Innovative b2b.store going for gold at prestigious industry awards

New C&W Chamber of Commerce member b2b.store is celebrating being shortlisted for a Grocer Gold Award.

The digital solutions provider has been named as a finalist in the Technology Initiative of the Year category at the grocery, retail and wholesale sector event, with the winner set to be announced on 2nd July at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Warwick-based business is being recognised for its innovative B2B WhatsApp product, which helps businesses create high-engagement WhatsApp channels to transform their marketing reach beyond the performance of other methods.

b2b.store only launched B2B WhatsApp at the end of 2022, but thanks to the outstanding results the solution has achieved for its clients in that time, it has made it onto the five-name shortlist in the highly competitive category.

B2B WhatsApp will go up against projects from Dunnhumby, Spar Scotland, Bestway and The Compleat Food Group for the award, which seeks to identify the technologies that have the biggest impact on a business’s operations.

Among the reasons B2B WhatsApp has been recognised is that it harnesses the potential WhatsApp offers, with Meta reporting a 98% message open rate (compared to email’s average of 22%) and a click-through rate of 45-60%.

“We’re incredibly proud that B2B WhatsApp has been recognised by the Grocer Gold Awards – it’s a brilliant indication of the impact our work with WhatsApp is having,” said b2b.store CEO Rob Mannion.

“The projects we’re working on are transforming the way wholesalers, suppliers and retailers are communicating with each other, with one of our channels now one of the biggest of its type in the world with more than 20,000 members.

“With further developments on the way and more exciting client announcements in the pipeline, it’s an incredibly exciting time for us – and one we expect to continue even further in the future.”

‘‘Many of these investments are renewing capabilities we already have,’’ explained Nick Jordan, Head of Engineering and Quality. ‘‘It’s important we keep modernising and upgrading our equipment, so we can continue to provide the consistency and quality that is required by our customers, while also improving our throughput and capacity.’’

Pailton Engineering recently received recognition from leading manufacturer PACCAR/DAF for meeting their world class quality expectations by achieving 10 PPM or better throughout the full year of supply for 2023.

‘‘These investments are part of a wider strategy of continually improving quality,’’ Nick said. ‘‘Our focus is on quality, consistency and repeatability. Achieving recognition from such a prestigious customer and being added to their ‘10 PPM’ rated supplier list is an example of the hard work we put in paying off, and something we are all immensely proud of.’’

Pailton Engineering has enjoyed continuous growth over the past decade. By maintaining a high level of investment in upgrading its manufacturing equipment, the company is future-proofing its facility as it prepares to serve new and existing customers in the bus and coach, commercial vehicle and military sectors. See http://pailton.com for information.

Supporting disability network to expand with acquisition deal

Coventry-based law firm, Talbots Law has supported PurpleSpace, the world’s only networking and professional development hub for disability employee resource group leaders, in finalising a deal to join UK disability charity, Scope, via acquisition. This transfer of ownership enables PurpleSpace to continue scaling up its efforts and gives the network access to a wealth of expertise, resources and strategic vision to further enhance its impact and drive the business forward.

Legal support for this deal was entrusted to Mike Linford, Director & Head of Corporate & Commercial, and Andrew Martin, Associate & Solicitor, at Talbots Law, which has 11 offices across the central region, and a team of more than 480 staff. Talbots Law's Coventry Office is based in The Quadrant and houses a range of personal and commercial law specialist teams. The team at PurpleSpace were also assisted by Jerroms Corporate Finance, which provides businesses with advice and support in key financial areas. For more information about Talbots Law, visit: www.talbotslaw.co.uk/site/business/ or to learn more about PurpleSpace visit: www.purplespace.org