Meet the 71 Powys companies helped to grow with grants worth just under £1m
71 Powys companies were helped to expand, or secure their future, last year with growth grants from the county council totalling £994,000
The money was put towards projects costing more than £10 million in total, with the businesses themselves investing £9.4 million.
The 71 companies are involved in everything from designer furniture to factory robotics and received between £940 and £25,000 each after the council secured £1.2 million for the scheme, from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
The investments backed projects that aimed to create more than 200 new jobs in total (full and part-time) and safeguard many more.
Those that were successful in rounds two to eight of Powys County Council’s Business Growth Grant programme included those in different sectors.
In accommodation and food, Beacons Guest House, in Brecon received £25,000 towards the cost of a new restaurant, bar and function room, with outdoor space, Collard Trading received £25,000 towards the cost of kitchen and carvery equipment and dining furniture for The Lion Royal Hotel in Rhayader, Cwm Chwefru Holiday Cottages in Llanafan Fawr received £4,990 towards the cost of website development to allow direct bookings, Daisy Bank Caravan Park received £15,000 towards the costs of building a retreat style glamping unit at the site near Churchstoke, Discover Parks received £25,000 towards the cost of installing a telescope and dome for stargazers and a new garden feature surrounding it, with a waterfall, fountain and art works, at its Rockbridge Holiday Park just outside Presteigne, the Severn Arms Hotel at Penybont received £25,000 towards the cost of creating a covered outside bar and dining area and making improvements to the toilets, The Cross Keys Llanfyllin received £17,400 towards the cost of creating a multi-sensory garden at the back of the community hub providing meals, food storage and sharing, and a venue for activities and training, The Granary received £4,550 towards the cost of a new awning for the front of the café and restaurant in Hay-on-Wye and The Walsh received £3,000 towards the cost of building an outdoor pizza oven, training, an ice cream bike and outdoor crockery for the food and wellbeing business in Llanddewi.
In agriculture, forestry and fishing - Llandre Sawn Wood received £25,000 towards the cost of a new building at the Hundred House sawmill, Mid Wales Incineration received £25,000 towards the cost of lifting equipment for the farm waste and animal carcass collection centre near Nantmel, No6 Egg Company, in Abbeycwmhir received £4,370 towards the cost of farm management software to help with the production of organic free-range eggs and RJ Rees received £12,500 towards the cost of a log cabin for visitors, as part of a farm diversification project at Ffrwdgrech.
Businesses in arts, entertainment and recreation that benefitted included Beyond Breakout, in Newtown received £10,000 towards the cost of turning its escape room business into a mobile one, including website redevelopment, Cantref Adventure Farm received £21,750 towards the cost of improving its family boat ride, training, hiring a videographer and buying new video equipment to help with the promotion of the visitor attraction and accommodation near Brecon, Drover Holidays a walking and cycling tour operator and bike hire centre in Hay-on-Wye received £25,000 towards the cost of expanding its hire fleet, a café awning and coffee machine, a large-scale outdoor map, solar panels, vehicle livery, branded staff clothing, training, certification and website development and Jessica Rising Studio received £5,460 towards the cost of a new website, computer and camera equipment, training, marketing materials and hiring a photographer for the illustrator based in Presteigne.
In construction, Ben Jones Ecology received £1,640 towards the cost of recording equipment for bat surveys, for the ecological consultancy based in Welshpool, Davies, Roberts and Bowen Builders received £21,870 towards the cost of certification, training and a new digger, for the company based near Montgomery, Ithon Valley Groundworks, based in Llanbister received £7,720 towards the cost of a lorry, jackhammer and other road building and maintenance equipment and Vyrnwy Construction received £25,000 towards the cost of a new digger for the building company based near Meifod.
In the finance and insurance, ASW Accountancy received £940 towards computers and telecoms equipment for a new branch of the Meifod-based company and in human health and social work, Mid Wales Medical Services, a Rhayader-based provider of first aid training and cover received £15,000 towards the cost of defibrillators, a ventilator and two ambulances.
In the manufacturing sector, Advantage Automotive received £25,000 towards the cost of a blow moulding machine for the designer and manufacturer of windscreen wiper and wash systems based in Presteigne, Bulk Automation, a company designing and building packaging lines received £25,000 towards the cost of lifting equipment for use at its new premises in Llanidloes, CastAlum, an aluminium parts manufacturer based in Welshpool received £25,000 towards the cost of updating two of its die-cast machines, as part of a wider refurbishment programme, CellPath received £11,800 towards the cost of an additional heated tank to produce chemicals used for detecting cancer in tissue samples, for the laboratory equipment supplier based in Newtown, Compact Orbital Gears received £10,870 towards the cost of new laptops and software to help with quality assessments and process improvements for the manufacturer based in Rhayader, Davlec received £25,000 towards the cost of an automated circuit-board printer for the electronic controls manufacturer in Welshpool, Interior Products Group received £25,000 towards the cost of a large-scale digital printer for use in its Newmor wallcoverings factory in Welshpool, Makefast, a designer and manufacturer of marine and safety products in Newtown received £25,000 towards the cost of a wire forming machine that would reduce its production costs, Marches Precast received £15,750 towards the cost of containers, stairs and moulds, to help increase output at the concrete flooring and blocks manufacturer based near Presteigne, Polyco (W Howard), an MDF mouldings and trim manufacturer based in Newtown – received £25,000 towards the cost of a dryer for converting MDF waste into loose fill insulation and Radnor Preserves received £31,090 (two grants) towards the cost of jam making equipment, a conveyor belt, printer and shelving for the Newtown-based manufacturer.
Professional, scientific and technical businesses that benefitted included Agri Advisor Legal, in Welshpool which received £3,710 towards the cost of tele-conferencing equipment and touch-screen laptops, and for hearing loops and magnifying glasses, Cleobury Project Management, based near Knucklas – received £4,670 towards the cost of a drying system for the company that is piloting the growing and processing of high value plants, KG Ecology received £1,200 towards the cost of recording equipment for bat surveys, for the ecological consultancy based in Glasbury and Reeco Automation, a designer and maker of robotic factory systems in Newtown received £23,390 towards the cost of a new website, marketing support and marketing materials.
In services, Bradleys Garage received £25,000 towards the cost of moving its MOT garage to a new location in Llanidloes, Eureka Physiocare received £15,000 towards the cost of a new customer interaction and sales data base for the physiotherapy equipment and recovery aids supplier based in Newtown, Velocity Fitness received £10,000 towards the cost of equipment and weights for the gym in Brecon, WPG (Welshpool Printing Group) received £25,000 towards the cost of digital folding and embroidery machines and Zing! a brand and content marketing agency based in Newtown received £4,760 towards the cost of a new website and video equipment.
Wholesale and retail businesses to benefit included Bee Welsh Honey which received £10,000 towards the cost of building a larger honey extracting room and extra storage space for the Builth Wells-based company, Cosmic Collectables received £1,870 towards the cost of redecorating and furnishing a store room to create an area for playing table-top games like Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer for the shop in Welshpool, Dressed To Impress received £23,940 towards the cost of a new website, pop-up shop venue hires and fittings, and a marketing campaign to promote the Brecon dress shop, Fuze, an online retailer based in Newtown received £5,510 towards the cost of website development and training, computers, software and printers, for use in the design, production and sale of Welsh-themed gifts, KDM Local received £2,310 towards the cost of tables, seats, monitors, storage and display units, and a shop counter for its gaming shop in Llandrindod Wells, Knighton and District Community Centre received £1,580 towards the cost of promoting the relaunch of its Community Market, Old Railway Line Garden Centre, at Three Cocks received £25,000 towards the cost of a new plant canopy and entrance, as part of a major refurbishment project, Rodell and Jones received £10,000 towards the cost of buying scaffolding, security cameras, a storage container, computers, chimney sweeping and sales equipment for its wood burning stoves sales and installation business based at Three Cocks and Trailhead Fine Foods (Get Jerky), in Welshpool received £6,720 towards the cost of scales and software, a blast chiller and boiler for making salt beef.
They follow a further 13 companies, which were successful in securing £143,000 worth of grants in round one, in 2023.
“It’s fantastic that we have been able to support 84 businesses through this scheme, spread right across the county, creating and safeguarding hundreds of jobs,” said Councillor David Selby, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys.
“Boosting the economy and driving growth is vital to the wellbeing of our residents and for the many and varied businesses, of all sizes, that are based here.
“We want to help companies at all stages of development to sustain, grow and innovate, as part of our commitment to creating a stronger, fairer and greener Powys.”
If you have a question about economic development in Powys email: economicdevelopment@powys.gov.uk or visit the council’s website to see what support is available for businesses now: https://en.powys.gov.uk/businesses
Help can also be accessed through Business Wales: https://businesswales.gov.wales/
Powys Business Growth Grants were available to help fund capital schemes and one-off revenue projects, and were administer by the council’s Economy and Climate Service.
