Author: Rhys Gregory

A contractor has been appointed to reclad three of the city’s high rise blocks. Following a procurement process, Cardiff Council has awarded the contract for the improvement works to the three tower blocks at Lydstep flats in Llandaff North to ISG. Pre-construction work to deliver an enveloping solution to replace the cladding that was removed two years agoin the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, will begin shortly with the main work of recovering the blocks due to start in Spring 2021. Cladding was removed from five of the Council’s six high-rise blocks after testing showed thatwhile none of the buildings…

In what would typically be the busiest time of the year for one Cardiff restaurant, footfall is at a continuing low. Despite the opening of Cardiff’s annual Christmas market this past weekend, which seemed to offer some hope for hospitality in the city, one Cardiff business owner said it is going to be an extremely challenging winter. “Each year the festivities bring in the crowds in what is always the peak season for us. Despite reduced capacity in the restaurant, we had hoped that the coming weeks would offer us some respite but customers are definitely still hesitant. This has…

Viscose Closures has repaid a 7-figure finance package originally put in place in 2011 with Finance Wales (later to become to the Development Bank of Wales). This substantial investment provided the financial resources to purchase the company via a Management Buy-Out (MBO) and to successfully grow the business, invest in its manufacturing plant and product range, and to create additional employment in Swansea. All debt has been repaid to DBW, who remain a minority shareholder in the company. Viscose has been manufacturing in the UK for over 125 years and in Swansea for 70 years.  They are a leading manufacturer…

Golfing is once again returning after it stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15-month long PGA Tour was stopped for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are well aware that golf is not the only sport that was stopped because of the pandemic. But as every sport started to return slowly, so did golf. The PGA Tour continues to transpire since it resumed last June 11th. Numerous events are lining up throughout the remaining months of the year up to the late months of 2021. What To Expect The PGA Tour resumed even before the pandemic ended,…

Viridor has announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Bradshaw. Kevin Bradshaw succeeds Phil Piddington, who will continue to support Viridor in completing several key projects over the next few months before concluding his transition into non-executive management. Chairman of Viridor, Ian Wakelin, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Kevin to the business. His impressive track-record in senior leadership and deep industry expertise will be invaluable as the business enters its next phase of growth. I would also like to thank outgoing Chief Executive Phil Piddington for his dedication and commitment over the past few years…

Premier Forest Products, one of the UK’s leading timber groups has made a significant investment into green technology, acquiring electric forklift trucks to ensure that the company continues to thrive while emphasising its commitment to sustainability. Premier has installed a fleet of electric forklifts at the company’s headquarters in Newport. The new trucks, which are easier to maintain than previous models, are recharged on site and produce no emissions. The trucks will be charged in large part by Premier’s onsite investment in solar power and biomass generation, which make the company significantly less reliant on mains electricity, further enhancing their…

Scaffolding specialists, ‘CASS Supplies Limited’ (CASS) have secured investment from the Development Bank of Wales which will allow the company to build for the future. Based in Barry, CASS was established in 2008 by Managing Director Tom Gent.  Employing 64, the team supplies scaffolding for construction projects throughout Wales, the South West and the M4 corridor. Clients include the Formation Group, R&M Williams, ISG, Morgan Sindall, Intelle and Bouygues.  Current projects include Whitmore High School and Pencoedtre High School in Barry, Fusion Tower in Bristol, Carnegie House in London and Watkin Jones’ Wilder Street, Bristol site. The loan from the…

Tributes have flooded in for former professional footballer Gwyn Jones who helped Wolverhampton Wanderers win two successive First Division titles in the 1950s and exposed a betting scandal that rocked the game. Eighty five year old Gwyn passed away at Pendine Park’s Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon where he had lived since February this year after being diagnosed with dementia. The funeral service will be held at 1pm on Monday (November 23) at the Chapel of Rest in Valley belonging to undertakers Griffith Roberts & Son. Current covid rules mean that no singing will be allowed but Nia…

Natures Menu, the UK’s number one for raw pet food and Europe’s leading expert in raw, has launched a new award to celebrate the work of retailers across the pet industry, who have implemented effective measures to protect their business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Petplace, a leading pet retailer with sites in Abergele, Gledrid, Mold, Llangefni and Ruthin, is the first recipient of the Natures Menu ‘Retailer of the Month’ award. The retailer has put a number of initiatives in place to safeguard its team and customers, while continuing to grow their business despite the effects of the ongoing lockdown.…

During this year many Welsh food and drink businesses have had to think outside of the box and create new ways of doing business to cope with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Division one food business has done just that. Based in Flint, north Wales and employing 25 people, The Pudding Compartment, has had to reinvent its business model after sales dropped to zero overnight. Previously the company’s customer base was solely the food service industry and travel sectors which all came to a halt in March as pubs,…