www.acquisition-international.com • Global Excellence 2022
2 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 About our Awards Launched in 2018, the Global Excellence Awards provide us at Acquisition International Magazine with an opportunity to celebrate and highlight the innovative companies, teams and individuals who are excelling across the vast corporate landscape. Dedicated to delivering vital updates to our corporate readers so that they remain ahead of the curve, the Global Excellence Awards present the most prominent leaders and industry developments from key sectors, and magnify the work of those that are setting the pace and looking to change their respective sectors for the better. Recipients are selected through a merit-based system, via research carried out by our own impartial team rather than external nominations. Our criteria require that there is evidence of significant achievements and a clear commitment to innovation in a given field, for a company to pass the shortlisting stage and go on to be recognised and publicised to our readership. Jo Holloway - Senior Account Executive Contents 6 2022’s Leading Innovators in Cardiology & Diagnostic Imaging Solutions - Canada 7 Australian Expat Taxation Matters 8 Intelligent Information Management 10 Forex For A Safe, Secure Future 11 Best Occupational Health & Safety Services Provider 2022 – Ireland 12 Innovative, Practical, Cost-Effective Forklifts 14 The Future of Independent Validation and Verification 16 A Smooth Transition 18 The Steadfast Solution to Alternative Funding 19 Most Influential Woman in Capital Markets Law 2022 – Hong Kong 20 Blockchain Pioneers Secure Success! No information contained on or in this website constitutes investment advice or an offer to invest or to provide management services and is subject to correction, completion and amendment without notice. Neither AI nor any of its associated entities are authorised to give financial advice of any nature nor are they regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Prior to making any investment, AI recommends that any prospective investor should consult with its own investment, accounting, legal and tax advisers to evaluate independently the risks, consequences and suitability of that investment. AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility. 22 Two Decades of Endless Success 24 Future Proof Your Warehouse 25 A Pillar of Metal- Focused Construction 26 Redefining Business Advisory Services 28 Beautiful and Bespoke 29 Immigration Made Easy 30 Supporting the Assessment of Pandemic-Era Academics 32 Best Nutrition & Weight Management Products Provider 2022 – California 33 Credit Where It’s Due! 34 The Texan Company Making a Difference 36 India’s Innovative Payment Solutions’ 37 By Entrepreneurs, For Entrepreneurs! 38 Metal Marvels! Editors Sofi Bajor, Senior Editor Rebecca Scotland, Editor Designers Daniela Levinte, Graphic Designer Lauren Baldwin, Graphic Designer
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 3 39 Putting People First 40 Most Influential Woman in Technology Law 2022 - Kent 41 Innovative Insights Secure Success 42 Most Innovative RegTech Solutions Company 2022 - UK 43 Dialogue Cloud Communications Platform Secures Success 44 The Italian Artificial Intelligence Startup Factory: Creating Startups Through Innovation 46 The Secret to Improving ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOFTWARE Ecosystems 47 Most Innovative Cloud & Hosting Solutions Provider 2022 – Canada 48 Tools Of The Future 49 2022 Award for Innovation in Interactive Technology & Experiences – UK 50 One Machine, More Freedom 52 Award Winning Cloud- Based Communication 54 Pictures Worth A Thousand Words 56 The People-Focused Business. 58 Front Runners in Health and Safety Education 59 Making The Technological World Accessible 60 Finding the Synergy Between Building and Biosphere 61 Pallet Perfection 62 Managed IT and Cyber- Security Services: Protecting Businesses. 63 Digital Data Stream Secures Success 64 Finding A Home In Paradise: Alan Ouitayakul 65 The Best in Air Cargo Transportation 66 DXCorr Design Inc. Architect in Embedded Physical IP 68 Technology That Matches the Purpose 70 Austria’s Best in Law Most Influential Civil Law Expert 2022 - Austria 71 Most Innovative Defibrillator Device Developer 2022 - USA 72 Law Made Easy 73 Childcare For The Future 74 Raising the Bar Every Time 75 Artificial Intelligence for Music and Audio 76 The Course Provider That’s Going Global 77 Best Boutique Employment Law Firm 2022 - Ireland 78 Satisfaction Guaranteed! 79 The Friendly Local Lawyers with International Prowess 80 Innovation Within Insolvency Law 81 People’s Patent and Trademark Rights 82 Making Language Simple 84 Leading the New Frontier of Private Investment Management 86 The Tax Law Firm Unlike Any Other 87 Never Say No 88 Award-Winning Dentistry 89 Big, Bold, and Built To Last 34 21
4 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 90 Cradle to Cradle Design Innovations, Rethinking the Way We Make Things 91 Leading Enterprise Storage Solutions 92 Best Enterprise Retail Software Provider 2022 – Canada 94 Accelerating Time to Market for Biopharma and Medtech Digital Solutions 96 Aesthetic Treatments Fit For Royalty 97 A Chemical-free Way to Keep the Ticks at Bay 98 First Impressions Count! 99 Find the Home of Your Dreams 100 Changing the World One Cell at a Time 101 Overcoming The Odds 102 Going Above And Beyond! 103 Putting People First 104 Education Done Right 105 Keeping One Step Ahead 106 Accessibility in Artificial Intelligence 108 The Best Innovations for the Best Metalwork 110 Unleashing The Power of Art 111 Brave New Worlds 112 Premier Services Provider to the FinTech Sector 113 A Class Act! 114 Playing The Long Game 115 Food For Thought 116 End-to-End Facilities Management 117 Finance For All 118 Digital Integration with a Difference 119 Best Full-Service HR Consulting Firm 2022 - Devon 120 Offshore IT Solutions Secure Success 121 Homeostasis and Equanimity 122 A Horsebox With A Difference 123 Light, Shapes, Colours, Textures 124 Pure Science. No Fiction. 125 Premium Laser Treatments at a Competitive Cost 126 Most Outstanding Fire Safety Products Provider 2022 – UK 127 Breaking The Glass Ceiling! 128 World-Class ERP & Cloud Solutions 129 Care by Name, Care by Nature 130 Premium Trading Software Solutions For You 132 Cyber Security Specialists Secure Success! 134 Moving Finance Forward 135 Comprehensive Global Background Screening 136 From Wisconsin to the World Stage 137 An Encounter of Disruptors 138 Strive, Committed, Synchronised, Inspired 139 Changing Times 140 Transparency, Integrity, Communication, Kindness 39 70
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 5 142 A Customer Centric Attitude Towards Cyber Security 144 The New Solution for the Emerging Healthcare Industry 146 The Future of Sustainable Energy Starts Here 148 Best Clear Aligner Products Developer 2022 - California 150 Best International Investment Management Firm 2022 - London 151 Reimagining Cybersecurity 152 A True Insight Into Fashion Consumer Trends 154 Business Automation Solutions 156 Proud to Support its Veterans 158 AD: Best Performance Improvement Consulting Firm 2022 - Virginia 159 JM Wholesale awarded Best CBD Distributor & Manufacturer, 2022. 160 Optimum: Re-Inventing the Payment Arena 161 Pristine Protection 162 Improving Performance Everywhere 163 Making Tax Simple 164 Mission-Critical Platform for Omnichannel Advertising 165 Surgical Training of the Future 166 Working Hard. Working Smart. Working To Win! 167 Turning Information into Insight 168 Private Equity Specialists 169 Incredible Innovation in Business Development 170 A Technology Company That Wants to Reinvigorate the World of Business 171 Best Video Production& Marketing Agency 2022 – China 172 Simple, Seamless, and Stress-free Business Sales 174 Safer, Healthier Air 176 Journey To The Future 178 Make Platform Payments Your Superpower 120 138 73
6 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 14 Acquis tion International - Issue 1 2022 team”. So, with over 600 medical professionals and more than 160 physicians as consultants, MyHealth has a vast team of highly experienced individuals who can make an immense difference to the way patients are cared for. The timeliness of their call centre agents, patient care representatives, diagnostic technicians, reading physicians, clinic leaders, regional directors, and head office support staff enables the most modern healthcare system to speed-up the process of diagnosis and treatment. Patients can rest assured they will be prioritised and cared for both rapidly and accurately. Striving to provide same-week appointments, MyHealth offers quick evaluation, diagnosis, and the beginning of treatments, thus leaving their patients feeling secure and heard. It’s no surprise they’ve received thousands of five-star Google reviews from satisfied patients. Suresh tells us, “MyHealth’s plan is to grow internationally into a globally successful organisation as we look to grow in other jurisdictions.” These additional areas will continue to propel them even further in the healthcare industry, introducing a healthier future for all. Contact: Brandon Latham Company: MyHealth Centre Web Address: www.myhealthcentre.ca 2022’s Leading Innovators in Cardiology & Diagnostic Imaging Solutions - Canada MyHealth’s goal is to become a “one-stop-shop” for all patient diagnostic services that are referred by primary and secondary healthcare providers, such as family physicians, cardiologists, internists, nurse practitioners, chiropractors, and more. Their mission to provide quality patient care through innovation, compassion, and integrity was recognized by Accreditation Canada who designated MyHealth Centre the first and only independent health facilities in Ontario to be Accredited with Commendation. This unique achievement acknowledges their continuous effort to provide shorter wait times for patient appointments; faster report turnaround for referring healthcare providers; and the highest standard of infection prevention, cleanliness, safety, and comfort in their facilities. President and CEO, Suresh Madan, tells us that “MyHealth embraces high-quality patient care, so patients are treated quickly, comfortably and safely. And we’ve stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic without an outbreak.” While the pandemic introduced all kinds of new challenges in the healthcare industry, Suresh had always been planning for a seamless “brick-and-click” healthcare model that offers a range of diagnostic services both in-house and remotely. In addition to their enhanced protocol in clinics, they have accelerated their telehealth offering, which makes the best of what virtual and brick-and-mortar care have to offer. Their team of certified Ontario physicians provide OHIP-covered telehealth assessments for urgent care, prescriptions, and medical referrals for all Ontario patients from the comfort and safety of their home. Likewise, their team of certified Ontario cardiologists provide consultations by telephone and video conference and can refer patients for in-clinic cardiology services as needed. Equally important is building the trust of their referring healthcare providers – 15,000 and counting – who send their patients to MyHealth Centres. “We do this in a number of ways,” says Madan, by ensuring the diagnoses are done by professionals that doctors can trust. “All of our studies are diagnosed by subspecialty-trained physicians,” he says. “For example, all our paediatric imaging is done by paediatric radiologists, all of our women’s imaging is done by fellowship-trained mammographers who do it all the time.” Suresh believes that “the quality of our patient care is only as good as the quality of our team, and a company’s biggest asset is their M MyHealth Centre is an accredited independent health facility with 48 locations in Ontario, specializing in cardiology, imaging, women’s health, telehealth and sleep diagnostic services. With their wide field of expertise, more than 15,000 Ontario healthcare providers refer their patients to MyHealth Centre for OHIP-covered diagnostic services. Here we talk to President and CEO, Suresh Madan, who tells us more about MyHealth and their higher standard of patient care. Contact: Brandon Latham Company: MyHealth Centre Web Address: https://myhealthcentre.ca/ Nov21261
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 7 Acquisition I ternational - Issue 1 202 13 Accountants of Australian and New Zealand, Tax Institute of Australia and Certified Practicing Accountants, as well as other corporate, industry and regulatory entities.” “We are recognised as leaders in our market and have been active in making submissions to Government, regulatory and advisory bodies regarding taxation, policy and legislative changes that effect foreign investors and Australian expatriates.” Since the pandemic, more than 600,000 Aussie expats have returned home. Repatriation Tax Planning is essential to ensure clients have a fully understanding all aspects of tax position prior to their return to minimize unnecessary costly mistakes and maximise their financial standing. Specialising in a variety of services, the company assists clients with regards to Australian Tax Return Preparation, Australian Property Financial Feasibility Analysis, Australian Migration Taxation Planning and Australian Expatriate & Repatriate Tax Planning. Steve explains how it feels for the company to be recognised on a global scale for the work that the team do. “It is an honour to be awarded for the seventh consecutive year in the AI Global Awards. It is testament to the value we place on providing outstanding service, honest advice and always acting with integrity.” The outlook is positive for ATS, with Steve citing the growth within the company as a key factor of the agency’s success. He talks about the new offices opened throughout Australian over the past year and the excitement of global growth forecasted in 2022. “With the relaxation of borders and the world feeling more connected than ever since the pandemic, we anticipate an increase in Australian migration, foreign investment and a return overseas for Aussie expats. We will continue to provide services to educate and protect the financial interests of our clients.” Nov21189 Company: Australasian Taxation Services Pty Ltd – a SMATS Group company Website: smats.net/tax Contact: tax@smats.net Australian Expat Taxation Matters TS is a registered Australian tax agent that ensures clients gain a full understanding of their Australian tax obligations and opportunities. The team are experts in Australian tax compliance and provide specialised tax planning services for Australian expatriates, property investors and intended migrants to Australia. ATS is a part of the global corporation SMATS Group of businesses. Steve Douglas, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ATS and Chairman of SMATS Services Pte Ltd, has created success in a niche market by capitalising on his taxation specialisations for non-resident property investors, migration and expatriate taxation planning. As a regular presenter on Australian taxation matters, Steve has delivered seminars across the globe on behalf of many industry organisations and property developers, including the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia and Australian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong. Interestingly, Steve has been featured in articles by the Singapore Business Times, South China Morning Post, Australian Entrepreneur Magazine, Benchmark, Western Australian Property and Investment and Property Link magazine. He comments that his team drives the success of the company. “Our team members have a full understanding of Australian and international tax issues and are members of the Chartered A With an established network of offices around the globe, Australasian Taxation Services (ATS) continues to dominate as the leading Australian expatriate tax firm, having serviced thousands of international and Australian based clients. Steve Douglas provides an in-depth overview of the services and success of the company.
8 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 20 Acqu s tion International - Issue 1 2022 Nov21555 Intelligent Information Management M-Files provides a modern approach to information management that enables a smarter way to work. It connects people with the content that they need, when they need it, regardless of where it is stored, to increase the productivity of knowledge workers, ensure a seamless digital experience, strengthen collaboration, enable business continuity, and reduce business risk. Recognised for Acquisition International’s Most Innovative Information Management Platform 2022 – USA award, we got in touch with founder and CEO, Antti Nivala to learn more. -Files’ unique metadata-driven document management platform enables knowledge workers to instantly find the right information in any context, automate business processes, and enforce information control. The company has thousands of customers in over 100 countries and nearly 600 employees in 11 offices across the globe. Antti Nivala is founder and CEO at M-Files and serves as Chairman of the Board. Antti conceived the vision of M-Files and continues to lead the direction and development of the company and the product. M-Files has been recognised as one of the world’s most innovative technology companies by leading industry analyst firms, including Gartner, Forrester, and Nucleus Research. In 2021, Antti was named an Executive of the Year by the BIG Awards for Business. Additionally, he was recognised as CTO of the Year in 2016 and named Software Entrepreneur of the Year in Finland in 2015. Antti holds a master’s degree in software engineering. We asked Antti a series of questions about M-Files and he obliged. What benefits do your customers receive from this metadatadriven approach to document management? “The M-Files metadata-driven document management platform allows content to be organised and processed based on what it is and does not depend on where it is stored or require a complex folder hierarchy structure. With this metadata structure, M-Files enables organisations to streamline and automate locating information, categorising, and indexing documents, assigning permissions, initiating workflows, and more. “A new commissioned study, ‘The Total Economic Impact of M-Files’, conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of M-Files, determined that customers using M-Files realise nearly a 270% return on investment (ROI) over three years as a result of enhanced compliance and audit processes, improved productivity, increased revenue, and improved client experiences. “The research study revealed cost savings and business benefits enabled by M-Files, including the following: improved categorising and indexing of documents, by 60%; improved efficiency when searching for documents and information by 40%; and enhanced compliance and audit processes, by up to 25%. M “The Forrester study highlighted how our unique differentiation and metadata-driven approach provides customers with greater functionality and usability, improved employee satisfaction, and the ability to provide enhanced client experiences. The TEI study found that customers achieved millions in savings, attributed to advanced workflows, automated processes, improved collaboration, and elimination of inefficiencies.” How is M-Files innovative? “M-Files is built on a foundation entirely driven by metadata, so it doesn’t rely on where a user’s content is stored. Instead, it’s all about context, and leveraging the native AI self-learning capabilities that help personalise the overall user experience when working with content. During the shift to remote/hybrid work, employees have leveraged the power of metadata to not only search and organise, but also to manage, secure, share, and improve the visibility of content. This strong metadata foundation provides a unique level of flexibility that enables organisations to easily adapt to changing business needs. “M-Files continues to make work-from-anywhere as effortless as possible, enabling employees to access the content they need, when they need it, ensuring a seamless digital experience.” What distinguishes M-Files from other document management systems? “M-Files is one of the only document management platforms that connects content in siloed repositories and other data systems and also governs information in other repositories. This gives knowledge workers a full 360-degree view of the content they need in just a few clicks. With M-Files, companies can digitalise critical business processes and keep information secured and controlled with ease while simultaneously allowing users to work within common applications such as Microsoft 365 and Salesforce. “M-Files utilises its fully metadata-driven platform to better manage and govern information and doesn’t rely on where content is stored, enabling users to easily manage, secure, share and improve visibility of content directly in the platform. By using metadata to provide context, automate permissions, and manage information, M-Files gives users greater flexibility and increases staff productivity by automating tasks that need to be done manually with other tools.
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 9 Acquisition I ternational - Issue 1 202 21 Intelligent Information Management “Through our innovative information management platform, we continue to set the standard for a smarter way to work. This year, we were recognised as a Visionary in The Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for Content Services Platforms report, where we were positioned furthest for completeness of vision. Our placement this year, particularly in the ability to execute category, demonstrates our commitment to continuous innovation and highlights our unmatched abilities to support digital client experiences. Additionally, M-Files received the highest score for the Information Governance use case and the top three highest scores across all four use cases in the Gartner® Critical Capabilities for Content Services Platforms report.” Company: M-Files UK Email: contact@m-files.com Website: www.m-files.com
10 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 Acquisition International - Issue 1 2022 35 Company: IronFX Website: www.ironfx.com Forex For A Safe, Secure Future ounded in 2010 and based in a state-of-the-art headquarters in Cyprus, IronFX has more than 1,200,000 clients across 180 countries worldwide. With 200 tradable instruments from six asset classes, the company offers client support in 30 different languages. “We aim to help traders make an informed decision about which broker to go with,” explains an IronFX spokesperson. “We can evaluate key features including the trading platforms, promotions and benefits, deposits and withdrawals, customer support, and the trading terms and conditions.” IronFX offers a variety of trading accounts, suited to different types of investors. In fact, each account offers something slightly different, depending on the style of the trader that is using it. For example, traders can choose between Live and STP/ECN trading accounts and enjoy the benefits of trading through the industry leading MT4 online platform. Across the different account types, users are offered a mixture of commission-free and commission-based trading, with a maximum leverage of 1:1000, 1:500 or 1:200 depending on the account that is chosen. In total, IronFX offers seven different trading accounts: Live Floating/Live Fixed Micro - Minimum deposit $100 - Micro lots - Fixed or Variable spreads - Dedicated Account Manager Premium - Minimum deposit $2,500 - Fixed or Variable spreads - Dedicated Account Manager - Dealing department hotline VIP - Minimum deposit $20,000 - Fixed or Variable spreads - Dedicated Account Manager - Dealing department hotline Zero Fixed - Minimum deposit $500 - Micro lots F - Dedicated Account Manager - Low commissions per lot STP/ECN - Minimum deposit $500 - Spreads from as low as 0 pips - STP No Commission and STP Zero Spread account and Absolute Zero - Micro lots If you trade with IronFX you can expect to gain direct access to trade the markets with the latest tailored, cutting-edge technology on the market, including MetaTrader 4 (MT4), Personal MultiAccount Manager (PMAM), MultiTerminal, and Webtrader social trading platforms. When using any of the above platforms, traders can benefit from an advanced charting package, featuring a wide range of customisable tools. The option to tailor the platforms to meet each individual trader’s requirement is a useful feature when trading with IronFX. IronFX also offers a number of exclusive bonuses and forex trading competitions for users to take advantage of, such as the 40% Power Bonus* up $4,000, which is a deposit booster that traders can benefit from. There is also a 20% Iron Bonus* up to $2,000 currently available on the IronFX website, meaning there is a good selection of deposit booster bonuses currently available. IronFX offers a solid choice of payment systems that enables traders to manage their funds properly and securely. With deposit options from Credit Card to Cryptocurrencies, FasaPay, Neteller, Skrill, and Wire Transfer, IronFX has a strong selection of systems that ensure safe and reliable payments. These also cover withdrawal processes. Well-known for its excellent client support service, IronFX has a dedicated team on hand to provide the very best in trader assistance. Recently, IronFX was voted Most Innovative Online Forex Trading Company – 2022 in the AI Global Excellence Awards 2022. “At IronFX we strive to deliver an exceptional service to all our clients, both retail and institutional, by offering a wide range of products, the best-of-market spreads and unmatched trading conditions globally. We continuously invest in product innovation and company personnel to meet the needs of our clients by delivering bespoke quality and unrivalled level of high-quality services.” IronFX is an award-winning trading platform and leading international brokerage operating under the trade name of Notesco Limited. IronFX has been recognised internationally with more than 40 prestigious industry awards. It has now been recognised as Most Innovative Online Forex Trading Company – 2022. Nov21398
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 11 Acquisition International - Issue 1 3 Contact: David Kearney Company: KTC Safety Website: www.ktcsafety.ie Best Occupational Health & Safety Services Provider 2022 – Ireland hen it comes to training, one company is leading the way and has been recently named one of Europe’s top ten service providers for training. Kearney Training & Consultancy (KTC Safety) has one of the largest dedicated training centres in the Republic of Ireland and offer a nationwide service, with training courses conducted by a highly skilled team of trainers and assessors. KTC Safety is trusted by renowned organisations in Ireland, including The Irish Coast Guard, Waterford Institute of Technology, Irish Rail, Hertel, Bord na Mona, and more. It has been over 12 years since KTC Safety was founded. And it was formed with a singular focus on meeting the demand for training and certification, enabling people to further their education, assisting the unemployed to find employment, and up-skilling in current jobs and continual development. With a specialised team of professionals, KTC Safety operates out of a dedicated training facility located at Portlaoise, Co. Laois and extends its training services both nationwide and across the UK. The company continues to live and breathe its vision and is committed to providing ‘best practices’ and quality services to its clients. KTC Safety is solving a long-standing challenge in this realm: lack of accredited certification for courses. “We aim to give members of W the public the best certification and quality training courses. KTC Safety gained centre and instructor certification from many different awarding bodies, such as CIEH, City & Guilds NPTC, IOSH, Irish Heart Foundation, LANTRA Awards, QQI, Road Safety Authority & SOLAS,” says Managing Director David Kearney. At the core, KTC Safety equips their clients with different courses and consulting services pertaining to training, assessment, certification, and registration needs. Striving to be the one-stop-shop for health and safety training, KTC Safety offers over 300 courses in various sectors, including agriculture, arboriculture, construction, forestry, horticulture, industrial, pesticides, quarry, rail, scaffolding, transport and many more. KTC Safety also offers a full range of consultancy services ranging from site safety visits to risk assessments, health and safety plans, Safety Statements and Covid-19 compliance. Throughout the pandemic, KTC Safety has done everything it can to keep people safe and has continued to serve its customers with online sources and connections. For the future, KTC Safety is going above and beyond with all of its services. It is looking to continue on its path as a leading training and consultancy firm. Exciting times are ahead. Kearney Training & Consultancy (KTC Safety) specialises in occupational health and safety services, including safety consultation and health and safety training. We find out more about the firm in the wake of it being recognised in the AI 2022 Global Excellence Awards. Nov21295
12 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 48 Issue 1 2022 Dec21180 Innovative, Practical, Cost-Effective Forklifts TASK Forklifts designs, engineers and manufactures a range of pedestrian walkie stackers for the materials handling industry. Acquisition International magazine has recognised the company for its award in Most Outstanding Forklifts Manufacturer 2022 – Australia, so we explore what the company has to offer customers. n Australia, TASK Forklifts provides options for sale, hire and servicing to both end-user customer and dealerships. In the United States, it works with over 140 selected dealers throughout the country to provide quality, Australian designed pedestrian stackers. As the designer and manufacturer, the company guarantees 100% genuine spare parts support for all its models. TASK Forklifts’ success is driven by its expert sales team, its ability to service and support not only its own brand but many other forklift models, and its unrivalled experience of engineering, designing and manufacturing a customer-focused product. In the 41 years that TASK Forklifts has been trading, its most important goal has been to provide exceptional customer service and support at every stage of the customer journey. In many ways, the customer’s order is the start of the journey – unfortunately, many competitors see it as the end. TASK Forklifts serves a diverse customer base across Australia and the United States. Each business’s needs and requirements are different and that requires a premium level of customer relationship. Its guidance to customers is individualised to suit them – This is where TASK Forklifts really excels. Its customer-oriented, solution-based approach allows the customer to make correct, informed decisions with the knowledge that they will be backed by exceptional after-sales support for the lifetime of their forklift. The company prides itself on its ability to continuously support its full product range through a comprehensive stock of genuine spare parts and provide technical assistance to field service technicians. It does this by using intelligent diagnostic tool, TASK iD. TASK iD allows remote field service technicians to receive direct support from TASK Forklifts’ factory-based support team in Australia to view the status and extended information about the forklift; assess current active faults; see a full history of the forklift including any issues relating to the unit and the battery; adjust settings and parameters for speed and braking to suit warehouse requirements and limitations; and upload the latest firmware updates to ensure the forklift is optimised to the highest level of efficiency. The distinctive level of manufacturer-backed support ensures the forklift or pedestrian stacker purchased by the customer will always be maintained using the correct repair procedures and use genuine I TASK Forklift parts. These parts all meet the company’s reliability, safety and quality levels. 90% of the TASK Forklifts’ rental fleet in Australia is made up of TASK Forklift models. This is a testament to the reliability of these pedestrian stackers, and forklifts, and when combined with the availability of genuine parts and correct maintenance, reduces downtime and offers significantly low running costs for its rental fleet. TASK Forklifts’ experience and expertise in manufacturing and engineering enables it to provide custom-built solutions, all of which are tested and exceed ISO International Safety Standards. Of course, TASK Forklifts’ service and product offering would be nothing without its staff, who are incredible. The honesty, passion and dedication they have is refreshing and vital for the success of the company. When it looks to recruit, it looks at how that individual will fit into the team, and if they are capable of their own personal development. Embracing workplace diversity is very much part of TASK Forklifts’ internal culture. It sees it as a huge strength, enabling its staff to bring different ideas, suggestions and solutions to the workplace. The company encourages constant career and personal development to ensure each team member has their own set of skills, with many of these skills overlapping into other areas. This level of team cohesion is crucial for the success of the business. Each member of the team has contributed to the overall success, and as such, these successes are celebrated as a team. During the past two years, the team has been presented with a fresh set of challenges in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, including contactless interaction and border closures between states and countries. TASK Forklifts were already on the trajectory to change many of the traditional processes in customer management, which allowed it to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing times. With the use of video conferencing and how-to videos, its customers could still receive support without the need for business development managers to meet in person. Further to this, the company’s understanding of the ever-evolving consumer behaviour patterns gave them an opportunity to educate its potential customer by offering them information and pricing
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 13 Acquisition International - Issue 1 49 Innovative, Practical, Cost-Effective Forklifts without the need to enquire. This is a very different model to many of its competitors in Australia, which TASK believes gives them a competitive advantage in a saturated market. As a result of the pandemic, logistics and freight remain a significant challenge in all industries. TASK Forklifts’ sales and manufacturing forecasts, experience in customer service, and customer market research allowed it to overcome many of the issues faced with logistics and stock availability. The company is now in a position where it is ahead of the logistical curve and holds impressive levels of stock of its core range, allowing TASK Forklifts to dispatch many of these models within five working days. Its main factory in Adelaide, South Australia also allows TASK to refabricate and provide custom build solutions to these products, further reducing delivery times. TASK Forklifts has always consistently ensured that its core range utilises its unique modular design, the outcome resulting in huge reductions in lead times for customers and dealers. Meanwhile, the environmental impact of the business is essential to the company’s corporate responsibility. TASK Forklifts has implemented an action plan focused on the reduction of the carbon footprint generated by the different actions and operations of the business. It has already invested in the use of clean, renewable, and sustainable solar energy to assemble and manufacture forklifts – This is a substantial step in reducing its carbon footprint. A unique point of difference in TASK Forklifts’ models compared to its competitors is the use of a modular steel body – All of these components provide a rugged, strong frame and are all 100% recyclable. It is also utilising a unique thin plate pure lead acid battery (TPPL) for its new range of BOA® Legless Stackers®. These TPPL batteries are easily and almost completely recyclable. This allows the company to boast an impressive 90% recyclability for its new BOA® Legless Stacker®. Having now entered its 41st year of offering quality, reliable material handling equipment, TASK Forklifts is looking forward to what it has in store for its operations both in Australia and in the USA. The pedestrian operated market is the only segment of the forklift industry which has continued to grow in the last five years. The company expects this segment will represent more than 37% of the total market some time this year, and it is forecasting an exciting growth pattern, particularly in the US market. As businesses across the world reopen and go back to full productivity, there will be a focus on efficiency, simplicity, and automation to drive down costs and increase profits. In the US, TASK Forklifts is represented through more than 140 dealer sites, and it plans on increasing this number to 200 by the end of the year. In Australia, its focus will continue to be its protection of its global supply chain, and ensuring that a range of locally sourced, manufactured parts and quality, globally recognised components are readily available. TASK Forklifts is also investing in researching and developing its flagship BOA® Legless Stacker®. Its goal is to update, enhance and produce quality, reliable and affordable products for its customers. Further to this, it will be working with accredited third parties to offer options of complete automation for the ever-changing warehouse and distribution centre configurations. Company: TASK Forklifts Contact: Ollie Taylor Email: otaylor@taskaustralia.com.au Website: www.taskforklifts.com.au
14 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 28 Issue 1 2022 Nov21725 The Future of Independent Validation and Verification For the better part of two decades, OnShore Technology Group has been leading the independent validation and verification industry. From the outset the company has been met with unprecedented success and, as a result, it has been awarded several titles and over the years it has been repeatedly recognised for its devotion to client-centricity and quality. Increasing its collection, OnShore Technology Group has been awarded Acquisition International’s Best Life Sciences IV&V Software and Services Firm, 2022. nShore Technology Group is an independent validation and verification (IV&V) firm that provides software products to life sciences companies. In turn, these services aid companies in meeting the regulatory demands and rigorous requirements to support the full validation lifecycle process. Envisioning a future in of which companies have transitioned to automated lean validation processes, OnShore Technology Group strives to be at the forefront of the change, guiding companies towards streamline processes. Specialising in the development of products and services that power lean validation processes, the company pioneered the concept, principles and best practices of lean validation. Indeed, OnShore Technology Group provides innovative methods that optimise the process, and, additionally, take the client’s needs into account. The software that supports the company’s methodologies is ValidationMaster – a lean Enterprise Validation Management and Quality system designed to automate manual IV&V processes and drive operational efficiencies that save clients both time and money. In essence, every element of the company is infused with quality, ultimately ensuring that the client receives the best possible service. Established in 2004, OnShore Technology Group made itself at home in Chicago, Illinois, and over the years has planted offices in California and Massachusetts. Moreover, OnShore Technology Group has a location in Surrey, England. Built upon a wealth of knowledge, the company is the base of an expert team led by founder and CEO., Valarie King-Bailey. King-Bailey has accumulated over 34 years of international experience in the life sciences technology industry, and prior to her stint as CEO, King-Bailey worked for leading global O companies such as QUMAS Limited, EMC/Documentum, Abbott Laboratories, and U.S. Steel – South Works. An alumna of the University of Wisconsin and the Keller Graduate School of Management, King-Bailey also serves as an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, National Girls Collaborative Project for STEM education, Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS), and is a U.W. College of Civil Engineering Advisory Board Member. The most important asset to OnShore Technology Group is, of course, its team of devoted professionals. Simply put, the team play a critical role within the company, maintaining all the front-line contact with clients. Henceforth, OnShore Technology Group endeavours to only hire experienced, qualified validation engineers that align with its core values. Bolstering this aim is the company’s intensive hiring profile, which ensures that all of its validation engineers have deep industry domain experience and the technical competency in the validation and verification process. In addition, OnShore Technology Group works to cultivate a positive working environment. The firm has developed an open and flexible workspace and is dedicated to the success of each and every person that works for the company. Serving a vast range of clients, it is vital that the team is equipped to undertake a variety of unique needs and desires. OnShore Technology Group operates within the global life sciences industry and collaborates with companies across a variety of sectors – including, pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology, and other companies regulated by global regulatory bodies such as the US food and drug administration, Health Canada, and the Japanese Medicines Authority. Across the day-to-day operations, the team works to forge a partnership with the client, resulting in a long-term relationships being developed. It is through the success of such methods that OnShore Technology Group has been awarded numerous accolades. Both its team and its products have been continuously recognised for their effectiveness and quality. Since its founding, the company has garnered international acclaim. For example, in 2021, CEO Valarie King-Bailey received the prestigious Kenneth G. Chapman Award, which recognizes significant contributions in validation excellence. Envisioning a future in of which companies have transitioned to automated lean validation processes, OnShore Technology Group strives to be at the forefront of the change, guiding companies towards streamline processes.
Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 15 Acquisition International - Issue 1 29 The Future of Independent Validation and Verification Furthermore, supplied by the Institute of Validation Technology Network, the award recognises the lasting impact the recipient has made in the field of validation and/or compliance activities in pharmaceutical, medical device, or biotech manufacturing. Receiving such reputable awards has enhanced OnShore Technology Group’s standing within the independent validation and verification services market – unlike its competitors, its contributions have been recognised and celebrated on an international scale. Similarly, OnShore Technology Group’s unique approach makes it a recognisable face amongst a myriad of indistinguishable companies. OnShore Technology Group coined the term ‘lean validation,’ derived from the principles of lean manufacturing which are designed to streamline and optimize the manufacturing processes. These principles were then applied to the validation project, resulting in OnShore Technology Group’s ValidationMaster™, the FIRST lean validation system on the market. The system is unlike any other, deviating from the traditional paper-based method, instead utilising an agile and digital approach. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, has inspired a new wave of challenges for the industry. Many of OnShore Technology Group’s clients are in pursuit of vaccines, PPEs, and products to support the fight against COVID. In addition to this challenge, many of its clients are seeking to bring new products to market to save lives, transitioning to remote working, and are seeking to power their businesses through new technologies. As a result, OnShore Technology Group has seen an exponential increase in work. The automation of validation processes is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. The boom in business saw OnShore Technology Group made the 2021 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America. Going forward, OnShore Technology Group is seeking to expand its internal team and to continue the optimisation of its ValidationMaster™ Enterprise Validation Management and Quality system. Moreover, its primary goal is to continue aiding clients in the development of their businesses’ validation and verification processes. Throughout the next year, there are many projects in the pipeline, including the extension of its product roadmap to include integrations with third-party applications and the further development of the ValidationMaster Academy. Contact: Valarie King-Bailey Company: OnShore Technology Group, Inc Web Address: www.onshoretech.com
16 Acquisition International - Global Excellence 2022 Issue 2 2022 Dec21559 A Smooth Transition FP Transitions is a specialized business consulting firm dedicated to wealth managers and independent financial advisors with over twenty years of industry expertise. Recently accredited as Oregon’s Best Wealth Management Consulting Firm, 2022, FP Transitions offers a full-service concierge approach to supporting advisors during critical points within their business life cycle. stablished in 1999, FP Transitions offers a comprehensive, coordinated approach to wealth management consulting whilst customizing solutions to each client, achieving, and exceeding long-term sustainable business growth. Headed by CEO Brad Bueermann, the company has experienced exponential growth during his leadership. With the impressive industry achievement of personally supervising consulting assignments with some of the country’s largest broker-dealers, custodians, and insurance companies, Brad together with Founder David Grau, Sr, JD continues to lead the next generation of strategies for independent wealth management firms. Brad’s innovative thinking and revolutionary work around building enterprise value and creating sustainable wealth management firms has solidified the FP Transitions name as a leader for the industry. Based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, FP Transitions is built of nearly 60 individualized experts who have grown to specialize in various sectors whilst operating the largest open market for buying and selling financial practices. “We help manage the enterprise value our clients have built over their lifetime in this industry. In addition we work to build enduring firms to ensure the firm provides services to their clients well beyond their need horizon,” states Brad. FP Transitions has led the industry with its decade-long expertise and experience within the wealth management sector. With that, its core services have been noted to provide sheer excellence in standards and quality customer care. FP Transitions has a full-service team of licensed and credentialed lawyers, Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA), Certified Valuation Analysts (CVA), Certified Business Appraisers (CBA) and Certified Financial Planners (CFP) who oversee mergers and acquisitions, enterprise development, transaction support, synthetic equity, succession planning, business valuation, compensation structuring and growth strategies. The company also offers business and enterprise coaching through its proprietary Equity Management SolutionsTM - a membership program built upon real data points from independent advisory firms to help advisors value, protect, and grow their businesses. Specializing in the valuation and analysis of the intangibles that make each financial services practice unique and valuable, FP Transitions has been able to complete more advisory M&A transactions than any other investment banker or business broker in the country. With more than 14,500 business valuations completed since its establishment, E FP Transitions is proud and honoured to have helped thousands of advisors build and grow sustainable enterprises. “We employ strategies that build upon a lifetime of work and trusted client relationships and execute a plan for succession designed to simultaneously realize value for the founder and perpetuate the business for the next generation of advisors,” states FP Transitions’ President and Founder, David Grau, Sr, JD. FP Transitions’ planning process includes expert guidance in areas such as practice valuation, benchmarking, equity management, setting up equity-centric organizational structures, restructuring ownership-level compensation structures to support internal ownership tracks, and the development and design of customized plans centred on sustainable enterprises. Moreover, the company can assist in creating or modifying entity structures to work for multiple generations of owners and cash flow modelling a variety of continuity and Success in Succession Planning™ solutions. “This kind of work takes a talented group of people who aren’t afraid to pioneer the concepts needed to help our clients succeed and to evolve time-honoured approaches to meet the demands of a new century of rules, regulations, and taxes,” explains David. While FP Transitions is notable for working directly with independent financial advisors, the company is also heavily invested in sectors relating to broker-dealers, custodians, and insurance providers. Thus, developing and implementing business transition systems and procedures for field usage. By incorporating these two categories of work, FP Transitions has built a powerhouse team of experts in all facets of the wealth management space. One of its core values is a non-advocate approach to the M&A process, meaning all parties are equally evaluated for deal ‘fitness’ and ensure viability and best interests are satisfied for all sides of the deal. Compared to other businesses within the industry, FP Transitions is considered highly unique with its genius foresight predicting and solving for the industry’s biggest challenges. In the past year, the firm has boosted its bench strength with industry leaders that share an impassioned vision for the future of the firm, and its vital role in the sustainability of this industry, particularly for independent financial advisors. “We believe the future of wealth management depends on independent advisors optimizing their firms by attracting
www.acquisition-international.comRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQxNTg3MQ==