North Wales logistics firm has a vision for further growth thanks to Business Wales AGP support

“Business Wales AGP has been crucial in our growth story.”

When two motorbike couriers decided to form their own business 20 years ago, it would have been almost impossible for them to imagine having more than 100 vehicles and more than 150 staff one day. 

But that is precisely what has happened to Delsol since it was formed in 1999. Managing director David Phillips has overseen the company’s robust growth.

In the latest in our blog series on the companies supported by Business Wales AGP, David Phillips explains how Delsol continues to transform and expand – and the lessons for other companies wanting to follow suit.

Tell us about Delsol.
We were based in Bethesda in Gwynedd initially, but we soon outgrew that base. We are now a regional logistics company, offering next day deliveries for parcels, pallets and Hazchem shipments, as well as same-day and direct loads across the UK.

We have storage facilities in both Sandycroft and Caernarfon, with more than 100 vehicles and we employ more than 150 people.

When we started, we approached local businesses in the Caernarfon and Bangor areas. We wanted to do something different. Rather than selling what we could do, we asked, what do you want? We then adapted to the customers’ needs.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
By 2003, we’d outgrown our original premises. So we set about developing a purpose-built delivery depot and warehouse facility in Caernarfon and later opened a second depot in Sandycroft on the Cheshire border.

Both sites quickly flourished into busy depots operating in line with our strict quality standards.

We’re proud of the fact that we have created new employment opportunities in the communities we come from and serve. 

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
Looking back, perhaps we could have been a little bolder at times. But we have no real regrets about what we have done and where the company is going.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?

Business Wales AGP has been crucial in our growth story. 

We were able to access a Welsh Government grant which meant we could relocate and build a new depot in Caernarfon. That provided a foundation from which our expansion could develop.

Business Wales AGP supported us with staff training and marketing for our new storage facility. This helped create new jobs in the area.

There’s been a direct link between our growth, the support of Business Wales AGP and the creation of high-quality jobs.

Since receiving Business Wales AGP support, we’ve expanded our workforce by 15 people. That reflects just how valuable Business Wales AGP has been to our recent expansion.

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

● Set out firm business plans, which allow you to measure your efforts and achievements.

● Set targets. Make these realistic.

● Be honest with yourself.

● Find out what grants/help is available. It does not always need to be financial.

For more information on Delsol, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

PF Director takes web-based solutions to accountancy and financial advice sector

“Business Wales AGP has surrounded us with expertise which would not have otherwise been easily available”

We have been talking to the businesses we work with, finding out about the journey they have been on, their ambitions for the future and tips for future success. The latest business we look at is PF Director.

PF Director was founded by Gareth Salomon. He is a chartered accountant who has been helping business owners navigate their accounting and taxation responsibilities since 2003. Gareth noticed a gap between what the average accountant does and their clients’ expectations of what they should be doing. In 2018, he started to develop PF Director – an intelligent web-based advisory solution for accountants, financial advisers and growth experts.

Here, Gareth Salomon shares what he's learned on his business journey so far.

Tell us about PF Director
PF Director focuses on the underlying business owner, rather than looking solely at the business. We plan to launch in autumn 2019, and there’s been significant interest from proactive advisers around the UK. I expect to recruit more people into the team as the business grows in the next few months.

When I began work on PF Director, I had already been running a small accountancy firm for 10 years. It meant I had to fit developing the idea for PF Director around all that. Then I saw a post on social media about Town Square’s co-working space in Wrexham and decided to use the Enterprise Hub as my base while working on PF Director. It was there I had an opportunity to enrol on Business Wales AGP, which helped me to develop the concept at a faster, more structured pace. I took part in a pitch event at Welsh ICE in Caerphilly in July 2019 which has opened the doors to further opportunities.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
I have to say, I am proud of managing my time to juggle the accounting firm and the new development process. It may not sound like much, but when you start a business whilst also working another full-time job it can be tough to prioritise and get everything done. Ultimately, something has to give. For me, it was the decision to delegate some of the work that I have always done myself within the accountancy firm to others. This allowed be to free up the time to work on PF Director.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
If I was starting out with PF Director from the beginning again, I would put together a bare bones concept – on paper or in the form of a pitch deck – of what I wanted to achieve and talk to my target customers at a much earlier stage. This maximises the use of time and money, allowing you to focus on the work that is most relevant to your customers’ needs.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
Business Wales AGP is helping me to structure PF Director’s start-up and growth processes around a proven framework, maximising the business’ chances of success. Business Wales AGP has surrounded us with expertise which would not have otherwise been easily available.

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

- Don’t let unconditional praise from family members about your business idea cloud your judgement. Let it motivate you, but don’t use it as a basis for business decisions.

- Talk extensively about your product/service with your target market to gauge demand from those that matter – before the main development process starts.

- Surround yourself with highly knowledgeable people, who are experts in their field.

- You can stay in employment while starting your own business. You will know when or even if the time is right to take the plunge into full-time self-employment.

- The fact that your idea may not have been done before is, more often than not, a warning sign.

- Sometimes, the best business ideas merely make an existing product or service better.

For more information on PF Director click here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

Business Wales AGP support provides growth springboard for sustainable packaging firm

“We have achieved huge growth milestones since joining Business Wales AGP.”

With plastic waste an increasingly pressing problem for the planet to deal with, one fast-growing Welsh firm is coming up with solutions to help tackle the issue.

The latest firm our blog focuses on, is high-growth Transcend Packaging. Based in Ystrad Mynach, Transcend Packaging is a company focusing on sustainable paper-based packaging and new biodegradable plastics which have a superior environmental profile. 

Here, Transcend Packaging CEO, Lorenzo Angelucci, tells the story of the business and explains how the help of Business Wales AGP has provided a springboard for growth – with the company's staff growing by 86% since enlisting its help.

Tell us about Transcend Packaging.
When we came on the scene, we made an immediate impact by working with like-minded companies to source sustainable materials that offer a genuine alternative to single-use plastic on a commercial basis. We've partnered with major brands to reduce or eliminate millions of single-use plastic straws from the world. Sustainability was the reason I started this company. I founded Transcend Packaging after seeing footage of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose, so I went out and helped develop a paper straw.

We're innovative and disruptive – offering solutions to the market. Our customers see us as an executioner of smart packaging ideas and concepts. With the help of Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP), we have delivered company growth by exploiting our knowledge and building a team passionate about doing good.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
The work we do every day gives us a sense of pride – our products are part of a solution to the problem of plastic waste. 

One of the most significant boosts to the company came in June 2018, when we secured a significant contract to supply paper straws to McDonald's in the UK and Ireland.

We're proud to help major brands move away from single-use plastic.

But it's not just about our products; it's about being an excellent business to work for. That's why we were honoured to be recognised by Chwarae Teg recently as a Fairplay Employer. We're committed to the values of gender equality.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
That's a difficult one to answer. There are many decisions you might look back on and think, should we have done that differently? But what makes our business what it is today is all those decisions – right or wrong – that we made as we developed.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We have achieved substantial growth milestones since joining the programme in November 2018. That growth has translated into workforce expansion, and we've created 83 jobs since we've been part of Business Wales AGP.

The support we have received includes a three-year visioning Orbit exercise, which helped us with the clarity of our growth objectives.

Other areas of support have focused on branding, redevelopment of the website, HR systems, processes, and preparing the business for growth.

Also, we've received support and advice on IT integration, access to grant funding and manufacturing process efficiency.

Transcend Packaging has been able to articulate our growth plans, and Business Wales AGP has provided endorsement to the direction that the business expansion strategy is taking.

We are embarking on a significant scale-up having won the four-year contract to supply McDonald's with paper straws, a project to prepare us for cultural change and organisational development is underway.

Our focus was around early anchor clients, and we now need Business Wales AGP advice and direction on the strategy to leverage this early stage blue-chip client base and production facility set up.

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

● If you have a business idea, do your best to bring it to reality. It could be something that changes the world for the better, so have confidence and belief in your vision.

● Aim high. We are expanding both because of the quality of the product we deliver and the passion of our workforce.

● Seek out advice. The support we've received from Business Wales AGP has been invaluable in helping us achieve growth, this has had a really positive effect on our place in the local and national economy.

For more information on Transcend Packaging, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme.