Category Archives: Regional News

News, Wales News

Next developer announced for Cardiff’s garden city

The next developer to build at Plasdŵr, the £2billion garden city located in north west Cardiff, has been announced as Lewis Homes.

The family-owned business based in South Wales has signed contracts with agent Cooke & Arkwright, working on behalf of landowner Plymouth Estate, to acquire a 3-acre site to the north of Llantrisant Road.

Lewis Homes will join lead developer Redrow and Bellway in building at Cardiff’s new ‘garden city for the 21st Century’.

The development will comprise 56 new homes. Plans include a mix of apartments and houses ranging from one to four bedrooms, with 15% being affordable homes on varied tenures. Lewis Homes is expected to start work in the autumn, once detailed planning consent has been secured.

This will be the fifth development at Plasdŵr, forming part of the first phase which is currently under construction to the north and south of Llantrisant Road. This first phase includes 630 new homes, as well as infrastructure improvements and a new 480-place primary school.

Mark Lewis, director of Lewis Homes, said:

“A family-run business for over 40 years, we are delighted to have secured a site at Plasdŵr and play a role in the formation of a new and vibrant community. With a track record for delivering high quality residential schemes across south Wales, we are very much looking forward to bringing the proposals to life to the benefit of the future success of Cardiff.”

Plasdŵr’s founding families have already started putting down roots. Over 100 homes are now occupied across Redrow’s Parc Plymouth and Cae St Fagans developments, and the lead developer has also recently launched a new development, Cwrt Sant Ioan. Bellway is due to start work on a further 120 homes at Rhiwlas later this year.

Plasdŵr is identified in Cardiff’s Local Development Plan as key to the city’s economic growth. Up to 7,000 homes will be built over the next 20 years at the site bordering Radyr, Fairwater, Pentrebane and St Fagans. Plasdŵr will be made up of five distinct areas of individual character, with a district centre comprising of shops, offices, health and leisure centres, pubs and restaurants, plus four, smaller local centres. Four new primary schools and a secondary school are also planned for the development. Transport within Plasdŵr has been planned with walking and cycling as the easiest ways to get around, followed by using the bus.

Described as a garden city for the 21st Century, Plasdŵr has been modelled on the original garden city movement’s principles of “fresh air, sunlight, breathing and playing room”. The development has been planned to fit with the natural topography of the area and up to 40% will be green space, including managed heritage woodland, parks and play areas.

Michael Lawley, chairman of Cooke and Arkwright, said:

“Welcoming Lewis Homes is the next step in an exciting year for Plasdŵr. After years of planning, the vision to create a sustainable garden city for the 21st Century is coming to life and the Plasdŵr community is beginning to take shape. Lewis Homes will be the third developer to build at Plasdŵr, and we’re especially pleased to have a Welsh housebuilder on board helping to deliver the diverse range of homes Cardiff needs as it continues to grow.”

Savills acted for Lewis Homes in its acquisition. Scott Caldwell, a director in the development team at Savills Cardiff, said:

“Cardiff is on the verge of a sustained period of growth however it is grappling with a significant shortfall in housing. Only 490 homes on average a year have been delivered, which is well short of the Local Plan annual target of 2,071 and lags behind other regional cities. Strategic schemes, such as Plasdwr, are playing an important role in enabling city’s continued success, through the introduction of sustainable new communities that are ripe for contemporary living and we are delighted to have been able to secure this opportunity, the first development in our capital city for Lewis Homes.”

More information on Plasdŵr can be found at www.plasdwr.co.uk and on Twitter @plasdwr.

Health, News, Wales News

World athletics legend says Welsh company will be a game changer for sports injury market

A website that helps injured sports people find the right specialists to help treat their injuries has been hailed as a “game changer” by world athletics legend Colin Jackson.

Cardiff-based Sports Injury Fix is the first website to seamlessly connect sports people with the relevant professionals for their specific type of sport or injury. Using a search engine which can be filtered by location, injury and sport, users are able to access over 2,000 therapists throughout the UK. The company is part of the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme in Cardiff.

“The website is phenomenal and the impact it can have is huge,” said Colin on a recent visit to the accelerator. “It’s a game changer and can seriously improve the way sports people at all levels deal with injuries.

“As an athlete I had to deal with plenty of injuries and I know how frustrating it can be. The Sports Injury Fix website is a simple-to-use, one-stop-shop that makes finding the right therapist quick and easy. Having a portal like this will have major benefits to sports people at all levels as well as sports injury specialists.”

The site was launched by company founder Malcolm Sloan in 2016 and has more than 5,000 monthly users. He predicts this figure will eclipse the 20,000 mark over the next three years as the company begins a new round of investment in which it hopes to secure £250k.

Approved by seven industry bodies, the company boasts an impressive management team. Its Client Experience Manager is Wales Commonwealth Games 1500m runner Tom Marshall, while at board level Dr Rod Jaques, Head of Medical Services at the English Institute of Sport, is a non-executive director. They also have four leading therapists as ambassadors: Jack Chew, Mike Grice, James Dunne and Dave James.

And that team has been strengthened further with Colin Jackson agreeing to become an official Sports Injury Fix ambassador, a role he says he is already relishing.

“I want to help promote this service to as many athletes as possible,” he said. “I think it’s fantastic the website has been developed in my home city and that’s something that makes me very proud.

“It’s great too that the team are being supported by the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator. It’s a fantastic facility to have in the city and I believe it’s important places like this exist to help Welsh businesses like Sports Injury Fix succeed.”

Malcolm said:

“We’re delighted Colin is joining the Sports Injury Fix team. On the track Colin was a legend and he’s just as passionate about helping us. We’re really excited about working with him as we work with more sports injury specialists and grow our number of users.”

Andrew Jones, Entrepreneur Acceleration Manager at the NatWest Cardiff Accelerator, said:

“Malcolm has worked tirelessly as an entrepreneur on the accelerator programme and it’s wonderful to see the company doing so well. He has benefited from the entrepreneurial environment at the accelerator and the community in it and it’s exciting to see what the company will achieve during the next 12 months.”

News, Wales News

GS Verde Group partners with Loney Stewart Holland

GS Verde Group has entered into an agreement to collaborate with specialist dispute resolution law firm Loney Stewart Holland to provide clients with a broader range of services within their specialist areas.

The move will also see Loney Stewart Holland and the GS Verde Group take joint office space in the centre of Bristol.

Loney Stewart Holland was established in 2016 by founding partners Richard Loney, Alistair Stewart and Sarah Holland.

The business specialises in managing disputes and providing claims, risk management and strategic advice.

The core services offered by Loney Stewart Holland include commercial litigation, contract disputes, reputation and brand protection, insurance disputes, insolvency and professional negligence.

Loney Stewart Holland currently has offices in London and Bristol and the relationship with GS Verde Group will see it expand its offering to Wales.

GS Verde Group is a specialist multidiscipline corporate advisory business. Its core services include mergers and acquisition, IP commercialisation, commercial contract and equity fundraising advice through the law firm Greenaway Scott and corporate finance firm Verde Corporate Finance.

The Group was founded in 2013 and has established offices in Cardiff and Swansea and also opened its latest office in Bristol in the last quarter of 2018. It has achieved revenue growth of 900% since its launch in 2013.

The collaboration agreement with Loney Stewart Holland is the second strategic tie-up that GS Verde Group has announced recently, following on from the announced link with Patent Attorney business Alchemie IP earlier this year.

Lorna Bolton, who leads the Bristol office for GS Verde Group said:

“We are delighted to reach agreement with LSH and look forward to developing our relationship and link in our new Bristol office.

 “The opportunity to work with another specialist advisory firm allows us to ensure our clients have a wide range of services available to them whilst retaining the sector and niche expertise of each individual firm”

Mr Loney added:

“We have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the team at GS Verde and their clients over the last 12 months and it is great to be able to strengthen that relationship. It coincides with a period of growth at LSH and allows us to move into the new office premises with confidence and with the ambition to keep growing.”

News, Wales News

SCISYS/Welsh Government: Transform Registers of Common Land, Town or Village Greens

Following a competitive procurement exercise SCISYS UK Ltd., has been chosen as the Welsh Government’s preferred software supplier to enable the on-going implementation of the Commons Act 2006. The SCISYS software will enable the development and introduction of electronic registers for common land and town or village greens throughout Wales. The Commons Act 2006 was introduced to protect common land from development, allow more sustainable management of common land and to improve the protection of common land from neglect and abuse.

“The Welsh Government is committed to protecting its common land both now and for future generations. Electronic registers, enabled by our software, will transform user access allowing them to search and browse the registers online for the first time,” said David Pegg, Head of Government & Emergency Services at SCISYS.

SCISYS is a supplier of specialist software systems, solutions and support services that operates in a broad spectrum of market sectors, including government, defence, media & broadcast, space, transport and utilities. SCISYS clients are predominantly blue-chip and public-sector organisations.

SCISYS was awarded this contract by the Welsh Government as the company specialises in working with public sector organisations and has proven expertise in developing tailored professional services and technology solutions to successfully overcome critical business problems. Additionally, with regard to this particular project covering the further implementation of The Commons Act 2006, SCISYS has considerable experience in delivering geospatial applications for a range of public sector clients.

The current registers were established under the Commons Registration Act 1965. Anyone wishing to view or search the registers has to make an appointment with their local authority to view the paper-based registers and associated maps.

The Commons Act 2006 includes a new provision allowing the creation of digital registers and maps leading to the decision by Welsh ministers to develop and introduce electronic registers in Wales.

To gather both spatial and textual register data the SCISYS bespoke software solution will deploy Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) compliant OSGeo open-source tools within a Microsoft .NET framework.

The proposed solution will transform user access to the registers allowing members of the public to search and browse the registers online for the first time. It will also provide a range of other benefits including a standard data management system, more efficient processes and instant information to support the management and protection of common land in the future. Crucially the electronic registers will preserve the data currently held in ageing and fragile paper registers.

The electronic registers will also provide a range of other benefits including more efficient processes, instant access to information supporting agricultural payments and an early and effective response to any future animal disease outbreak on common land.

“The SCISYS solution fits perfectly with the Welsh Government’s digital-first approach and importantly its portal will be in both English and Welsh ensuring compliance with the Welsh Language Standards,” Pegg concluded.

Wales News

Tanning boss among top business leaders joining booming ION programme

BUSINESS leaders headlined an event showcasing the best of a popular management course.

Bangor University hosted a discussion and Q&A at the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst, presented by ION Leadership senior programme manager Gwenllian Owen.

Gwenllian was joined by Manon Cadwaladr from Cymen translation services, Cadnant Planning’s Sioned Edwards and Tanya Whitebits founder Shoned Owen, who spoke about how the qualification has had a positive impact on their lives, personally and professionally.

All three are currently studying on the Leading Growth Programme and believe ION – which, along with 20Twenty Business Growth is up to 70% funded by the European Social Fund via Welsh Government – has already affected their companies.

Shoned reflected on how she took Tanya Whitebits from a small mobile tanning service in Pwllheli to become one of the sector’s most respected beauty firms and product manufacturers.

“I had a £700 machine and was travelling around town tanning people before the business really became popular and left me wondering where to take it next,” she said.

“I came up with a name that reflects my sense of humour and that people would remember and went from there, later moving on to develop my own products as a lot of those on the market were not of a standard I was happy with.”

“They left people looking orange and didn’t smell very nice, so I invented my own.”

Shoned added: “I joined the ION programme because being self-employed I thought it would benefit me and help build my confidence.

“It certainly has, and I’ve made new friends as well; we all learn from one another and can share advice and ideas, which has been extremely valuable.”

Sioned Edwards echoed those words and talked of the growth at Conwy and Chester-based town planning consultants, Cadnant Planning.

“As a young leader I wanted to help develop the company,” she said.

“I’m dynamic and driven and felt ION could help me channel that, which it has with the coaching and advice we’ve received.

“It was great to get a different perspective, to go back to the classroom and have the time and space to think about the business and work on it.

“It was challenging but we all worked together and made friends, and that network of people are always on the end of the phone should I need them, or vice versa.”

Gwenllian thanked them all for appearing and added: “The course has been incredibly well-received over past years but it’s important that people hear from those who have experienced it first-hand, to find out how beneficial it could be for them, or their business.

“I thank everyone who came to see us at the Eisteddfod, we had a brilliant day.”

Beginning in 2009 with LEAD Wales, Bangor University has welcomed hundreds of company owners, managers and entrepreneurs onto European-funded qualifications over the last decade.

Celebrations will take place over the summer, culminating in the ION Leadership and 20Twenty Business Growth conference at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on November 6.

North Wales Means Business is one of the key dates in the calendar for companies across the region and attracted more than 200 delegates last year.

For more information, or to sponsor the North Wales Means Business conference, visit www.ionleadership.co.uk or www.20twentybusinessgrowth.com. Alternatively email or call, Senior Programme Manager Gwenllian Owen on 01248 382530 gwenllian.owen@bangor.ac.uk or Business Development Manager Jackie Whittaker on 01248 382569 or j.whittaker@bangor.ac.uk

News, Wales News

Property firm raises money for RNLI

Staff at ASW Property Services, a property services specialist covering Wales, the Midlands and the South West of England, has raised over £1000 for the RNLI in memory of a colleague.

Eight members of staff took part in the 34th annual Mumbles RNLI raft race alongside 26 other teams on 11th August. The team participated to honour the memory of their late colleague Glyn Harris, who sadly passed away recently, two weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. Glyn Harris worked for ASW Property Services for 22 years – and was still working for the company up until he passed away at age 71.

In September, staff members of ASW Property Services are planning to climb Pen y Fan in support of Glyn Harris and to raise money for his family.

ASW Property Services raised £1,135 for the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the UK and Republic of Ireland coasts. The charity depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service, and since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.

Anthony Thomas, ASW Property Services’ managing director, said:

“Glyn Harris was a real character and an outstanding, long-serving member of the ASW team for many years. His dedication, enthusiasm and fantastic personality is what brought the ASW team together and we will miss him greatly.

“Taking part in the raft race to raise money for the RNLI was a great experience for us – it was our first year taking part and definitely won’t be our last. I am thrilled with the amount of money we have raised for such a worthy cause.”

Located in South Wales – and supporting the Welsh economy with 60% of its contracts being based in Swansea and West Wales – the property services company provides a national service using locally based contractors working in partnership with its clients, delivering a wide range of property maintenance solutions and improvement programmes – as well as boasting of a strong supply chain to allow the implementation of its high standard of services.

Construction, Wales News

Scaffolders plan to expand into Europe following offshore windfarm success

A SCAFFOLDING company plans to double in size and continue making its name in the European offshore windfarm industry.
That’s the vision of Ben Badham, Managing Director of record-breaking North Wales firm, BGB Scaffolding.
Previously a roofer and tower crane operator, Ben later became a trainee scaffolder and was named in the top three Apprentices of the Year at CITB National Construction College in Birmingham, before deciding to set up on his own in 2007.
It was just Ben, a labourer and a van, with a shipping container for storage, yet he grew and grew the organisation through word of mouth and by building a solid reputation for quality and safety.
His enthusiasm and knowledge also played a major part in their initial success, and a passionate approach to all projects.
Twelve years on and based in Kinmel Bay, BGB Scaffolding employs 26 people, 18 of which are GWO (Global Wind Organisation) and HUET (Helicopter Underwater Escape Training) qualified.
The business has also become an international player having signed major contracts with Orsted, the global leader in offshore wind, to supply and erect scaffolding on the world’s two largest windfarms – Walney Extension off Barrow-in-Furness, and Hornsea One off the east coast of Yorkshire.
This has secured their place among the UK’s major players, and they look set to grow even further after opening a new office and yard space on Grimsby Docks in Humberside – the world hub for green energy – alongside associates Offshore Painting Services.
The 38-year-old, originally from Rhyl, says BGB Scaffolding is on an upward trajectory and expects that to continue, but never at the expense of the health and safety of his employees, in what he admits can be a challenging job.
“I think how seriously we take safety is vital as it is important to know we have done everything within our power to ensure colleagues arrive to work and get home safe each and every day, ensuring that we are working to our industry Best Practices and also that we as a company are fully aware of our duties under the Construction Design and Management Regulations (2015),” said Ben.
“Within the company we continue to professionally develop our work force and safety is paramount to all of this; some of the training courses completed by our team includes NEBOSH in Construction, IOSH Managing Safely and Site Management Safety Training Scheme, to name just a few.
“This has enabled us to enhance our safety culture within the workforce and ensures our clients are supported by a professional contractor.”
He added: “I was only 25 when I started the company but from day one the ethos was the same, to always develop and learn and to stay ahead of the curve.
“As with any trade within construction, scaffolding can be a very dangerous industry if work is not planned and coordinated correctly, then mistakes and incidents happen, especially when we are working on offshore platforms in difficult weather and an ever-changing environment.”
Despite these pitfalls, since BGB started recording its working persons hours three and a half years ago, they have amassed a staggering 175,000 person hours without a single Lost Time Injury.
The company’s profile as a leader in its field has also seen them write their name in the record books as the first company to ever erect scaffolding on a floating wind turbine, and the first to ever work on four platforms simultaneously on the same project in UK waters, on Hornsea Offshore Windfarm Project One.
An innovative approach is what sets them apart, whether inland or offshore, using the latest technology to plan where scaffolding and materials will be placed before even visiting the site.
“Companies using the correct technical guidelines have made the biggest strides,” said Ben.
“We can map out the whole project from our computers here in the office and pre-design every job we do. You shouldn’t really be erecting any scaffolding up without design, but sadly there is still a vast majority of firms who are working outside these practices, which is an archaic mentality.”
With the UK Government pledging that 30% of green electricity will be provided by offshore energy by 2030, more and more windfarms are to be built in the years ahead.
While BGB continues to acquire contracts on home soil, including St Bueno’s spiritualist retreat in Tremeirchion and a new build housing estate and office blocks in Tattenhall and a solar panel project throughout North Wales and the North-West, he is confident a blend of onshore and offshore schemes will sustain and push the business onto even greater things.
Next up is completion of their ISO accreditation and further professional development of his workforce, notably in health and safety and within our industry, and cementing their place among the giants of the sector.
“The future is green, so I envisage more work offshore while focusing on both sides of the firm,” said Ben.
“Our ultimate vision is to at least double the size of the business and our workforce in the next five years, opening the Grimsby site and looking at more work in Europe. We already cover all areas within the UK, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany, but have plans to reach further afield.”
He added: “When I started out, I never dreamt it would be like this, working with such huge organisations and employing so many people, but I always wanted it to be a success.
“Doing so means we have witnessed first-hand how to grow and raise our profile, and as a result we have just introduced an internal App so our teams can complete and update risk assessments, method statements, inspections and more key aspects required for scaffolding.”
As a new Dad with a young daughter, Ben revealed it can be tough being away for several days or weeks at a time, but with the support of his family he has been able to continue to commit himself to building up a client base while focusing on company growth.
“As well as my family I must thank Dave Abraham and Jen Wood from Fulcrum Scaffolding Safety and Training Ltd, who’ve been a huge help and resource for all our training, policies and procedures and guidance,” he said.
“And thank you to all of our staff, who take pride in their work and have enabled BGB to provide a service of the highest standard to UK and Europe. Without them buying into our safety-first ethos then none of this would be achievable.”
Ben added: “It’s good to take a step back and look at where you’ve been and where you’re going. When you’re busy you don’t always take time to reflect, your aspirations just grow steadily in line with the work and the people you work with, and that’s helped us to get to this position – long may that continue.”
For more information on BGB Scaffolding, visit the website: www.bgbscaffolding.co.uk

Wales News

DRAGON TAXIS OPENS IN CWMBRAN – TORFAEN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS TO BENEFIT FROM TOP OF THE RANGE JOURNEY EXPERIENCE

Dragon Taxis has opened in Cwmbran and neighbouring areas, enabling Torfaen residents and businesses to benefit from reduced fares and an improved passenger experience.

The operation will run 24-hours a day, and will utilise Dragon’s popular app for passengers.

The app, available for both Android and Apple devices, which has been developed through more than £1million of investment, enables passengers to book a taxi in three taps, with the option of paying by either cash or card.

Users can also select their favourite pick-up locations through the app’s interactive GPS map or by searching for an address or post code, and, for existing Dragon Taxis passengers, the app creates an automatic “favourites” page of previous pick-up locations on download.

Once a taxi has been booked, passengers can track the location of their car on the interactive map, which also gives the user a time estimation of the arrival of the car.

The app cuts out the need to book a taxi through a centralised service, although Dragon Taxis’ passengers can still book a taxi through traditional methods such as over the phone, walk-in or on account.

As part of the expansion plans, Torfaen passengers who use Dragon will also enjoy a £2 discount on all fares until September 30th.

There will also be incentives for drivers who become Dragon driver partners, and a recruitment drive has been launched to help service the expected demand for journeys in the area. Engagement days for potential driver partners are being held between 10am – 5pm on Monday 19th, Thursday 22nd and Tuesday 27th August at the Parkway Hotel, Cwmbran.

Jack Price, Dragon Taxis General Manager – Newport & Cwmbran, said:

We are delighted to be bringing the Dragon Taxis experience to the residents and businesses of Cwmbran.

Through our app, driver partners, and infrastructure, we are able to provide a high quality, convenient service 24 hours a day. More than 150,000 people a week enjoy the Dragon experience in South Wales and we want the people of Torfaen to enjoy it as well.”

Dragon is Wales’ largest taxi company, and has more than 1,000 driver partners operating in Newport, Cardiff, and Bridgend. Driver partners based in Cwmbran will be fully licensed by Torfaen.
Dragon is owned by Newport-based Veezu, the leading private hire operator in the UK. Its 3,500 driver partners complete 12.6 million passenger journeys per year.

Price continues:

Veezu is a dynamic, forward-thinking company, which has invested significantly in technology to continually improve and develop the journey experience for our passengers.

Neither the passenger app or the advanced, high tech PDAs used by Dragon driver partners are currently available in Torfaen. We look forward to creating amazing journeys for our new passengers and driver partners”

For more information about becoming a Dragon Taxis driver partner email cwmbran-drivers@dragontaxis.com.

Wales News

Cardiff Met Lecturer Receives Duo of Prestigious Awards in Recognition of Research Excellence

Cardiff Met lecturer Dr Rhodri Lloyd has been named the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Educator of the Year as well as receiving an Editorial Excellence Award from The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR).

Dr. Lloyd is the 16th academic to be named Educator of the Year with winners selected by a volunteer committee and was joined at the 42nd Annual NSCA National Conference in Washington by Cardiff Met colleagues Professor Jon Oliver, Dr John Radnor and Dr Jason Pedley.

Winners of the Educator of the Year Award are selected because of their contributions to the NSCA, their community, and noteworthy contributions to education and clinical application of strength training and conditioning.

Dr Lloyd, a Reader in Paediatric Strength and Conditioning, said:

Receiving the awards were the icing on the cake of what was a great NSCA conference.
In addition to my keynote lecture, Cardiff Met colleagues Professor Jon Oliver, Dr John Radnor and Dr Jason Pedley all presented work or took part in symposia, which helped showcase the high quality research being conducted by staff and students within the Youth Physical Development Centre.
I was humbled to receive the Educator of the Year and JSCR Editorial Excellence awards given the list of previous winners, and I thank NSCA for both honours. While the awards were given to me as an individual, this international recognition is testament to the outstanding group of staff I work alongside and continue to learn from, within the Sports Conditioning, Rehabilitation and Massage teaching team in the Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences.”

Dr Lloyd is Chair of the Youth Physical Development Centre, which is based at the University and offers after school strength and conditioning provision to young athletes. He also holds a research associate position with Auckland University of Technology and is a research fellow for Waikato Institute of Technology. Over the past 10 years, his research focus has been on the impact of growth and maturation on long-term athletic development and the neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning training adaptations for young people.

The NSCA is the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, established in 1978.

News, Wales News

Cardiff managed print specialist expands premises as part of business growth

Blue Sky Digital, one of the capital’s leading managed print services specialist, has expanded its business offering through a new service centre, based in Llantrisant. This £100,000 investment, will allow the company to provide its customers with a strengthened service package.

The 6,000 square foot service centre, which is situated on Llantrisant Business Park, will mean that customers will receive parts, toner and support within 8-hours, as the company has established auto-processing system which allows for direct deliveries as well as investing in customer premise customer liaison personnel. Blue Sky Digital have found that its customers spend over £1.3m a year on toner and parts, which the service centre will look to reduce by over 10%, without impacting on quality.

The new premises have also seen the company employ four new staff, with 12 service engineers and five sales representatives. This means that Blue Sky Digital can ensure local businesses receive a more personalised service at all stages of the managed print services process. The company now employs more than 20 staff across its Cardiff headquarters and the service centre.

Neil Brewer, director for Blue Sky Digital said of the expansion:

“We’re delighted to get the new service centre up and running. It means that we can maintain our ethos of being a boutique business, we can now deliver large scale service contracts to businesses across Wales, as well as across the border.”

“It’s great to also welcome new members to the Blue Sky family, they will work alongside our Cardiff HQ team, to continue to expand our business and keep customer care at the centre of everything we do.”

Blue Sky Digital is a premiere HP managed print specialist, with the business promoting the PageWide eco-range, which can help businesses reduce their carbon footprint by approximately 55% per printer, as well as a 90% reduction in packaging waste compared with laser printers.

For more information about Blue Sky Digital and its managed print services, visit www.blue-sky-digital.co.uk