The Great Routeco Bake Off

At Routeco we rose to the challenge of a Routeco Bake Off for today's Macmillan's Coffee Morning - the worlds biggest coffee morning!

By being involved with this great cause we can help to support Macmillian Cancer Care and appreciate all the hard work that they do. 

It has been a great success with our judges tasting all the cakes to pick our very own star baker. The winner was a yummy chocolate surprise, which was gone in seconds! We had a range of delicious cakes from a rainbow cake, nutella cupcakes, carrot cakes, sheep cup cakes, kinder buneo cakes, a South African tart and more. There's so much cake we will no doubt be eating them into the late afternoon!

We've had a lot of fun this morning and enjoyed the competition leading up to today, especially as it was for great charity. We are now thinking of when our next bake off will be!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Roya

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Would you live in this house?

An Australian firm, who designs and builds prefabricated homes, has designed this high top cliff house.

The house features three bedrooms (one with an en-suite), a living room, a carport, separate bathroom, an open-air spa and a barbecue area on the bottom floor. The cliff house has been focused on bringing the house owners "transcendent views of the ocean".

The design for this unusual house was put into place after a couple wanted the Australian designers to “explore how to build a holiday home along extreme parcels of the coast”.

The cliff house will be made up of five modules connected by a lift and secured to the cliff face using engineered steel pins and will be structurally sound.

This is not the only extraordinary home to be designed, as around the world floating homes, underwater homes and ice hotels are being built. As you can imagine these properties do come cheap and can be very expensive to design and build!

Would you live in a house like this? Let us know what your thoughts.

Have a great weekend!

Roya

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Routeco Head Office

The History of Routeco

1978 Routeco was formed as a multi-franchise industrial electrical distributor based in Milton Keynes. The company focused on electrical wholesale products such as lighting, cable and wiring accessories.

1980 We were awarded an Allen-Bradley franchise for Milton Keynes and the surrounding area and it was during this time that the company changed direction to become a specialist technical distributor of industrial control and automation products.

1989 We opened our first sales outlet outside of Milton Keynes in Peterborough.

1990 The Peterborough branch became an exclusive distributor for Allen-Bradley products and during the next couple of year’s further sales outlets were opened in Manchester and Coventry.

1992 We agreed a unique deal with Allen-Bradley to become an exclusive distributor throughout the Routeco organisation. New sales outlets were opened immediately across Southern England and the Midlands.

1996 We gained market presence in South Wales and this was quickly followed by the opening of a new branch in Cardiff. Throughout the remainder of the 90s further branches opened in the Midlands and the North of England.

1998 Routeco GmbH was formed based in Linz to serve the Austrian market with industrial control and automation products.

2000 A new branch opened in Glasgow. 

We continued to invest in Product Specialists and Technical Support personnel further enhancing our reputation as the UK’s leading technical distributor of industrial control and automation products.

2008 We established 13 regional centres to service the UK.

2011 The original founders of the company decided to take retirement and the operating board which had been in place for over 12 years constructed a management buyout (MBO).

2013 Routeco has continued to grow successfully achieving £100million turnover. Routeco continued its strategic expansion into European markets forming Routeco BV as the preferred Rockwell Automation channel serving the Netherlands market.

If you have any questions or would like any information on Routeco or on our products, please email info@routeco.com or call 0370 607 1000.

Have a great weekend!

Roya

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MK Dons vs Manchester United

On Tuesday we saw something that no one thought they would see… MK Dons beating Manchester United 4-0.

MK Dons won in front of a crowd of over 26,000 at Stadium MK, which is their biggest crowd in their 10 year history, and the stadium is only around the corner from us!

MK Dons fans were queuing in their hundreds at the ground last week during the early hours of the morning, hoping to buy tickets to support the club who were only founded in 2004.

One lucky Manchester United fan put a £2.50 free bet on United to beat MK Dons 4-0 in the league cup. But it turned out she had accidentally bet on MK dons to win 4-0 instead of United! Her shock quickly turned to happiness as she won £1,250 at odds of an astounding 500/1.

Did you watch the game? Let us know your thoughts on it.

Have a great weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It's Friday!

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral throughout social media, with well-known celebrities taking part such as Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise and Tiger Woods.

The rules of this challenge is, within 24 hours of being nominated, record themselves having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and calling out the names of other people to take part in the challenge. If they decide to forfeit they make a donation to the ALS Association.

The ALS Association is an American charity which raises money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It all started by an American baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Motor Neurone Disease in the UK. The support of this challenge has raised millions so far, with donations in the UK going towards the Motor Neuron Disease Association and Macmillian Cancer Support.

Click below to see former US president George Bush and David Beckham take on their challenge.

Have you done the challenge? If so post your video here!

Have a good weekend

Roya

Have you explored the Great Barrier Reef this morning?

Underwater ‘street view’ maps are here!

It’s so easy for us to go online and get a 360 degree ground level view of almost any street throughout the world, but now Google have branched out to coral reefs and other underwater wonders!

It’s been announced that scientists will be using specialised fisheye lenses under water in Florida Keys this week to apply the street view mapping.

Some of the panoramic and rotating images will be available online next week including the selection on Google maps. It will be like scuba diving from your computer!

Around 400,000 images have already been produced of the reefs off Australia and the Caribbean.

These can be found here

So why not spend part of your afternoon exploring some of the beautiful underwater wonders of the world, and look out for the Florida edition very soon!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Laura

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Friday Quiz

Do you keep up to date with the news? Test your knowledge with our fun quiz on events that have happened over the last few weeks. Click here to find the answers.

1. In which city does a cup of coffee tend to be strongest?

a) Glasgow, Scotland
b) Madrid, Spain
c) Milan, Italy


2. Kenyan officials reportedly issued a warning this week about drunk and disorderly behaviour by which animals?

a) Elephants
b) Giraffes
c) Baboons


3. A woman was told by UK passport officials her signature infringes a trademark after changing her name to a Star Wars character. Which one?

a) C-3PO
b) Leia
c) Skywalker


4. There's been a strange Japanese café, with which type of animals visiting regularly?

a) Cats
b) Owls
c) Mice


5. Fill in the missing word to complete the headline

Birds beat machines in ____________ test

a) Hover
b) Vision
c) Hover


6. The body of a great white shark was washed up on an Australian beach. What is it thought to have choked on?

a) Jellyfish
b) Saltwater crocodile
c) Sea Lion


7. Fill in the missing word to complete the headline

Early risers ‘less ______ at night’

a) Moral
b) Tired
c) Patient


8. A man dropped his mobile phone into a grain pit at his farm in Oklahoma, USA. Nine months later he was reunited with the device after it turned up again. Where was it found?

a) China
b) Japan
c) Korea


9. Which "aggressive" creature was reportedly shot dead in Uganda after a police officer said it attacked him?

a) Snail
b) Tortoise
c) Sloth


10. Last Monday, it was 100 years since World War One started in 1914. What did lots of people do to mark the date?

a) Listen to the national anthem
b) Have a minute’s silence
c) Turn lights off for an hour

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Driverless Cars

It has recently been announced driverless cars will be on UK public roads in January next year. There will be an 18-36 month trial, where three cities within the UK will have the opportunity to host the trials. The cars will be guided by a system of sensors and cameras, and has the potential to transform the UK’s transport network by improving safety, reducing congestion and lowing emissions.

Japan, Singapore and Germany have already started trials of driverless cars on their roads and Sweden will soon be next. In California, USA, the cars are now legal and have logged 700,000 miles.

Even though this is an exciting step in technology, people may be uncomfortable giving up control of their vehicle to a computer, as 65% of drivers still enjoy driving, and it will also involve changes to the Highway Code. Researchers in Oxford have now developed a vehicle which can be controlled using only an iPad.

Not only will the driverless vehicles have the ability of automatic braking, anti-lane drift and self-parking functions, which are currently available in today’s cars, but will also be able to take charge of steering, accelerating, indicating and braking during most, if not all of a journey.

This is a similar function to when aeroplanes are on autopilot, but down on the ground, there are much more hazards to be aware of. Attached to the driverless cars is a 360 degree camera which captures images, warning the car of pedestrians, cyclists, road works and other objects that might be in the vehicle's path.

What are your thoughts on driverless cars? Would you feel comfortable driving one? Let us know your thoughts.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It's Friday!

Wearable Tech for Pets!

It’s not only humans who need some tender loving care but pets too! A smart collar for dogs and cats has been created that tracks the animal’s vital signs.

The pet wearable device enables continuous tracking of a range of vitals as well as any health-related behaviour. It keeps tabs on pets’ temperature, heart rate, body posture, calories burned and many others. It also comes with a smartphone application that pet owners, veterinarians and pet-care professional can use to monitor vitals before each appointment. It can also be used as a predictive device telling pet owners when it may be necessary to take their pets to the clinic.

Aside from keeping track of vitals and monitoring behavioural changes, it can also be used to keep track of pets that are in recovery stage or recently discharged from care. Vets can monitor the progress and identify any adverse reactions as soon as they develop.

As our love for pets keep growing, the American Pet Product Association, estimated $47.7 billion was spent on pet products and services in 2010. And since 1988, having pets at home has increased from 56% to 62% and 46% of their households have more than one pet.

With these new pet-health wearable devices, taking care of man’s best friend has never become more handy, efficient and convenient with the help from technology.

Would you buy a smart collar for your pet? Let us know your thoughts.

Have a great weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It's Friday

Germany Grand Prix

This weekend the Grand Prix is on again where we will be able to watch the live races. This will be the 10th race out of the 19, and will take place in Hockenheim, Germany. The 2014 Grand Prix started in Australia in March, where it went on to Bahrain, China and Spain and many other locations. This year will see Russia added as a new location where the drivers will be racing through the new sights to reach the finish line.

Nico Rosberg from Germany is currently number one on the Grand Prix table and is hoping to win in his home country against rival Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers are part of the Mercedes formula 1 team. If Nico Rosberg wins it will make another victory for Germany after they won the World Cup. Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix at the beginning of the month, 4th-6th July, in a close race after he lost time following an oil pressure problem.

The 2014 Grand Prix has introduced a large amount of rule changes, which mostly affects the engines as the sport is trying to embrace ‘green’ technology. Drivers will now have to complete races on just 100kg (130 litres) of fuel instead of the 150kg teams would have used last year when there was no limit. Another rule change is teams are now only allowed 5 power engines, per driver per season, this is compared to an allocation of eight engines last year.

The rules now specify eight-speed fixed-ratio gearboxes, one more speed than in 2013. In the past teams could pick and choose from 30 gear ratios but now they must use the same specs all season, with one change allowed. Any further changes will incur in penalties.

As technology and manufacturing are both rapidly evolving it is great to see that it has made an impact in sport and racing is now becoming more ‘green’.

We hope you enjoy watching the Grand Prix and have a great weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It's Friday! (TRIF)

Tour De France

This year we saw the opening of the Tour De France start in the UK, with 2.5 million spectators having lined the route around Yorkshire over the two days to catch a glimpse of the cyclists. Some areas of the crowds were so dense the cyclists struggled to get pass.

The Tour De France, which started on Saturday 5th July and will finish on Sunday 27th July, is the 101th race and is made up of 21 stages. The cyclists will compete over 2,277 miles to win the famous yellow jersey.

Over the years we have seen how racing bikes have developed, with certain parts of the bike drastically changing and other parts staying largely the same. The first Tour bikes had two gears, sturdy steel frames, wooden wheels and the bikes could weigh between 30 to 40 pounds. In the past 30 years, technology has led to frames being made from aluminium and titanium and the wheels now weigh around 15 pounds.

The most important characteristics of racing bikes are weight and stiffness which effect the riders pedal strokes and therefore its streamlined wheels. Also, the drop handlebars and low saddles put the rider into a more aerodynamic posture.

There are few professional sports as closely bound to technology and manufacturing as cycling.

Not only have the racing bikes changed but also the culture of the race, and this may be due to advanced technology and manufacturing. During the first Tour De France outside help was banned and one rider had to repair his own bike himself on three separate occasions. Now the race leaders are supported by eight other cyclists and have dozens of coaches, trainers and mechanics on hand to help.

Cyclists now get information about their energy output from power meters attached to the rear hubs. The data is then transmitted back their coaches, who talk to the cyclists through tiny earpieces.


Watch the video below to see how modern day bikes are now made!

We hope you enjoy watching the Tour De France over the upcoming weeks.

Have a good weekend.

Roya

Thank Routeco It’s Friday!

Glastonbury

Last weekend celebrated the best of British music festivals, yes Glastonbury! This year the Marketing Department had insight into the festival with one of our very own going.

For this particular festival, the anticipation starts months in advance when tickets are released and you only have a few minutes before that inevitable sold out sign appears on your screen.

And those lucky few that manage to purchase a ticket have to start preparing for this 5-day long festival with a few key questions:

- Clothes (do I wear the same ones?)

- Showers (do I bother? We all smell the same by the end of it?!)

- Money (I won’t need that much will I?)

- Sun cream (Will it help? Its 5 days!)

And of course, how will I be sleeping? Glastonbury is one of the only UK festivals that allows you to sleep in something other than tents. Therefore it is not uncommon to see tepee’s, caravans, and van’s/wagons converted into make-shift bedrooms!

Although Glastonbury is filled with bars, clubs, a circus and plenty of entertainment for the adults among as, it also has something for the kids with a children’s area shaped like a pirate ship, there is something for everyone to enjoy!

The most important part of the festival of course was the music itself which featured once in a lifetime performances from the likes of Dolly Parton, Kasabian, Metallica, Arcade Fire and Fatboy Slim.

So after hearing this news from our lucky colleague we are left with one question, is it too early to prepare for next year?

Tell us about your Glastonbury experience!

Have a lovely weekend!

Rachael

Thank Routeco It’s Friday! (TRIF)

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is finally here, marking the start of summer which can only mean one thing, 2 weeks of drinking pimms and enjoying strawberries and cream!

On day one we saw Andy Murray defend his title on centre court against Belgian David Goffin. Andy Murray is the first Briton to defend his title in 77 years and we are hoping this year will be another victory!

This has been one of the busiest years at Wimbledon. The queue for show-court tickets began forming on Saturday, and on Sunday morning tournament officials announced that there were already more people in line than the 1,000 seats available.

Will you be watching Wimbledon this summer?

Whether you’re at home, on the Murray Mound or in the office, we hope you enjoy it!

Have a great weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It's Friday! (TRIF)

The Horse Trust!

In May we celebrated our monthly dress down day by dedicating our proceeds to The Horse Trust.

The charity is a home of rest for the horses, since WWI it has been a place for retired Military and Police horses who have served our country. The trust is also a retirement home for horses and ponies that have provided a service for the community such as riding for the disabled.

The day featured posters of some of the current residents of the trust enjoying their retirement years as well as information on the charity’s history. Donations of carrots and apples were warmly welcomed to accommodate the horses’ dietary needs.

A few members of the Routeco team are avid volunteers of the trust and visit the horses nearly every weekend! Thanks to their organisation of the day, we raised an incredible £237.25 for the trust which will be used for the care and welfare of the retired military and police horses.

Have a lovely weekend!

Rachael

World Cup Fever!

The World Cup has now begun! The first game started last night with Brazil winning 3-1 against Croatia in an exciting opening match.

The month-long tournament sees 32 nations compete for a place in the final in Rio on Sunday 13 July.

But how will the teams relax during the tournament? Specific bananas, silent air-conditioning and special soaps are some of the extravagant hotel demands. Read below to see which team has requested what…

Germany have had a budget blowout building their own training facility in the village of Santo Andre in Bahia. They have also created a headquarters with 13 houses, 65 rooms, a football field and press centre.

Portugal demands a console in every room and 6 security guards, 2 of which will be dedicated to look after Cristiano Ronaldo at all times.

France asks for the hotel to replace its bar soap for the liquid variety. Each room needs to contain 2 types of liquid soaps, one for showering and the other for washing their hands. The French football federation also insisted that every player’s room should be identical, down to the colour of the paint.

Ecuador has demanded a special room where players can unwind, and an everyday basket with different types of Ecuadorian bananas in each room.

England demands one of 3 restaurants for their exclusive use, a dedicated video games room with 3 TVs and the latest games, and they want the sole use of the gym and swimming pool for just several hours every day. All their rooms contain brand new furniture, beds, wooden floors, rust-free balconies and air conditioning.

Japan wants all rooms to have a Jacuzzi.

Australia’s request is 2 large coffee machines close to their rooms, in an area that must also include a variety of newspapers from around the world. They want Brazilian meals of red meat, fish and chicken, but all cooked within the concept of a healthy diet.

Bosnia and Herzegovina demands an acoustic (sound-proofed) screen. The idea is that players will be on one side and the coaching staff on the other. This way their conversations will not be mixed.

Switzerland wants Swiss television channels in all the rooms and high-speed internet.

Colombia asked for 15 lucky youth players to take part in their training sessions.

We hope you will enjoy watching the World Cup as much as we will over the weekend!

Roya

Thank Routeco It’s Friday! (TRIF)

Soccer Aid takes place this weekend!

We all know that this summer is going to be a good one for Football with the world cup starting on Thursday! But kicking off the football season and getting everyone into the Football spirit is Soccer Aid which takes place this Sunday.

It brings together legends, supporters and celebrities for a Football match to help save and change children’s lives all around the world.

The two teams playing are England which will be managed by our very own Robbie Williams and the Rest of the World which will be managed by actor Michael Sheen. The teams are made up of a mix of football legends, Hollywood A-Listers and some of the UK’s most famous faces (so there’s something for everyone).

Some of the stars playing consist of Gordon Ramsey, James McAvoy, Ben Shephard and Jamie Redknapp.

So, whether you’re a football fanatic (like the majority of the Routeco staff) or film fan (like me), this weekend’s game looks to be a good watch!

Will you be tuning in?

Have a fantastic weekend!

Rachael

Thank Routeco It’s Friday! (TRIF)

Last night Routeco hosted the annual quiz night for Cancer Research UK. The night featured 7 rounds including general knowledge (it’s always a gamble), music, entertainment, and history/geography/nature. We also had two picture rounds one of which was a logo quiz (the marketing team breathed a sigh of relief) and the other was a catchphrase quiz (which was, extremely challenging).

There was a mixture of questions suited towards the variety of age ranges that participated last night. Some that should have been easy for us spring chickens (but really weren't) and some that we have never heard of…

Did you know that the size of the table tennis ball was increased by 2mm to make it more visible for TV?! (No, we didn’t either…)

The night was a fantastic success and raised a huge £681.26 for charity!

The winners of the night were one half of the MK Sales team, yet again! Congratulations to Boggey’s Taste Nice! 

We would also like to thank Rachel and Tracey for organising the event; Marie for being a great compere, Fiona for selling the raffle tickets and Wes for the delicious food; it was a great evening for a fantastic cause!

We would also like to thank everyone who donated the amazing raffle prizes, including:

• Ian Stewart 
• Carl Wallace 
• HR Department 

Have a great weekend!

Rachael

Thank Routeco It's Friday! (TRIF)

The UK has a mini heat wave on the way and as a result, this weekend is going to be the hottest of the year so far! Now living in Britain, this opportunity doesn't happen a lot; we have been discussing the best way to spend this.

Whilst my parents have been planning a schedule of gardening activities and decorating, the marketing department have been discussing ideas much more about of the box.

One of the Marketing team has even planned to go to an outdoor cinema in London (who knew they were possible in the UK?) Due to our unpredictable weather, these are a treat that we don’t usually indulge ourselves in. Let’s hope there’s not an unexpected rainfall…

Another member of the team has planned an outdoor sporting weekend which includes wake boarding and a high ropes course!

How will you be spending the weekend?

Whether you’re at the beach, or at home with the barbecue lit make sure you have a good one!

Rachael

Thank Routeco It's Friday! (TRIF)

It’s that time of year again, yes, it’s the Eurovision song contest!

It’s that show that everyone moans about, it’s silly to watch, and sometimes painful to hear… Yet the majority of us are happy to watch it year after year!

Eurovision is known for featuring the strangest artists, the most unusual outfits and the cheesiest songs.

Over the years there have been a few memorable performances that stay in our mind!

This includes: Dustin the turkey from Ireland…

… Singing grannies from Russia

Lordi the hard rock and heavy metal band from Finland…

Will you be celebrating Saturday night crowded in front of the TV with the family, or perhaps heading to one of your friends infamous Eurovision parties?

Please feel free to let us know!

Have a lovely weekend!

Rachael 

Thank Routeco It's Friday! (TRIF)

Social media has come a long way since it first started at the end of the 20th Century and today we find ourselves checking more social media networks than ever before! Each network has its own specific benefit and appeal, find them outlined below:

Facebook

The most popular social media network in the world with over 500 million people now using it around the world. It allows you to keep in contact with (and snoop in on) those you are friends with, or people you might have gone to school with, or even the nice couple you met on holiday last year.

Twitter

Twitter is great for short, snappy statements. Something that is easy to read when you are in a hurry, after all no one likes to spend hours reading the same story when you could have read several!

Instagram

Instagram is essentially an image based version of twitter. Users post photos (in which they can add a selection of very cool filters) and hashtag words that are relevant to the photo. The hash tagging will then connect it to other photos associated with the same words.

Snapchat

This is a relatively new network. Originally created for sending images but has now been expanded to videos too. This allows users to send photos/videos to their contacts for a selected time which they can set. (This stops your friends showing their other friends that not so pretty picture you sent the other day).

LinkedIn and Google+

These networks are both great for business! LinkedIn allows you to connect with your colleagues and build more connections within your industry. Google+ allows you to follow the companies you are interested in, keeping you up to date with their actions.

What social network are you addicted to?


Tune in to next week’s TRIF to read a guest blog from Laura.

Have a lovely weekend!

Rachael