Fuel delivery system manufacturer’s sector-changing design

“Business Wales AGP helped us realise that upscaling is all about hiring the right people with the right skills, at the right time.” 

Our blog series looking at the companies Business Wales AGP has helped continues, with FuelActive – a groundbreaking fuel delivery system manufacturer based in Taff’s Well.

FuelActive has developed a method of fuel delivery which eradicates issues which result from contaminated diesel.

The patented FuelActive unit replaces the standard pick-up pipe and only delivers the cleanest fuel in the tank. The story of FuelActive began in 1998, led by founder Mike James. Mike, an engineer who has worked for more than 30 years in equipment repair and maintenance, saw first-hand the huge impact breakdowns were having on the UK construction industry – 85% of which are caused by fuel contamination. So he came up with a game-changing idea to avoid that.

Here, Mike James shares the experiences he’s had on his business journey so far – and offers some advice to other entrepreneurs.

Tell us about FuelActive

FuelActive delivers the cleanest fuel in the tank by using a floating device to draw fuel from the upper level, leaving water and sediment at the bottom of the tank. It means contamination never enters the fuel filters or engine.

The lightbulb moment which was to foreshadow FuelActive came about while I was working with Hydrainer Pumps. A major new customer had experienced equipment failure after just 10 minutes from delivery to the site. Fuel contamination was the culprit, although at the time people would simply blame the quality of fuel on-site. Unfortunately, equipment failure of this kind had become a regular occurrence, and a solution was needed.

I went about engineering a solution, finally completing a possible working prototype. Hydrainer Pumps were keen to try it and installed the FuelActive unit. I produced a number more, which were all installed, and made subtle changes each time, so the system became easier to manufacture and install.

The first unit proved successful and more in-depth trials were arranged for further testing. An extensive period of research and development followed, where we worked with the higher education sector and with funding support from local government. FuelActive was born.

Following subsequent investment from Adjuvo, the company is now well-positioned to realise its full potential.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
Independent static and dynamic testing from Sogefi, the engine filtration manufacturer, found that Fuel Active’s fuel pick up delivery system increases reliability by 94%. That compares to 2.3% using the conventional method.

That figure is something we’re hugely proud of, and we’ve had additional endorsements from Komatsu, Caterpillar and Volvo who have thoroughly tested the FuelActive in the field with impressive results.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
A bigger effort would be made to gather data before entering the market. As FuelActive operates across six sectors and is the solution to a global issue, the potential target market is immense. We’ve undertaken in-depth market research in each respective sector which has improved focus via segmentation, targeting and positioning. Our improved focus has helped to prioritise who we target and why – and has informed how we should approach them.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
Our head of marketing, Claire Bentley has overseen the Business Wales AGP work within FuelActive.

First of all, we were supported with human resources expertise. A Belbin Team Role report was undertaken to see how the team worked together and to identify if any personality types would be helpful to create a well-rounded, skilled team when recruiting in the future.

It’s helped us realise that to upscale successfully, we need the right people with the right skills, at the right time.

We then had help in assessing our production process, which identified bottle-necks and ways of preventing of those bottle-necks during a period of rapid upscale.

FuelActive’s linear PowerPoint presentation was also transformed with the help of Business Wales AGP to an all-singing, all-dancing interactive presentation which should help us secure future clients.

As well as that, we’ve been given support to improve our digital marketing strategy, with a focus on strengthening SEO as well as improving social media.

FuelActive has also had a one-to-one session with an HR business advisor who advised on policies and procedures required for a business of our size.

Finally, we were advised on exports, with reviews to our documentation procedures and practices. AGP also recommended we become a member business of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce. We were also provided with information on what support is available in terms of Welsh Government trade missions and the Overseas Business Development Visit grant (OBDV).

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Leap and the net will appear.

● The biggest risk is not taking any risks.

● Find a way, not an excuse.

For more information on FuelActive visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.

Engineering firm has sights set on further expansion thanks to Business Wales AGP

“Support from Business Wales AGP over the last three years has been critical to the business’ growth.”

Continuing our blog series on the companies Business Wales AGP has helped to develop and expand, we look at Qualitek Engineering.

Llanelli-based Qualitek was formed in 2010 and is both a precision engineering and fabrication company – an unusual combination in the engineering sector.

It has a strong and diverse client base, ranging from local manufacturers in a range of sectors to several original equipment manufacturers (OEM), which trade globally.

Here, director and design manager John Tovey tells Qualitek’s story – and gives others plotting their journey through the world of business some guidance and advice.

Tell us about Qualitek.

We gained early traction by serving end-user clients in south-west Wales, and as these businesses were streamlined further opportunities developed. 

We’ve achieved significant growth by forming sustainable and collaborative relationships in the OEM sector, more specifically in the security, utilities, environmental protection, automotive and construction sectors.

The majority of our work is project-based or low-volume products. Recently, we completed significant flood defence projects in collaboration with another Business Wales AGP client company. These projects have been exported, mostly to the Far East.

We have 26 employees, and wherever possible, we encourage the products and services we use to be Welsh.
 

What are your proudest moments in business so far?

Our proudest moment has to be moving into our new manufacturing facility at Dura Business Park – and customising the building to our exacting requirements – in September 2015.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?

This is a difficult question to answer, but the ability to service clients requiring a wide range of engineering requirements remains a significant strength and differentiator for Qualitek.

For such a wide range of sectors to be serviced has developed an innovative and collaborative culture in the organisation.

In that sense, everything we’ve done, mistakes or otherwise, has helped us get to where we are.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?

Support from the Business Wales AGP over the last three years has been critical to the business’ growth. 

Some initial loan funding was instrumental in enabling us to establish a new factory.

Areas such as lean manufacturing, strategic planning, workflow scheduling and supply chain management have contributed significantly to our turnover growing by 60% and staff numbers doubling.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Don’t strive for perfection before traction – good enough is usually good enough.

● Seek out the support available to Welsh businesses.

● Use a small team of trusted advisors, do not be paralysed by too many different inputs.

● Be bold in your decision making, if the wrong decision is made – learn quickly.

● Think bigger than being just another Welsh lifestyle business.

For more information on Qualitek, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.

Ethical beauty products firm Naissance sets sights on international success.

“When we joined Business Wales AGP we had a turnover of about £6m – we have since grown to £19m”

Our blog series on the firms supported by Business Wales AGP continues with ethical beauty products firm, Naissance.

Founder Jem Skelding was born in Wales and brought up in countries around Africa, where he would watch his mother handcraft remedies in the family kitchen using natural ingredients. Years later, this inspired him to start his own company from a spare room, which has since turned into a multi-million-pound turnover business.

Here, Jem Skelding tells the story of Naissance, shares his experiences and offers tips to other entrepreneurs making their way in the business world.

Tell us about Naissance.

I was inspired to start something, having watched my mother making remedies using natural ingredients. It all started in my spare room.

We’ve always been based in south-west Wales, starting in the Amman Valley before moving to premises in Neath when we needed a larger space.

We now operate from three large buildings, and we’ve installed state-of-the-art food quality rooms with automated equipment so we can meet demand in a global market.

Since joining Business Wales AGP, we have further evolved, and we’ve not been afraid of unpicking things which didn’t work as well as we’d hoped they would to keep us on track.

We now employ more than 100 people in Neath and Germany. And we have a multilingual website, with Spanish, Italian and German channels.

At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to sourcing ethical ingredients, which means supporting our growers, whether that’s in the developing world or Western countries. We also pay our staff a living wage.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?

Being awarded Amazon Exporting Small Business of the Year 2019 is a massive honour and a hugely prestigious moment for Naissance. We are continually searching for better and pioneering more ethical and sustainable ways of working and doing things. These things not only benefit us as a business but, more importantly, benefits individuals, communities, society, and the world in which we live. I think the award is a recognition of our ethos as a company.

Being included in the Wales Fast Growth 50 in 2018 was another big boost for us.

We’re always proud of what we do as a company, supporting growers by paying them fair prices for their products, helping them improve production facilities and working with communities to bring clean water to their areas. 

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?

I would invest in major ICT enterprise-level customer relationship management (CRM) software sooner. A system like NetSuite gives better management information much more quickly.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?

When we joined Business Wales AGP we had a turnover of about £6m – we have since grown to £19m. 

Business Wales AGP has helped with marketing and branding, protecting intellectual property such as trademarking.

Business Wales AGP has also supported us with significant projects, such as improving the design, platform and performance of our website, as well as designing and implementing an enterprise-level CRM IT system.

We have also been helped in accessing Welsh Government Brexit Resilience Fund Grant funding of £100,000 for further automation and improvement of productivity.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Have clear values which promote ethical practices and great products.

● Move fast and build up cash.

● Invest in the best technology.

● Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

For more information on Naissance, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.