BUSINESS NEWS EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA Sponsor: ADI Group


Citizens Advice East Staffordshire: It delivers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on a wide range of issues including debt, housing, employment and benefits. They say social media, particularly twitter, has been an “indispensable tool” in reaching people who need help. Cure Leukaemia: The charity has used social media to grow its operations and market a number of highly successful events. These have included celebrity chef Glynn Purnell’s Friday Night Kitchen with live demonstrations at a star-studded event at Villa Park which now has its own twitter account. Great Escape Cars: Their core product is classic car hire and have grown from £250,000 in 2012 to a projected turnover of £750,000 this year. A contract to supply a number of classic cars to major BBC TV series has been renewed each year from 2013 and social media and on-line marketing have been critical in their growth. Roomex: The company provides a corporate hotel booking service to over 300 companies worldwide. Cost savings for companies using the service have averaged 21 per cent in the past 12 months and it now includes several new features, including live reporting, duty of care, a 60-second booking process, personalised booking flow and one-point billing. Solihull College: The college has grown year-on-year in every sector of its business and credits much of the success to its social media operations. They recognised that an integrated online communications platform utilising a central website would enable the college to lead in the way digitally in further education.


EXCELLENCE IN PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT Sponsor: Pertemps


Arup: Arup is a professional services company which employs more than 13,000 globally. One aspect of its vision for the business is to ‘be the best place to work’ and a key priority is open, transparent and honest communication with its staff. Arup also operates a university, to further the skills, learning and development of its staff. Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: The Trust has launched a venture called Aspire@BCH, which is aimed at helping to tackle youth unemployment offering work experience and supporting various employment initiatives. A focus is on helping those with learning disabilities and as a result nine young people have paid positions within the Trust. Creative Alliance: A training company for the creative industries, Creative Alliance is based at the Custard Factory in Digbeth. The company’s main purpose is to enable talented young people to find work in creative, digital and marketing roles. The firm currently has some 100 young people on creative apprenticeships, and the aim is to double this during 2017-18. ISO Quality Services: ISO Quality Services is an ISO certification auditing and training company, based in Worcester. It has won several ‘employer of the year’ awards recently, and has a number of initiatives in place to develop its staff and fulfil their needs and aspirations. Katie Bard: Katie Bard is a recruitment and training firm which puts its performance down to the personal development of its employees. Staff turnover rates at the company are well below the industry average, and the company offers a number of internships and placements during the course of the year.


EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE Sponsor: Pertemps


Care Companions Ltd: Care Companions is a Sutton business which provides care and support to people in their homes, including those with an illness or disability and careers in need of a respite. The business is aiming to launch four ‘dementia hubs’ across the Midlands in the next three years, which will help families struggling to come to terms with this illness. ISO Quality Services: A business services and training consultancy, which is based in Worcester and deals mainly with small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The company aims to provide exemplary customer service, and to help with this, its staff attend regular ‘Train the Trainer’ events. Laker BMS Ltd/Laker Gateway CIC: A Birmingham-based repairs and maintenance company, which typically deals with social housing providers and local authorities. The company has invested heavily in its staff, including increasing the number of its apprentices, and aims to provide excellent customer service.


Prestige Chauffeur Services: This is a chauffeuring business based near Kidderminster, and was established in 2002. The company prides itself on customer satisfaction – its attention to detail extends to briefing chauffeurs in great detail about their customers, for example: ‘Still water is his preferred rink and is not bothered about radio. Partial to Starbursts sweets.’ Unity Trust Bank: Now 30 years old, Unity Trust Bank, which has its headquarters in Birmingham, believes in socially responsible banking. Its aim is to be the bank of choice for organisations and businesses who are striving to benefit the community and the environment, including co- operatives, charities and trade unions.


EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION Sponsor: Arup


BHSF Employee Benefits Ltd: BHSF is a leading supplier of health insurances, employee benefits and HR support services, and has been trading since 1873. 2015 saw BHSF achieve a seventh consecutive year of record performance, dating back to 2009. Historically a health cash plan provider, BHSF has diversified into employee benefits, HR support services and Occupational Health through acquisitions. Fracino: Fracino is the UK’s only espresso and cappuccino machine manufacturer, supplying global and UK brands from Subway, Patisserie Valerie and Druckers coffee shops to Pathfinder pub chains. Launched in a garden shed in 1963, it now manufactures 4,600 machines annually whilst exports have increased by a record 24 per cent over the past year. Keytracker Ltd: Keytracker is a secure key and asset management business with mechanical and electronic key management and locker systems its main products. It has enjoyed substantial growth in the last three years, with turnover rising from £1.1 million to almost £1.9 million following expansion of its product line, entering new markets and investing in research and development. Pinsent Masons LLP: Pinsent Masons is a full-service commercial law firm with a range of clients from local, national and international private companies to public sector organisations. Following the merger with Scottish market-leader McGrigors in 2012, the firm has enjoyed a rapid period of expansion, opening offices in Paris, Munich, Istanbul, Sydney and Melbourne. South Staffordshire College: South Staffordshire College was formed in 2009 following the merger of Tamworth and Lichfield, Cannock and Rodbaston Colleges. In a declining Government funding market, the college has harnessed the best technologies to enable it to transform its operations, reducing operating costs and growing its business over the past three years.


EXCELLENCE IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY Sponsor: University of Birmingham


Adi Group: A large engineering firm based in Kings Norton, Adi has a strong commitment to corporate and social responsibility. Among its initiatives is asking employees to choose a charity at the beginning of the year, and organise fundraising activities throughout the year to support it. Previous chosen charities have received donations in excess of £25,000. After Adoption: After Adoption is a voluntary support agency which works with adopted adults and the families that take them in. Part of the agency’s work is supporting mothers who have lost their child to adoption, with the aim of preventing subsequent children being removed into local authority care. Aspire Sports Health and Fitness Ltd: Based in Spitfire Road, the company delivers physical education, sport, health and well-being programmes. The company typically works with schools and families, and also contributes to a number of charities, including ‘Help Harry Help Others and the NSPCC. Birmingham Children’s Hospital: Last year, the Children’s Hospital and Wild in Art created the city’s biggest mass participation event, ‘The Big Hoot’. This involved the creation of some 89 large sculptures of owls, which formed a trail around the city, which attracted an estimated 800,000 visitors during the year. Witton Lodge Community Association: The Association was established in 1994 by local residents for the benefit of the community living in Perry Common. The association is involved in a wide range of activities, from looking after two local parks (Witton Lakes and Brookvale Park) to an anti- crime project, as well as various initiatives to help with employment and the health and well-being of local residents.


MARCH 2016 CHAMBERLINK9


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