INESSOFTHE YEAR 2023

and now has more than 50 active clients.Ordersper dayhaverisenfrom 30 to 40 to over 600per day.

Thecompany says that it hasreceived tremendoussupport from the BlackCountry ChamberofCommerceand looks forwardtoworking alongsidethemtocreatemorejob opportunities.

Rapid Pack is also lookingtocreateapprenticeshipopportunities with thehelpofSandwellCollege

In November2022, Rapid Pack launched itsfreebusinessand e-commercefocusedpodcast Brand &Boost whichisavailable on podcastingsites such as ApplePodcasts, Spotify,AmazonMusic andavailable to watch on thecompany’s YouTube channel.

Sherbet Donkey Media

MoRServhas growndramatically from itslaunchinNovember 2021.

Theoriginalstrategy forthe companyinHighStreet,Wombourne wastoprovide risk,intelligenceand transformation consultancy services

It hassince developedtobecome athought leader in the fieldofriskprofiling andmanagementand is creatingand building an innovativeand new to market digitalsolution.

Thestory of MoRServreal- ly begins in 2014 when Chris Dowen,asaChief Inspectorfor West Midlands Police,became thearchitectand programme lead of theManagementofRisk in LawEnforcement (MoRiLE) Programmeuntil hisretirement in 2021

MegDowen is aformerlocal authoritymanager with experience inthe fields of leisure and communityinvolvement

JasonMoseley is also aretired police officerwithmorethan20 years’ experience as adetective

In 2021 MoRServwas appointed as aspecialist advisorto theBaroness Caseyindependent review into thepublicdisorder at theEuro2020football finals at Wembley. Jasonled as the specialistinvestigator into the criminal activities of fans on that dayand receivedcommendation forthe expert insightprovidedtothe enquiry.

As aresultofthisworkChris, Megand Jasonsaw an opportunity fortheir expertise to come together as oneservice

Worcestershiredigital marketing agency Sherbet Donkey Mediahas growntoemploy42injusttwo years sinceits formationinJune2021.

Thecompany,which specialises in website designand development, search engine optimisation and branding services is basedatSherbetHouse,HarrisBusiness Park, StokePrior,nearBromsgrove

Sherbet Donkey Mediawas launched in June 2021 by co-foundersLokiHinton-Bowen andLucy Hurst. They establishedthe agency to workwithambitious businesses lookingtogrowand become leaders in theirindustry.

Theagencylaunchedwithjust three membersofstaff,withrapid growth plans.

Theaccelerated growth meant that in December 2021,Sherbet Donkey hadtomove into larger premises to accommodatethe expandingoperations.

As part of expansionplans for 2023, theaim is to increase theteam to 45 people within thenexteight months

Theclientbasehas expanded from asingleSEO projecttoachieving £1 million in SEOclients in November last year

Sherbet Donkey hasrecruited some of thebesttalentinthe industry, offering ampleopportunities to graduatesand young people in the localcommunity andisconstantly on thelookout fornew talent within thedigital marketingindustry.

Lesterspackagingcompany

LestersPackaging Companyisexperiencinganothertransformationalyearin2023.

Thefast-growingbusiness is on course to hit£25 million salesand this will require an additional 20 people,takingthe highly skilled workforce at Mount Road, Burntwood to 70

Lestershas continuedtopushthe boundariesofinnovationwhenitcomestopackagingover thelasttwo years.

Theseniormanagementteamhas more than 100years of packagingexperience. When it plannedits expansion therewas aconscious decision to employ theleadingindustryexperts in everypartofthe business,attracting several high-profile appointments from moreestablished riva Afew years agomanagingdirectorB ly Hutchinsonidentified aclear gapin market he felt couldbeexploited

Thelarge format corrugated market w dominatedbyasmall number of very la players –multi-nationals with little flexib ityand no attentiontocustomerservice

Thebusinessdecided to invest £4.5mi anew TCYJumbo Casemaker to give it capabilitytocompete alongsidethese players Goingforward Lester is investingin additional £2.5minanother newprod tion line that will doubleits value-ad ‘regular case’capacity.

Addfield Environmental Systems

Thefutureislooking very exciting for AddfieldEnvironmental Systems.

TheBurntwood business is aglobally recognisedmanufacturerofincineration andcremation solutions.

It is in theprocess of beginningseveral of itsmostsignificant international orders to date andestablishingitself in newterritories.2022markedthe company’s 40thanniversary andthe 142nd countrytochooseAddfield.

Theenvironmentally focusedbusiness believes that itscustomers should receivethe highestquality of service andequipment.Addfieldbuildsmachines to last more than 20 years.

Sincethe currentmanagementtook ownershipin2008Addfieldhas continuously invested in research anddevelopment

Thesuccess in recent yearshas allowedthe companytoopenasecond business called AddfieldProjects, de- veloping andsupplying bespokeoneof-a-kindhigh-capacity andspecialist incinerators.

Addfieldisinvesting in improvingefficiency andadditionalmanufacturing space in thenextthree years, creating aholding space to keep astock of the most requested machines. It is developingits firstfully electric incinerator

In 2008 Addfieldwas takenunder ownershipoflocal entrepreneurSteve Lloydwithaworkforce of three. It now employs55.

Addfieldalwaysaimstoemploylocally and80per cent of itsworkforce currently live within 10 miles.

It is regularlyreceivingapprentices into thebusiness giving theopportunity to work acrossall departmentsto find theirstrengths foracareeratAddfield.

Thecompany encourages itsemployeestoraise moneyfor charitiestheyfeel personally connected to als. rBilthe twas arge ibile. min tthe ebig nan ducded

Kingswinford-basedUSP Steels hasgrown to be aleading steelsheet andplate stockholder

Thecompany,which employs50, had itsbestyeartodatein2022with118,000 tonnes of steelsold.

Thegrowing business movedinOctober to apurpose-builtsitedesigned to future proofthe USPbrand whilst meetingcustomers rapidlygrowing needs.

Thestate-of-the-art office andfactory site helped maintain 600tonne aday sales growth USP’sgrowthhas also allowedit to expand itsteam, adding an extra15and counting in thelast12months.

Reposefurniture

Themove hasplayeda pivotalpartinallowing thecompany to furtherenhance its commitment to itscustomers.Itnow has four more loadingbays, maintaininga 24/7 service, plus Saturday deliverieshavebeen made possible USP is the firstUKstockistofSSAB Multisteel,aproduct so versatile that is optimisedfor thecustomer–one steel, many grades

Physicalwellbeing wasatforefront of plansfor employees. Januarysaw thecompletion of astate-of-the-artgym andsauna

USP supports thelocal communityand it hassustained sponsorships of Kewford Eagles Football Club andDudleyAthletics

GrowingJJX Logisticsadded23new members of stafftoits transportationdepartment over thelastyear.

Anotherseven joined thestorage department at the26-year-old company’sbaseon ThirdAvenue at Pensnett TradingEstate, Kingswinford JJX, whichnow employs 67,offerstime criticaland temperature-controlled transport andwarehousing andspecialises in ADRhazardousgoods.

2022 wasthe most successful financial year to dateinthe company’shistory turningover£7.9million in revenue –anincrease of 33.7 percenton2021.

JJXisone of the600 coalitionmembers that form theTransported AssetProtection Association,a groupofthe world’s leading industry stakeholders workingtowardthe common interest to reduce cargolossand theftwithinthe global supply chain.

2022 also sawJJX achieveBondedWarehousestatusfurther adding to itsstorage offering.It hasmorethan12,000 pallet spacesonits six-acre site

Theturnofthe year sawJJX introduce itsnew ‘Think Green’ initiative State-of-the-art vehicletrackingsoftware allows it to constantly monitor everything from thedistancetothe vehicleinfront to thetimespent idle and everything in between.

Kingswinford-basedReposeFurniture will be marking25yearsinbusinessin 2024.

Thecompany makesspecialisedrise andrecline seatingatits factoryon Pensnett TradingEstatewhere it employs110

Repose is ledbymanagingdirector Lisa Wardleyand operations director Rich Guy, with ateamofmanagerswho aredevelopingtheir skillseveryweek andmonth with continuing training.

Repose hasrecentlymovedfroma 23,000 sq ft building at CradleyHeath to 64,000 sq ft at itspresent home

Thecompany hasinvested heavilyin itsn extstrategicvision, with capitalinvestmentinnew equipment in itswoodmill centre,foamconversion centre and fabric cutting centre

Repose hasconsistentlyproduced high-quality furniturethatmeets the needsofits clients–now at aglobal level. It usesonlythe finest materials andemploysskilled craftsmentocreate furniturethatisnot only beautifulbut hasall thepersonalfunctionalbespoke elements as well as beingalso durable Repose hasgonethrough massive growth aftertaking theinitiativeto driveand grow throughturbulent times.

Thecustomerservice teamisalso a vitalaspectofRepose’ssuccess.Itbelieves that customersatisfactionisthe keytobuilding lastingrelationships

Everymember of theReposeteam, from experiencedupholstererstodeliverydrivers, is committed to ensuring it delivers qualityeverytime.

Repose workedall through thedifficult time of Covid-19, supplyingthe Nightingalehospitals with therequired beds andseating Theteamisdedicated to producing thebestpossiblefurniture

Managing director RobGittins has dedicatedthe last 15 yearsofhis career to thesuccess andgrowthof Palletways UK.

Thepalletised freightexpress delivery networkhas itsheadquarters at FradleyDistributionPark, near Lichfield.

It hasgrown to become Europe’s largestpalletnetwork.

Mr Gittins hastaken Palletways from strength to strength with his open-doorleadershipstyle

He worked as alorry driver in hisearly career andpeoplerespect himfor working hisway up to the toppositionina leadingUKbusiness

He is oftenseenwalking around thewarehouse to talk to drivers andwarehouse stafftoget their viewsonthe business

As salesdirectoratPalletways in 2014 and2015, Mr Gittensled thedepartmenttoits highestlevel