Oakland International finance team members Kevin Joyce and Christian Stokes are celebrating after successfully completing their CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualifications, following three and a half years of study.

Kevin Joyce joined Oakland in 2017 as a Sales Ledger Controller, already holding a Level 4 AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) qualification. He quickly progressed to Assistant Financial Controller after demonstrating remarkable growth, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to excellence, before taking on the role of Financial Controller – Distribution in 2019 to support the implementation of new systems and account procedures.

Kevin said: “My CIMA qualification course was fully funded by Oakland International, which I wouldn’t have been able to do myself, so I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and the trust put in me to succeed. We have a wonderful team in finance, and I have had a wealth of support from them to get me through it.

“Being CIMA qualified is a massive deal, equivalent to a master’s degree, accelerating me to another level on my career path. Having lost both of my parents in quick succession in 2021 and knowing my mum had always wished for me to do this, it means so much. I would encourage others to make the most of every opportunity available to them.”

Christian Stokes began his Oakland International journey as an apprentice studying business administration in 2016, completed his final AAT Level 4 qualification in 2021, and served as Senior Accounts Assistant. His attention to detail and proactive approach made a significant impact on the company’s operations before he took on his current role of Management Accountant.

Christian commented: “I began my CIMA qualification journey in 2021, supported by Oakland International throughout, passing my final exam in April 2025. I wouldn’t have been able to undertake my CIMA on my own, so I am very thankful and grateful for the opportunity.

“It’s a massive deal for me to have attained CIMA qualification, which has now accelerated my career path.”
Added Kevin: “As time passed after completing my Level 4 AAT qualification, I started to feel like I would never start CIMA, but when Christian went straight from AAT to CIMA, I took the chance to join him on the journey, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Apprenticeships and trainee programmes are a key part of Oakland International’s employee training offer, providing a learning platform for all to develop new skills, gain valuable experience, and advance into a range of key roles within the company.

Oakland International Group Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Hoare commented: “The dedication and perseverance shown by Kevin and Christian exemplify the positive outcomes of apprenticeships and training programmes, which help to inspire others.

“Oakland International is proud to support and celebrate the achievements of all trainees, and we remain dedicated to providing enhanced opportunities for development, learning, and career progression for all team members.

“Our congratulations once again to Kevin Joyce and Christian Stokes for their outstanding achievements and for setting a high standard for work ethic and dedication at Oakland International.”
A Certified B Corporation, Oakland International is a total supply chain solutions provider and an expert in saving food and non-food products from going to waste via their distress load management service. The company aims to be the first business within its sector to reach net zero. As a specialist and leader in direct-to-consumer services, case consolidation, contract packing, storage and distribution, food tempering, and brand development support for all types of food, Oakland International serves markets across the UK and Ireland.

Climarite Refrigeration, a leading specialist in temperature-controlled environments and BFFF member, is proud to announce its recognition as “Contractor of the Year” at the 2025 ACR News Awards.

The win that underscores the company’s critical role in supporting the British frozen food industry with sustainable, high-performance and cost-effective refrigeration solutions.

With a growing demand for energy-efficient and reliable cold chain infrastructure, Climarite has emerged as a key partner to frozen food manufacturers and processors across the UK. From ultra-low temperature storage facilities to smart defrost systems and remote monitoring technologies, Climarite’s work has helped ensure product quality, food safety and operational efficiency across the supply chain.

“We are incredibly proud to be recognised with this award,” said Patrick Connolly, Managing Director at Climarite Refrigeration. “The frozen food industry relies on precision, reliability, and innovation — and that’s exactly what our team delivers every day. This win isn’t just for us, it’s a win for the wider cold chain community we’re proud to serve.”

Judges at the ACR News Awards praised Climarite for its industry-leading expertise, focus on sustainability and its exceptional client support in high-demand sectors like frozen food manufacturing and storage.

Recent projects include the installation of advanced low-GWP systems for national cold storage networks, energy-optimised blast freezing facilities and retrofitting ageing infrastructure to meet today’s regulatory and environmental standards — all delivered with a focus on minimising downtime and maximising efficiency.

As frozen food continues to be a cornerstone of British food resilience and innovation, Climarite’s award-winning service ensures the sector can meet growing demand without compromising on quality or sustainability.

For full details about the awards and 2025 winners visit ACR News Awards: https://acrnewsawards.com/2025-winners/
For more information about Climarite’s service contact Patrick Connolly: 01704 630 515 patrick@climarite.com

The food and drink sector is one of the most tightly regulated and monitored industries, subject to ever-evolving health and safety rules and regulations. Which is why new BFFF member Contact Attachments Ltd, based in Newtown, Powys, stresses how vital it is for manufacturers to invest in the right equipment.

In a bid to help fellow members stay ahead of the game and avoid potential pitfalls, they’ve put together a handy guide on the ‘Top Five Benefits of Using Specialised Forklift Attachments in Food and Drink Manufacturing’.

Mark Jones, Technical Sales Advisor at Contact Attachments says:
“The frozen food sector is subject to particularly time-sensitive logistics, along with its own unique set of challenges from working in sub-zero environments. It’s also an extremely competitive sector, with constantly changing consumer preferences, tight profit margins and considerable brand rivalry all adding an ongoing pressure to be at the forefront of innovation whilst keeping costs low. Investing in specialised forklift attachments isn’t just about upgrading your equipment – it’s about creating smarter, safer, and more cost-effective processes, which in turn will enable you to gain (and maintain) that competitive edge.

“From enhancing hygiene and safety compliance to increasing efficiency whilst reducing waste, our latest guide is packed full of information on why you should be paying close attention to the forklift attachments your operatives are using – ensuring they’re fit-for-purpose, compliant, and above all – safe. You can check it out here.

“At Contact Attachments, we’re always on hand and happy to help with expert advice and guidance, and over the coming weeks and months we’ll be sharing some top tips and recommended attachments to help BFFF members streamline their cold-chain logistics safely and with ease. We’d love to hear from our fellow BFFF members for a friendly no-obligation chat if they’d like to explore this subject further or have any specific questions for us.”

Contact Attachments offers standard and bespoke material handling solutions to businesses of all shapes and sizes in the UK and overseas, with its range of stainless steel attachments being particularly favoured by the food and drink and cold-chain sectors. For more information, visit: www.forklift-attachments.co.uk, or call 01686 611200.

The Move to -15°C is a global industry coalition working to reduce standard freezing temperatures from -18°C to -15°C and in the meantime optimise temperatures within current regulations to bring cost and carbon savings across the industry.
The latest members meeting brought together businesses from every part of the cold chain to share updates, discuss insights from real-world trials, and align on the regulatory and technical progress needed to support the transition.

The Coalition also welcomed several new members, including IKEA, Thistle Seafoods, Prodalim, Greenyard Frozen, and Farm Frites, further strengthening collaboration across the supply chain.
There are practical ways for companies to get involved:

• Every Degree Counts – work to ensure shipments/storage are kept at the most efficient temperature, track progress, collect data and contribute to a framework to monitor energy and carbon savings.
• Pilots – participate in first-mover trials and contribute data using the Move to -15°C Protocol.

If you are interested in supporting or joining one or both of these workstreams, please contact Rupert Ashby – RupertAshby@bfff.co.uk

Flexible Packaging, Rigid Values

From Flow Wrappers to Palletizers, Bag Fillers to Vertical Form Fill Seal baggers, the reliability of the Hayssen, Symach, and Thiele equipment and our customer-centric teams are world-renowned. Prioritizing ergonomics, hygiene/cleanability, and sustainability in all our projects, we offer solutions to protect your products, your brand, and your operators.

Our global teams deliver effective and custom solutions, with thousands of installations for food and non-food products. Maximize your packaging line’s efficiency by working with a company that values lifetime support, strong customer relationships, and our customers’ success over short-term transactions. With numerous BW Flexible System (BWFS) options for parts, service and technical support, as well as upgrades, remanufacturing, and training, you determine the lifespan of your machine.

Your Trusted Brands

BWFS creates flexible packaging solutions by bringing together some of the industry’s most trusted and innovative brands. Building on the rich heritage of Rose Forgrove, Sandiacre, Schib, and Simionato, our Vertical Form-Fill-Seal and Flow Wrapping product lines are consolidated under the legendary Hayssen name, while Symach and Thiele aligned to provide reliable palletizing and bag filling solutions.

Whether you’re looking to add or upgrade a single component, or plan and install a full line system, we have the brands and over a century of experience to provide reliable flexible packaging solutions for your specific requirements.

Your Market Needs, Our Solutions

Your products and customers have unique needs and expectations. Whether your priority is product protection, shelf life, and food safety regulation, consumer appeal and convenience, or cost-effectiveness and maximizing uptime, our team of market experts will work with you to create your ideal solution. We offer experience ranging across a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, cheese, IQF/frozen, fresh produce, pet food, and even non-food applications like hardware, fertilizers/chemicals, and sand, gravel or cement, and much more.

Lifetime Support Through Parts, Upgrades, and Tech Support

Need maintenance parts? Or troubleshooting help? Perhaps it’s time to invest in a new machine, but budgets are tight so you’re looking for a remanufacturing option instead.

With an extensive Aftermarket Parts & Service program, we help you choose how long you keep your equipment running. Though building your packaging machines is our highest priority, it is closely followed by the innate focus on building and sustaining lasting customer relationships.

To serve your needs, we provide a lifetime of outstanding support by offering consistent integrity, expert execution, and a full range of services including parts, upgrades, remanufacturing, service, and personalized training.