Author: Rhys Gregory

A leading civil engineering firm’s importance to North Wales has been hailed by a Gwynedd-based employee who has risen through the ranks. Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK has received praise from Gruffydd Rowlands, who knows from first-hand experience the benefits that having a construction industry company on his doorstep bring. The 27-year-old sub-agent hails from Waunfawr in Gwynedd, which accounts for more than 15 per cent of the firm’s 500-strong workforce. Gruffydd said: “Growing up in the county, you frequently see Jones Bros, whether that is signage highlighting the latest activity or the now famous green vans. “They are known…

The healthcare industry is faced with challenges on a daily basis. And not just in reference to the incredibly challenging work of the incredible doctors and nurses. Simply ensuring a quality patient experience is one such challenge that the industry is frequently battling.  From ensuring patients are dealt with in a timely manner to handling data and communications, the patient experience is at the forefront of the service provided by healthcare institutions, businesses and organisations. From the top of the tree in major hospitals to pharmacies to the backend processes such as the administration of large amounts of patient data. …

The South Wales Business Awards is delighted to announce the nominees for the 2024 South Wales Business Awards. In the 16 years since the launch of the awards, there has been a yearly increase in the standard and volume of applications. However, 2024 has been a year that is simply extraordinary. It’s clear that despite all of the economic challenges, Wales is a country and an economy that is beyond resilient. Wales is leading the way back to economic success for the UK. The Nominees are as follows: Young Entrepreneur of the Year David Middleton – Flotek Group Rhys Mallows…

A priest from North Wales will be swapping sermons in the pulpit for a stand-up routine at a comedy night. Canon Dr Manon Ceridwen James, who was raised in Nefyn on the Llyn Peninsula and now lives in Abergele, will be in the spotlight during the new fringe events at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph According to Manon, who’s also an acclaimed poet, she’s nervous but excited ahead of the gig at 9.30pm on Saturday, September 21, at the New Inn pub on Lower Denbigh Road. Also on the bill will be fellow stand-up comedians Caryl…

Work has completed on the final phase of The Mill development, with the last 157 homes of the 800-home initiative now finished. The £150m development, which has spanned over 10 years since the first phase began in 2014, has been funded by Principality Commercial, the commercial lending arm of Wales’ largest building society, and delivered in partnership with Welsh Government, Tirion Homes, Lovell and Cadwyn Housing Association. Formerly the Arjo Wiggins paper mill site, half of the 800 homes were built specifically for affordable rent through Tirion Homes, including 75 made available as social housing. A total of 358 properties…

A PIONEER in electronics manufacturing is targeting growth and new markets with the support of a university business scheme. Based in Deeside, RAM Innovations has benefited from Bangor University’s Skills and Innovation Voucher (SIV) Scheme, which offers companies in Gwynedd, Anglesey and Flintshire an opportunity to collaborate through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. The organisation – which provides services and products to the semiconductor and electronics industries globally, including expertise in embedded die packaging (EDP) – received two vouchers. The first was to conduct academic research with the University’s Biocomposites Centre and Materials Scientist Dr Athanasios Dimitriou, on creating a non-toxic…

A syndicate of 20 business angels led by lead investor Simon Bell has invested £250,000 in the first small business finance assistant powered by Gen AI. The equity investment has been match-funded with a further £250,000 from the Development Bank of Wales’ Wales Angel Co-investment Fund. Founded in August 2023 by Nick Carlton and Dan Mines, Menna.ai helps small business owners to make better financial decisions by combining generative AI with rich real-time data. Nick was previously Chief Product Officer for Confused.com and Coincover while Dan was Chief Information Officer for Admiral Money and Chief Product Officer for European open…

A Rhondda man has been jailed for rape and possessing indecent images. Mathew Pugh, 40, raped a woman while she was unable to consent in July, 2023. Security staff working at a premises near to where the rape happened, contacted police with concerns for the vulnerable victim after seeing her on CCTV. Officers arrived within minutes and found the victim upset. Mathew Pugh was still in the area and was arrested and following an investigation charged with rape. An application for remand was made by South Wales Police which was granted by the court. When Pugh raped his victim, he…

A new weekend ‘Academi for Young Musicians’ has been launched by the music service for Cardiff & Vale, CF Music Education. Developed by, and run in partnership with, tutors with experience of delivering youth music activities at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the new weekly sessions form part of Cardiff Council’s Music Strategy, which aims to put music at the heart of the city’s development and provide a pipeline of new talent for the sector. Council Leader, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “Access to high quality music education from an early age can provide so many opportunities for Cardiff’s…

Thousands of runners will take part in next weekend’s(note: Sun, Sept 15)Admiral Swansea Bay 10k on Sunday September 15. The 43rd staging of the annual Swansea Bay 10k goes under starters’ orders at 11am on Sunday, and thousands of spectators will see around 5,000 runners take part. Crowds are likely to start gathering at around 8.30am. A number of other races will take place, including 1k and 3k races for juniors, a Mascot race and a 10k wheelchair race. Registration to take part in the event is now closed. Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism,…