Author: Rhys Gregory

A HIGH-FLYING travel firm boss who has created more than 50 jobs in less than a year will tell Wrexham business leaders how his 35-store empire remains rooted in the heart of the town. [aoa id=”1″] Don Bircham, Managing Director of Hays Travel North West, will share the secrets of his success with members of an influential business group, Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP) on Friday September 21. The group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in…

Bridgend based Magenta Financial Planning is celebrating its two-year anniversary this week! Headed by Chief Executive, Julie Lord and Managing Director, Gretchen Betts, Magenta is a small financial planning business based in Bridgend. With 43 years financial experience, Magenta works with clients to organise their financial affairs and create personal financial plans for their future security and happiness. Magenta prides itself on a friendly approach to financial planning, and works with clients from a variety of different backgrounds and sectors. The winner of various prestigious awards in 2017, including the Bridgend Business Forum’s ‘Start Up Company of the Year’ the…

Following the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Ester McVey’s, announcement yesterday (4 September) that she supports the pensions dashboard, Stuart Price, Partner and Actuary at Quantum Advisory, has reacted

A Cardiff-headquartered speciality bakery manufacturer has secured an additional £15 million finance package from HSBC UK and its other banking partners to support the acquisition of gluten free bakery business, Ultrapharm Ltd. [aoa id=”1″] Finsbury Foods, which produces a broad range of high-quality bread, cake and snack products, has agreed an uplift on its current £45 million revolving credit facility (RCF) to make the acquisition. This takes Finsbury’s total borrowing to £60 million. The existing £45 million RCF was agreed by banking partners HSBC UK, RBS and Rabobank in February 2018 to provide the business with a range of working…

Hospital corridor art galleries which raise cash to benefit patients have sold their 1,000thpicture. ‘Langland Hut with Ball’ by Rhona Tooze was bought by Jonathan Bishop from Fforestfach, Swansea, as a present for his wife. ”It always puts a smile on her face.” he said. The corridor galleries at Singleton Hospital in Swansea were created in 2007 when property manager and founding member of the arts and heritage team, Fiona Edwards, took over their management. [aoa id=”1″] Fiona was determined that the uninteresting corridors should be more uplifting and welcoming, while raising money for the benefit of patients. As a result,…

DRS Facilities Management, a Swansea-based company that provides specialist engineering solutions to the facilities management sector, has appointed a new managing director.  [aoa id=”1″]Mark Phillips started his new role with DRS in July 2018. Originally from Swansea, he previously worked as project director at Honeywell, and boasts over 30 years’ experience in electrical, IT services and building services control. He is a qualified electrical engineer with a degree in IT and has worked across the UK providing expertise in IT infrastructure installations. His work spans from projects at Heathrow and Stanstead airports to one of the largest pharmaceutical projects in…

Multi-disciplinary business advisory firm Greenaway Scott Group has appointed a new head of its Swansea office, topping off a year of “unprecedented” growth. [aoa id=”1″] Leanne Thomas, who is an associate director within the firm, has been appointed to oversee the office, lead the expanding team and continue to drive growth going forwards. Miss Thomas has been integral to the success of the firm’s Swansea office since she joined in 2017. She is the lead advisor for many of the office’s West Wales based clients, including internationally renowned medical advisory company The Bevan Commission, and has completednumerous lucrative investment rounds…

M&S stores across South Wales have partnered with Macmillan for the ninth year to support local people living with cancer. [aoa id=”1″] M&S stores in Cardiff will host a Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Mornings alongside colleagues across the country to bring communities together and raise crucial funds to help people with cancer live life as fully as they can. Last year, stores in South Wales raised over £66,000 to fund Macmillan professional roles in local hospitals and within the local community, such as nurses, occupational therapists and dieticians. Local M&S stores will join forces again this year, along with M&S…

Transport Secretary Ken Skates has stepped in to improve the efficiency of the UK Border for arriving passengers at Cardiff Airport. It comes after the UK Government deemed the national airport for Wales ineligible for financial assistance. [aoa id=”1″]A Welsh Government safety and security grant of £1million will enable the purchase and installation of latest-technology e-gates, which allow travellers with biometric passports to move quickly through border checks and avoid long waits for manual document inspections. They will be installed and fully operational by March 2019. Although Cardiff Airport was one of the first airports in the UK to introduce…

A Gwynedd town’s network of CCTV cameras run by local volunteers has had its biggest success when it tracked a thief stealing £38,000 of goods from a Barmouth business. [aoa id=”1″] It is just one of the crime-fighting triumphs that has turned the seaside resort into one of the most law-abiding in North Wales. The 48 ‘eyes in the sky’ run by Gwarchod Bermo Watch have seen crime detection in the town rise by 70 per cent and attracted a £2,500 grant from North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones. He visited the town at the height of the…