gwynedd business network

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1 gwynedd business network Issue 3, Autumn / Winter 2011 Caernarfon couple win Chelsea Gold Fast Growth 50 Awards 2011 Sue and Bleddyn Wynn Jones from Caernarfon have won a gold medal and the President s Award at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. The couple have collected plant seeds from remote parts of the world and grown them at their nursery, Crûg Farm Plants. This achievement is all the more remarkable since it was Sue and Bleddyn s debut at Chelsea. Pwllheli-based Afonwen Laundry has been named the fastest growing firm in Wales in the Fast Growth 50 awards for It is one of the largest privately owned laundry and linen hire companies in the UK, supplying over 40,000 hotel bedrooms across Wales and England. The company has doubled its business throughout the hospitality sector over the last couple of years, providing hotels from the corporate four-star to budget sectors with over 1.6 million items of linen. In 2008, Afonwen s commitment was to create 64 jobs in the region over three years. In fact, it has created over 150 jobs in that period while achieving a turnover of over 10 million, and 2011 sees close to 400 staff employed across four sites in North Wales, Cardiff, Leeds and London. Building on this remarkable success story, the company plans to double the size of its operation in Wales while widening its sphere of operations into new geographic areas. The Queen, Princess Alexandra and a host of celebrities visited the display and were reported to have been hugely impressed with it, as were the judges, who named it the best exhibit in the Great Pavilion. Crûg Farm were specially commended for their efforts in obtaining seeds from countries in South-East Asia including Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, as well as from South America. Said Sue: We were farmers and diversified into the plant world twenty-one years ago. We ve always loved travelling and it s become a way of life to pick up seeds and try and cultivate them back in Wales. This period of rapid expansion is built upon a longestablished reputation. The firm was founded in 1935 by William George, brother of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George, together with two other business partners, one of whom was the local preacher. The laundry expanded through the Second World War, supplying a range of military camps throughout Gwynedd and Anglesey, and thereafter focused on domestic laundry service to houses in Gwynedd throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In the late 1970s the business was purchased by Paul Woolfenden, who remains actively involved in the running of the business, although its Managing Director is now his son Mark, who joined the company eight years ago. Afonwen is now striving to increase its market share in the south east of England, recognizing the potential offered in the accommodation sector by the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games. The couple work closely with official Government agencies in countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam and Guatemala, and provide research material for universities all over Europe. At Chelsea, Crûg Farm s winning display of ornamental trees, shrubs and ground covering plants from forest floors attracted much praise from all quarters. Sue commented: We want to show people rare and unusual plants that they will probably have never seen before but can grow in their own gardens with ease. 01

2 Urdd National Eisteddfod comes to Glynllifon Between 4th and 9th June 2012, Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Glynllifon, near Caernarfon will host the Urdd National Eisteddfod, Europe s premier youth festival. The annual festival attracts 15,000 competitors and 100,000 visitors to a unique celebration of the Welsh language and culture. The competitions, open to children and young people up to the age of twenty-five, are held in the main pavilion, the Eisteddfod s hub. Colourful stalls surround the pavilion selling a variety of Welsh produce, exhibiting products and showcasing services. There are also a number of performance stages and plenty of live theatre. The Maes - the Welsh term for the Festival Site is a bustling and wonderful place to be. As well as the main stage, stalls, exhibitions and street theatre, look out for performance stages showcasing singers, dancers, live bands, magicians and school groups all day, every day. Pentre Mistar Urdd will host Urdd Gobaith Cymru s very own mascot in his own, specially designed village. There will be live bands and activities happening in and around the village each day, plus sporting activities including archery, football, rugby and golf. There s never a dull moment on the Maes with lots to keep even the most energetic youngsters happy and don t forget the great line-up of concerts and shows, from the spectacular Opening Concert on Sunday, 3rd June in the pavilion to Musical Shows and competitions in the evenings. For information on all events and activities, plus details of sponsorship opportunities and much more, go to or call: Developing Tourism in Gwynedd Local tourism businesses welcomed the establishment of a new group which will guide the development of the tourism sector in Gwynedd. At a recent meeting of the Gwynedd Economic Partnership (PEG) it was agreed to set up a tourism Sub-group whose members will include representatives from the private, voluntary, public and community sectors. As part of its remit the Sub-group will assume responsibility for the management and marketing of Gwynedd as a destination. It will monitor activities against key milestones and targets, acting in accordance with the aims of PEG: working together to ensure a bright future for the people and communities of Gwynedd. It will also have a strategic role which includes not only marketing but activity geared to the wider economic agenda such as tourism training and skills needs, information technology, sustainability, research and monitoring. The Sub-group will be administered by the Tourism, Marketing and Customer Care service of Gwynedd Council. It is proposed that four meetings will be held annually, and the inaugural meetings were held in June and September. Key strategies under consideration will include initial collation of all tourism data held by the Authority and others. This will be followed by the commissioning of an expert in the field of Destination Management and Marketing to review this data, identify priorities and develop a Destination Management Plan for launch during the Spring of Anwen Jones of Rhos Cottages was elected as Chair and John Lloyd of Inigo Jones Slateworks was elected Vice Chair net

3 Purple Moose Triumph Llwyddo yng Ngwynedd To add to an already impressive display of awards and accolades, Porthmadog s Purple Moose Brewery brought home the coveted Golden Fork trophy from the 2011 Great Taste Awards in London. Have you got an idea for a new business or venture? A series of four projects being implemented in Gwynedd under the Rural Development Plan may be able to help. The firm s Dark Side Of The Moose dark beer was named Best Welsh Speciality by the panel of judges at the awards, hosted by the Guild of Fine Food and recognising excellence in food and drink since For 2011, over 7400 products were judged over a two-month period, and Dark Side Of The Moose was one of just 114 products to achieve the highest standard with a 3-Star Gold, as well as being one of only twelve given the ultimate accolade the Golden Fork. Purple Moose proprietor Lawrence Washington, who began brewing in Porthmadog in 2005, said: Both my staff and I are immensely proud of this achievement. It is fantastic to see that great British beer is gaining such high levels of recognition, alongside the very best of the nation s food and drink. The Guild of Fine Food constantly refines the judging process and before gold is awarded, up to sixteen experts taste, discuss and agree. For two or three stars, up to twenty judges must unanimously agree an entry has achieved absolute perfection. Over 350 experts including key buyers, retailers, chefs and food writers blind taste entries to ensure they are fairly and independently assessed. Other successes for Purple Moose this year include multiple awards at the CAMRA Champion Beer of Wales Competition, and Bronze Medal at the Brewing Industry International Awards. Enable: Rural Economy / Rural Tourism: Offers practical support for new businesses, existing small businesses that wish to diversify, or community groups. There is help available to develop growth ideas, skills and mentoring and up to 50% funding of the total project cost. Contact: Zoe Pritchard, / zoe@annog.com Experience Gwynedd: Provides support for local communities to improve and benefit the environment of Gwynedd and to highlight its distinct qualities. Funding up to a maximum 10,000 at 80% will be given to fifteen specific areas within the county to identify, develop and market their area to the visitor. Contact: Owain Wyn, / owainwyn@globalnet.co.uk Local Products: Provides support for groups of local producers, whether in the food, drink, craft or energy sectors, to develop quality products and supply chains to reach present and new markets. Funding up to a maximum 20,000 at 80% is available to do this, and other help available includes training sessions and one to one support. Contact: Mirain Gwyn, / mirain@annog.com Sustainable Communities: Aims to develop the economy and the standard of life in Gwynedd s rural communities. It will support five pilot communities to undertake an audit of physical, natural and cultural assets, develop new ideas and the scheme will provide a Bursary of 3,500 (100% grant) to enable them to do this. Contact: Sioned Morgan, / SionedMorgan@gwynedd.gov.uk 03

4 Welsh Slate Memorial for Dragoon Guards Groeslon slate company Inigo Jones & Co Ltd helped to supply the foremost Cavalry Regiment of Wales and the Borders with a magnificent slate monolith, recently dedicated at a special ceremony. The monument commemorates members of the 1st The Queens Dragoon Guards who have lost their lives on active duty, and can be found in the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire. Inigo Jones & Co Ltd, who are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, facilitated the provision of a large block of slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog, standing over four metres tall and weighing two tons. John Lloyd, Managing Director of Inigo Jones & Co Ltd, was proud to attend the Dedication service, and said: We are honoured to have helped to provide this Welsh slate monolith as a fitting tribute to those brave soldiers who have fallen in the line of service. The Regimental Chaplain, Padre A Bennett CF, at the Dedication. Business Person of the Year Y Dyfodol Update Last Spring s Newsletter reported on the launch of a new funding scheme aimed at boosting the performance of up to 800 companies in North West Wales. Now, over 400 employees from 244 companies are in training under the Y Dyfodol scheme, backed with 4.6m from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government. Companies pay a one-off participation fee of 50 per employee to access a range of short courses and NVQs up to and including level 3. GISDA Ltd, which supports over 100 vulnerable young people annually in the Gwynedd area, used the funding to access a number of courses including Fire Safety Principles and Manual Handling. Gwynedd employers can find out more about the project by contacting Gill Bradshaw at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru s Business Point on or ing Richard Gloster, Managing Director of Cadwaladers Ice Cream, has been named the 2011 Gwynedd Business Person of the Year by Gwynedd Business Network. Richard s award, together with numerous others, was presented at the Gwynedd Business Awards Gala Dinner held at Y Galeri, Caernarfon. The Awards Ceremony is the highlight of Gwynedd Business Week, which aims to recognise the achievements of local companies and the contribution they make to the economy of Gwynedd. businesspoint@llandrillo.ac.uk 04

5 Wales Regional Training Cluster New Legislation Caernarfon s Beehive Coaching & Leadership Development Ltd are celebrating their achievement in becoming part of the National Skills Academy for the nuclear provider network. Employer Nominated Providers deliver courses required by industry at a sufficiently high level to be recommended by nuclear employer members to become part of the Skills Academy s provider network, and Beehive are the only Employer Nominated Provider in their field in Wales. From 1 October 2011, retailers in Wales must levy a minimum charge of 5p on all single-use carrier bags. Despite a substantial and costly publicity campaign some misconceptions still exist as to the precise extent of the new legislation. For instance, did you know? The charge will affect all retailers in Wales, not just those who sell groceries. The charge is not just for plastic bags but includes paper bags that are over a certain size. After a voluntary agreement made by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in 2009 the voluntary 50% target decrease of single-use plastic bags in Wales has already been reached. Plastic bags can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Some of the exemptions include: Directors Mark and Sara Lodge are justly proud of this achievement. The nuclear industry has an enormous role to play in helping the UK become energy independent, and also in helping us to reduce our carbon footprint, said Mark. Here in North Wales it will play a crucial part in generating long term, sustainable, high quality employment. Beehive specialise in leading culture change within organisations, in particular developing management and leadership skills to build highly effective teams, with the aim of helping businesses become more productive, safer and more able to respond to the challenges they face. Their clients come from a wide range of private and public sector businesses. Llanberis Mountain Rescue Gill Richards and Directors of the Gwynedd Business Network present a cheque for to Llanberis Mountain Rescue. The money was raised from a charity raffle at the Xmas 2010 Big Business Bash, held at the Management Centre. The picture shows the cheque being presented at the Launch of the Gwynedd Business Week in Y Galeri, Caernarfon. Food items that are unwrapped loose fruit and vegetables, bread, pick-and-mix sweets etc. Loose seeds, bulbs, corms or rhizomes loose grass seed, flower bulbs, seed potatoes etc. Unpackaged blades - axe, knife blade or razor blade. Unpackaged plants or flowers that could have been contaminated by soil. Packaged uncooked fish, meat or poultry and associated products. Bags which are supplied by a pharmacist to carry prescriptions. Live aquatic creatures in water fish, coral, crabs etc. On board ships, trains, aircraft, coaches or buses. In airports after you pass through security. Bags used for mail order. Small flat paper bags that do not have handles and are no more than 175mm (width) x 260mm (height) or about the size of a greetings card. 05

6 In Brief Inigo Jones Slateworks created the trophies for the 2011 Fast Growth Awards. The Fast Growth initiative acts as one of the key barometers of entrepreneurship in Wales. Fourteen of the slate trophies celebrating a range of achievements were handed out at the Awards, held in late September at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff. In 2007 fishermen Steve Harrison and Idwal Moore, together with Steve s wife Natalie, decided to set up their own business on the Llŷn Peninsula selling locally sourced seafood. This year their success in business was rewarded at the National Trust s Fine Farm Produce Awards, where Aberdaron Seafood s Dressed Brown Crab was named overall winner. Judge Henrietta Green described the crab as sublime, while her colleague Lynda Brewer added This is heaven, it tastes so fresh from the sea. Said Natalie Harrison: This has been our busiest year yet. Word of mouth seems to be working and we re getting a lot of people approaching us. We even have one restaurant in London using our crab now. stevaberdaron@yahoo.co.uk Digital Gwynedd Find out if your business can improve its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) efficiency by filling out an online form for a free ICT health check. Alternatively, call: to speak to an adviser. If your business is eligible, the health check will identify opportunities for business improvement and explain the advantages of improving ICT. At the end of the process, businesses will be given a summary report outlining the findings of the review and a statement of requirements. The North West Wales Local Investment Fund (NWW LIF) is a flexible business grant scheme available to assist new and existing SMEs by offering capital grants of 40% of eligible projects, subject to a minimum of 1000 and a maximum of 10,000 grant. However, now, in exceptional circumstances where more than one job will be created as a result of the project, expressions of interest may be made for additional funding, up to a maximum of 35,000 for the creation of five new jobs. In these instances the EOI will be referred to the Welsh Government for consideration. There have been recent changes to the Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS), the investment scheme for tourism businesses launched last year by Visit Wales. Its purpose is to help existing businesses to improve product quality, and to support new business ventures or expansion proposals. The maximum amount of support available through TISS has now been increased from 300,000 to 500,000. The minimum investment level remains at 5,000. Until recently, the support offered would not normally exceed 25% of a project s total cost. TISS are now however able to consider higher level interventions on a case-by-case basis. Any Comments We hope you have enjoyed this, our latest Gwynedd Business Network Newsletter. We would greatly appreciate your input. If you have any comments, or ideas on ways in which we can improve it, then please don t hesitate to let us know. Editor Jacquie Knowles on: Jacquie.Knowles@btconnect.com To join or to find out more about the Network visit: Gwynedd Business Network Written and edited by: Jacquie Knowles Design by: Please note that the publishers cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions therein. net 06