A couple’s business idea sparked by their own wedding has developed into a high-performing group with annual turnover exceeding £1 million and potential export opportunities.
The amazing success of Welshpool-based Nomadic Washrooms Group since its launch by Stuart and Kate Richards in 2019 has been recognised with their second Powys Business Award.
Stuart and Kate received the Micro Business Award – for companies with fewer than 10 employees – sponsored by Myrick Training Services at the prestigious annual awards ceremony held at The Hafren, Newtown last Friday night.
Organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group, the awards showcase the diverse range of successful enterprises within Powys.
Nomadic Washrooms Group, which now has nine full time and one part-time employee, won the Powys Start-up Business Award in 2022. At that time, their business specialised in the hire of bespoke luxury shepherd’s hut toilet and shower trailers for weddings, events and festivals across the UK.
The couple has since developed and diversified the business which has now formed a group with divisions for hire, franchise operations and manufacturing and sales.
The group has three franchisees covering Yorkshire, Essex and East Sussex, each operating with their own fleet of up to five units, enabling Nomadic Washrooms to reach more customers nationwide.
The new manufacturing and sales division designs and builds bespoke Shepherds Hut washrooms for franchisees, private clients, wedding venues, estates and, potentially, international customers.
Nomadic Washrooms is now the UK’s largest provider of Shepherds Hut washrooms for the weddings and events industry, with a strong national footprint, growing international interest and a clear road map for continued innovation and scalable growth.
In addition to the Welshpool base, the group has an operational hub in Oxfordshire and the hire fleet of 30 luxury Shepherds Hut washroom units.
“We discovered a gap in the market and set out to fill it,” said Stuart. “From a single idea sparked by our wedding plan, we have grown into a multi-faceted, high-performing group. We continue to reinvest in our people, facilities and product development.
“We remain deeply rooted in Powys, where our head office and manufacturing base continue to support local employment and suppliers, and showcase the quality and creativity that rural Welsh businesses can achieve on a national and international stage.
“The new manufacturing and sales arm of the business has opened up exciting opportunities for export and further diversification.
“We are proud of our journey so far, excited for what’s ahead and grateful to the Powys Business Awards for recognising us at the start of that journey in 2022.
“It’s just brilliant to win our second Powys Business Award and to be in the company of so many impressive businesses from the county. We are trying to continue expanding the business by developing a high-end, modular toilet system which will be new to the market.”
Kate added: “Winning awards like this makes you realise it’s worth all the hard work that you put in. We want to keep growing the business to employ more people and to see our local suppliers thrive.”
The award judges said: “We were impressed by the company’s innovations to reach a wider audience, including the franchising model, their approach to staff development and their use of in-house or local manufacturing. This business has real potential to become a flagship business for Powys.”
