the most common types of scams over the past year:

1, Broadband

2. Energy-saving

3. Insurance

4. Accident Claims

5. Debt Management

6. Energy supply

7. Lifestyle surveys

8. Banking

9. Silent/No answer

10. Computer scams

The data also revealed that:

  • Calls claiming to be able to save people money on their energy bills were the second most common.  Popular scams included calls about double-glazed windows to conserve heating or about your energy supply. This is highly concerning as energy bills are already soaring, with the price cap set to increase again in October by an estimated 65%. 
  • There is a sharp +75% increase in phone scams after May, going from 1,023 reported scams in May to 1,795 scams in June. 
  • November has the highest amount of scams overall and is the worst month for scams. Scammers seem to prey on the fact that people are more likely to respond to phone calls in colder months when spending more time indoors. Energy company vishers are likely to prey on growing anxiety over energy bills as winter approaches. 

Bionic also studied which regions of the UK are targeted most commonly by vishing and which postcodes within these are most likely to be affected:

Rank Postcode City Number of Phone Scams
1 ME17 Medway 163
2 CF31 Cardiff 151
3 ST5 Stoke on Trent 133
4 RG6 Reading 119
5 BS16 Bristol 105
6 E17 London 104
7 BS23 Bristol 99
8 SO31 Southampton 96
9 SN12 Swindon 94
10 SW11 London 93

 

  • 10% of all phone scams in the UK happen in London. The high number of broadband scams in London could be down to the high volume of offices in the city
  • When looking at the postcodes most targeted by calls, the general trend is that Southern postcodes seem to be far more likely to receive scam calls than Northern ones. Medway in Kent, South East England receives the largest number of scam calls overall. 
  • However, the North lost more money as a result of scams than the South. Salaries in the North are generally lower, and it is more likely to be affected by expensive scams amid a cost of living crisis
  • Northern Ireland suffers from the most expensive phone scams with £897 being lost per scam. The North West comes in second with the average scam costing around £509.
  • Callers seem to target affluent rural areas with the biggest and most expensive scams. For example, the affluent Cheshire reported £44,400 in losses across 42 scams (the second highest in the UK) but the much larger Greater Manchester had 87 and £30,000 less in losses despite being geographically close to Cheshire.

If you or your business has been a victim of a scam, there are a few steps that you can take as soon as you realise it’s happened.

1. Change your passwords

You should change any passwords that have been compromised as soon as possible. If you can, change all passwords — even ones that haven’t been affected — just as an extra precaution.

This could help lessen the chances of the scammer being able to use them to log into of your accounts.

2. Contact your bank account or credit card company

As soon as you know you’ve been a victim of a scam, contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Some online banking apps allow you to freeze cards quickly from there, so do this first if possible, just in case there’s a wait time to get through to your bank.

Depending on the severity of the situation, some banks may choose to either; freeze any cards, or cancel them and replace them with new ones.

Letting your bank know about the scammers means they’ll be able to monitor your account for any suspicious activity and put a temporary block on your account for money going out.

3. Report it

If a crime is in progress for you, someone you know or your business, call the police on 999. But if it’s not an emergency (a scam phone call may feel like an emergency to you, but not to the police), call 111.

To report a scam phone call or text messages to your mobile or smartphone, you can text 7726 – this spells SPAM on an alphanumeric kep

If you’ve lost money or been hacked as a result of responding to a vishing message, you need to report it:

  • In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, call 0300 123 2040 or visit the Action Fraud website.
  • If you live in Scotland, report to Police Scotland by calling 101.

If you’ve given over any financial details, such as bank or credit card numbers, you should get in touch with your bank or credit card provider. If you’ve been scammed into buying vouchers and given over the serial numbers to a scammer, you should also get in touch with the voucher provider (for example, Amazon). Do this as soon as possible as there may still be time to cancel the vouchers and refund.

London News, News, Property

Hunter Jones becomes leading consultancy for property investment following launch of new Group structure

Alternative property investment firm, Hunter Jones, has unveiled its new Group structure to establish the brand as a leading consultancy for diligently researched and structured property investment opportunities.

A growing force in the property investment and development sector, Hunter Jones was originally launched in 2013 as an alternative investment introducer, and since this time has raised over £100 million for structured investment opportunities in partnership with multiple leading developers.

With a proven track-record in delivering above average returns for its investors, Hunter Jones established sister brand, HJ Property, in 2021 with a clear vision to meet the increasing demand for property acquisitions, delivered off-market and with attractive rates.

In combining both Hunter Jones and HJ Property under the new Hunter Jones Group, Founder and CEO, Reece Mennie, has established a forward-thinking and holistic service – ranging from diligently researched alternative investment and direct property acquisition opportunities for investors, through to an alternative and specialised lending facility for developers.

He explained: “For investors, there’s a huge amount of stability and potential to be found in bricks and mortar – but only if you can maximise that potential with the right kind of expertise, accessible guidance, and the influence that only seasoned specialists, like our team at Hunter Jones Group, can provide.

In establishing our new group structure, we are confident we can advise on and deliver a wealth of exciting opportunities through alternative and direct investment with above average returns, while offering developers access to our advanced and alternative lending facility. We have made excellent progress over the last several years and are now committed to ensuring Hunter Jones Group is the UK’s leading property investment consultancy for years to come.”

Headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, Hunter Jones Group now employs a team of 25 property development and investment specialists.

Construction, Construction News, News, North of England

MC Construction completes facelift for 18th century mansion house

An historic council-owned building in Stockport has been refurbished to provide modern offices for community-based adult social workers.

Salford-based MC Construction has completed a project which has created new office space on the first floor of Gatley Hill House, a former public library on Church Road, Gatley.

The Georgian mansion house, built in the mid-18th century, houses a community centre on the ground floor which the council rents out for meetings and social events.

The first floor had been vacant for years but has now been brought back into use as office space for around 40 social workers covering Gatley, Cheadle and Bramhall, who are relocating from other existing offices around the borough.

Jo Smith, construction lead for Stockport Council, said: “Thanks to the successful completion of this project, the team has a much better and bigger working environment and will be able to operate more effectively.

“It is pleasing to bring the first floor of Gatley Hill House back into use, while also carrying out improvements to the ground floor for the benefit of the wider community.

“The works carried out by MC Construction have preserved and significantly enhanced the condition of the building in a manner that is sympathetic to its heritage, which is extremely satisfying to see.”

MC Construction undertook a programme of external and structural works as well as an internal revamp of the two-storey building, which is set in parkland and lies within the Gatley Village Conservation Area.

The project included the installation of a new roof, windows and rainwater goods, underpinning, interior partitions and doors, new mechanical and electrical systems, a refurbishment of the kitchen and washrooms, new office access and fire alarm systems, a rewire, and decoration. Original features were repaired and refurbished wherever possible.

Electric vehicle charging points have been installed in the grounds as part of the scheme.

David Lowe, managing director of MC Construction, said: “The project has greatly modernised a lovely historic building which was in need of significant repair, leading to an improved appearance, restoring the first floor to good use, improving the energy performance of the building and positively benefiting the environment with the installation of electric vehicle charging points.

“I’m extremely proud of our team who worked on this scheme, which truly showcases our expertise in sympathetically and successfully updating and regenerating heritage buildings.

“Alongside our own staff, we were delighted that all of the contractors appointed to work on the project were located within a 30-mile radius of the building, ensuring a significant sum went back into the local economy and once again demonstrating our commitment to adding social value to the work we undertake.”

Awards, Food & Drink, News

Britain’s Food & Drink Heroes revealed!

The very best British food & drink businesses have been named at a national awards final.

Food & Drink Heroes was launched in 2020 by the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, but was held for the first time in person this year in Wickham.

The organisers felt that a food-and-hospitality-focused programme was needed given the high volume and quality of applicants to the Great British Entrepreneur Awards’ food & drink category, and even added three additional categories to Food & Drink Heroes’ second year in response to huge levels of interest.

Mirroring its strong representation within awards entrants, recent statistics show that the food & drink sector accounts for 20% of the UK’s overall manufacturing output, having contributed £28bn to the economy during 2020 alone.

700 applicants were whittled down to 14 winners by a panel of expert judges from industry-leading companies including Selfridges, McDonalds and Costa Coffee.

The ceremony was part of the first ever Ideas Fest at Wickham Farm which brought together the business leaders of today for two days of expert talks, informal networking and a host of fun activities. The ultimate goal of the festival was to offer an alternative to the conventional business conference or networking event, underpinned by themes of people, planet and profit.

Food & Drink Heroes founder Francesca James said that all the finalists were exceptional: “The outstanding level of this year’s finalists have proved us right in thinking that UK food & drink entrepreneurs deserved an awards programme of their own to showcase the breadth of the industry. The competition was fierce, so those who were shortlisted should be assured that they have demonstrated an incredible level of determination, entrepreneurial spirit and drive.

“This year’s winners have undoubtedly had it tough given various circumstances affecting the UK over the past few years, so it’s more important than ever to us that we give these inspiring food and drink entrepreneurs a platform to be recognised and their companies showcased. This is especially the intention by holding the awards as part of a large-scale event like Ideas Fest, where we hope that the additional networking and learning opportunities they had there will help them to reach new highs going forward.

“We’re so proud of all of our 2022 Food & Drink Heroes for showing the tenacity to become leaders in their sectors – we wish them all the best of luck as they continue their business journeys!”

 

Full list of winners:

 

Alcoholic Drink Entrepreneur of the Year

Jay Bradley – The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. & Whiskey Wealth Club

Animal Food Entrepreneur of the Year

James Lacy & Nathan Perry – Denzel’s

 

Baked Goods Entrepreneur of the Year

Paul & Laura Clark – Phat Pasty Co.

 

Confectionary Entrepreneur of the Year

James Cadbury, Love Cocoa & H!P Chocolate

 

Export Entrepreneur of the Year

Sean Ramsden – Ramsden International

 

Health Entrepreneur of the Year

Wayne Starkey & James Whiting – Skinny Food Co.

 

Hospitality Entrepreneur of the Year

Louise Palmer-Masterton – Stem & Glory

 

Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year

Charlie Gilpin & Sam Moss – Stocked

 

Non-Alcoholic Entrepreneur of the Year

Ellie Webb – Caleño

 

Food Service Entrepreneur of the Year

Antoine Melon & Nicolas Payer – HOMETAINMENT

 

Producer of the Year

David Thompson & Tom Mellor – Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery

 

Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year

Laura Riches & Laura Rosenberger – Laylo

 

Street Food Entrepreneur of the Year

Puneet Wadhwani, Patri Artisan Street Food and Drinks

 

Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year

Jamie Crummie – Too Good To Go

News

Visitor Data Helps Local Councils Ensure Festivals & Events Maximise Reach & Boost Local Business & Communities

Place Informatics, the leading provider of footfall and location visitor behaviour data monitoring in the UK, has recently expanded its services and is now helping councils, businesses and planners understand how organised events such as Festivals, Christmas Lights and Markets, Firework Displays and even retail promotions are impacting their communities and boosting local businesses.

Local councils across the UK often have a limited budget to manage a number of key events throughout the year. These events are designed to bring the community together and also to attract new visitors from further afield to the local area to help promote, support and increase trade for local businesses. Visitor data is vital for the marketing teams at councils to understand how successful these events have been by providing post-event analysis showing not only visitor numbers but also   hotspots for visitors at the event and what catchment areas they have travelled from.

These insights can also help councils plan for potential new events by reviewing historic events or comparative ones in other towns across the UK to see how many visitors attended, where they travelled from and how they behaved at the event. This data also shows what facilities were used such as bus station and train station usage, parking, retail, hospitality and even if the visitors stayed overnight. This can help council teams inform commercial traders and businesses located on expected visitor numbers allowing them to plan out staffing and stock requirements.

Examples of how this data has been used include adding additional services, hospitality outlets and other facilities at events to attract specific types of visitors, according to the social demographic profile of the location and increase footfall further. As the data shows the flow of visitors, targeted adverts and signage have been used to help direct consumers to town centres and other local attractions after the event.

Place Informatics helps organisations understand where their visitors come from, where they visit whilst in the area and how they interact and behave in any location. By using mobile GPS data, Place Informatics is able to provide actionable insights which help support and enable decision making – to assist in health and safety, conservation, events, marketing and proving return on investment for economic regeneration projects.

 

Clive Hall, CEO of Place Informatics, commented, “Local events are vital for many communities and if planned well can offer a huge economic boost to businesses and services. Our data has helped councils across the UK successfully plan all types of events ensuring they have the right infrastructure and services in place to minimise any negative impact on the community whilst maximising footfall and boosting as many local businesses as possible.

We offer local councils and businesses detailed insights to show how visitors are behaving on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis and also provide reporting to assess the performance of regular or special events. We can also provide details of the postcode area that visitors have travelled from, giving valuable information needed to make informed choices and maximise the return from these.”  

For more information on location visitor data and insights visit placeinformatics.com.

Construction, Construction News, Midlands News, News

Construction boom leads to £120,000 investment in Bruderer high-speed press line

Taking advantage of new reshoring opportunities has seen a Warwick-based manufacturer invest more than £120,000 in its first high-speed press line with Bruderer UK.

JBS Products Ltd, known worldwide for its patented hook-on plaster bead, has installed a precision BSTA 25H press line at its Park Farm factory.

The machine is set to deliver greater accuracy and increased capacity, meaning the family-run business can guarantee process stability and part quality for its innovative building products that are bought direct or stocked in the likes of Selco, Travis Perkins and RJ Builders Hardware.

This new addition, which features advanced tooling automation, is set to be utilised on several new projects that are meeting the increasing demand for UK-manufactured products and will help deliver greater security of supply following significant global disruption.

“Having worked with Bruderer technology before, there was only one machine I wanted to have in our press shop when the opportunity came to expand,” explained Bud Dhinjan, Founder and CEO of JBS Products.

“We had enjoyed a number of reshoring successes and, in order to keep up with demand, we had to increase our press capability and that is why we decided to purchase a new BSTA 25H press line to give us that tremendous reliability and the famous Bruderer service.”

He continued: “Our reputation has been built on providing quality, innovative products that are cost effective and make the end-users life as simple and easy as possible, offering our wholesale customers a one-stop shop for design, product development and volume production.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, we have seen demand rocket, driving the employment of an additional five people and prompting investment in a further £250,000 onsite toolroom at our Warwick works to maintain a double shift pattern.”

Bruderer UK’s technical team worked with JBS to spec out the BSTA 25H, which consists of a precision feeder BBV 202/120, dual stock decoiler, cut-to-length system and full press line control.

Scott Baker, Technical Sales Manager at Bruderer UK, commented: “This machine will future-proof JBS’ production and delivers unrivalled speed, precision and reliability for the firm’s growing customer base. Bud and his team will also benefit from our full technical support and back-up for decades to come.”

Manny Dhinjan, Sales Director at JBS Products, concluded: “The installation process is going to be fully project-managed by Bruderer, meaning we can concentrate on meeting production increases and putting in place the platform we need to maximise several reshoring opportunities we are currently working on.”

Customer Service, News

Avon achieves record-high customer service levels thanks to independent outsourcer

Global beauty brand Avon has announced a five-year high in its customer satisfaction levels thanks to its partnership with Kura, a UK-based market leader in customer service outsourcing.

Nearly 2,000 hours were saved during the collaboration through insight and development. Failure demand was reduced by five per cent, and the success of the first phase in Avon’s digital transformation confirmed the value of Kura as a strategic partner to the company.

Rob Smith, head of contact centres for Western Europe at Avon, said: “Kura provided the best overall solution, and from the outset, it was clear our cultures aligned. The business asked a lot of questions to get to know Avon and our requirements.

“We have a collaborative relationship that is helping us improve the experience of our representatives. We are currently achieving the highest levels of satisfaction in over five years, and this is a testament to the way Avon and Kura work together.”

Avon provides its 6.4 million representatives worldwide with customer support and account management services. The business wanted to move its services to a smaller and dedicated partner who could provide highly skilled customer advisors as well as an omnichannel solution.

Smith added: “We continue to work with Kura to improve the representatives’ experience, and we’re currently developing real-time repeat contact insights to help operational teams adapt conversations and identify external influences.”

Brian Bannatyne, CEO at Kura, said: “One of the key elements of our successful partnership has been our commitment to Avon’s values. Together, we have achieved an outstanding RepSat score of +85, the best score in over five years, due to the skill of the advisors and the operational efficiencies that cut out labour-intensive tasks from the advisor’s workload.

“We’re now working on the next phase with Avon, which aims to further enhance their customer experience and drive growth.”

Kura encompasses multiple high-performing outsourcing teams based in South Africa and the UK, a thriving data science function, and an award-winning software company, Inisoft.