The Latest News from Wrexham Business Professionals

Wrexham business leaders first to hear of £150,000 boost for area’s disabled women

Wrexham is to receive a massive funding boost of £150,000 to help encourage more disabled women to take part in sport. The good news was revealed by Jon Morgan, Executive Director of Disability Sport Wales, when he was a keynote speaker at the Christmas gathering of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP). The influential group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to promote business and raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond. He told an audience of 160 business leaders at the Ramada Plaza Hotel that his organisation, which promotes participation in sport and physical activity across Wales, has just won a challenge fund award from Spirit of 2012, an independent trust, established with a £47m endowment from the Big Lottery Fund, that empowers people to get out, be involved and feel better about themselves.  The £450,000 award will be split between three areas of Wales, with Wrexham picking up £150,000. Mr Morgan said: “We’re really excited about winning this award and the total funding will go to Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wrexham, which has been chosen as the host area for North Wales. “The £150,000 will be paid over three years and will be used to fund schemes which encourage disabled women to engage in sport. “We will be targeting women rather than girls and be looking to help the most inactive of them. “The idea is to get them off their couches, give them healthier lifestyles and teach them new skills.” Mr Morgan outlined the work of Disability Sport Wales, detailing its growth since he became its head in 2002. “We were then providing 1,200 disabled sport opportunities a year across Wales and now it is around two million,” he said. “In North Wales we have 115 clubs for disabled sport providing over 300,000 opportunities a year. “In Wrexham we have a very...... more ›

Wrexham’s new super-prison pumps over £34m into area’s economy, says governor

Wrexham’s new super-prison has already pumped £34 million into the local economy - and there's a lot more to come. That was the message from Russ Trent, governor of HMP Berwyn, when he was one of the keynote speakers at the latest meeting of the influential Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP). The group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond. Also speaking at the meeting at the Rendezvous restaurant at Coleg Cambria in Wrexham was the former North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Winston Roddick CB QC, who stepped down earlier this year after making history as the first person to do the job. The theme of the meeting in was powering regional prosperity and it was chaired by Coleg Cambria's chief executive, David Jones OBE. Wrexham Business Professionals were among those who campaigned in favour of the new prison as a “once-in-a-generation” £250 million investment that will supercharge the economy of North East Wales. HMP Berwyn, which is due to start taking its first men from next February, is the largest in the UK and the first public sector prison to be built in over 30 years. It will see over 1,000 staff supervising 2,016 category C male prisoners. Being built at a cost of £212 million on the former Firestone factory site on Wrexham Industrial Estate, the new jail will have three cell blocks each housing 700 men along with 12 workshops, an education block, health centre, pharmacy, gym, sports hall and football pitch. According to Mr Trent, who is a former Royal Marines officer and has already been in charge of a number of successful prisons and young offenders institutions across Britain, the prison had already generated £34.4 million – considerably more than its initial estimate of £30 million – in local spending. He said:...... more ›

Decisions could be devolved to North Wales as a result of Brexit

The vote to leave Europe is a chance to devolve some key decisions to North Wales instead of them being taken in Cardiff, according to a Government minister. Guto Bebb, Under Secretary of State for Wales, told the influential Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP) the Brexit negotiations were also an opportunity for the region to develop stronger economic links with the North West . The theme of the meeting in the Rendezvous restaurant at Coleg Cambria in Wrexham was powering regional prosperity and it was chaired by the college's chief executive, David Jones OBE. The WBP group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond. Mr Bebb, who revealed he was born in nearby Cefn y Bedd,  stressed that Wrexham businesses must have a say in how Wales looks after Britain leaves Europe and that the whole of Wales must be at the heart of UK Government thinking when it comes to Brexit talks. The Conservative MP for Aberconwy said: “The guiding principle of the UK Government over the next four years will be Brexit and how we respond to it will be a key issue for North Wales. “We are facing a challenge but it’s all about how we respond to that challenge and deal with the risks and also the opportunities. “However, it is important that we keep the business community and the general population informed about what we want to achieve. “We need to put Wales at the heart of our thinking when it comes to the Brexit negotiations and as far as the Welsh Office is concerned there is a huge amount of consultation going on at the moment with businesses. “This is because we need to have a compromise agreement in place in due course which looks at all the opportunities. “It is vital...... more ›

Direct line to Bank of England

One of the Bank of England's monetary experts has given an "invaluable insight" into the economy to businesses in North Wales. Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent attended a lunch organised by the Bank and the round-table session at the town's Ramada Plaza was attended by around 20 of the area's top business leaders. Mr Broadbent was appointed as the deputy governor in charge of monetary policy in 2014 and was previously an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee. He's acted as an economic adviser to the Treasury and was Assistant Professor of Economics at Columbia University from 1997-2000, followed by a decade as the Senior European Economist at Goldman Sachs. Steve Hicks, the Bank of England’s Agent for Wales and who organised the visit, said: “Meetings like this are immensely valuable for Bank of England policy makers to hear first-hand from business leaders how the economy is performing, to add real colour to official statistics and to directly inform policy decisions. “We are entering what is likely to be a period of significant change for our economy, with the vote to leave the European Union ushering in a new era for the UK’s relationship with the rest of the world.  "Some of the adjustments to this new reality may prove difficult and many will take time. So it is particularly important now that we hear directly from business. “At challenging times like this, what is always striking is the resilience and versatility of the business community in Wales.  "As circumstances change, companies will adapt to take on new challenges and embrace new opportunities.  And we hope that recent policy actions taken by the Bank of England will play a part in helping them to do that.” "On August 4 the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee unveiled a comprehensive package of measures to support the economy. "The package includes a reduction in Bank Rate from 0.5% to 0.25% - the first change in interest rates for seven...... more ›

North Wales still open for business after Brexit vote

North Wales is still open for business after the Brexit vote to quit the European Union. That was the message to business leaders in Wrexham from Welsh Government Economy and Infrastructure Secretary Ken Skates. Mr Skates, who is also the AM for Clwyd South, said every effort was being made to secure cross border working opportunities and to mitigate any negative effects of Brexit on the economic stability of the region. The assurance was delivered at a breakfast meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals at the town’s Ramada hotel.  The influential group is made up of successful businesses and highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other business professionals working together to raise the profile of enterprise and expertise that exists in the region and beyond. According to Mr Skates, the success of the Wales soccer squad at the Euros 2016 tournament was a prime opportunity to turn more of the world’s eyes on Wales. The football festivities had put ‘Brand Wales’ in the global spotlight, according to another speaker, Mr Skates said the Welsh Government will demand full involvement in talks formulating the terms for UK withdrawal from the EU. In the interim, he said, the focus is firmly on maintaining positivity and confidence, and continuing to market Wales as an attractive place for British, European and global businesses to invest in. “Wales is open for business and will remain open for business.” The audience made up of scores of local entrepneurs, high level managers and company directors listened intently to Mr Skates, who headlined the morning’s agenda, followed by further talks from Chris Nott, chairman of the Welsh Government financial and professional services sector panel and Paul Barlow, site lead of Wrexham-based financial services company DTCC. Wrexham Business Professionals chair Gill Kreft, of Pendine Park care organisation led the meeting. She said Brexit absorbed the conversation as members gathered for refreshments in the run up to the talks. There was also much concern...... more ›

Wrexham a “great place to do business” boss of growing company will tell area’s prime movers

THE boss of a booming financial services company, which has more than doubled its workforce over the past two years, is urging others to set up shop in Wrexham. Paul Barlow, Site Lead at DTCC Wrexham, based on Wrexham Industrial Estate, says the town is a “great place to do business” and this should be shouted from the rooftops. That will be his message when he addresses a meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP) at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Thursday, July 7. The group is made up of highly-skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other businesses working together to raise the profile of expertise and enterprise that exists across the Welsh region. The event will focus around “powering regional prosperity” with special reference to the burgeoning local financial services sector. Other speakers include Ken Skates AM, the newly-appointed Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, and Chris Nott, Welsh Government Chair of the Financial and Professional Services Panel. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC)’s Avox Data Services was established in 2003 to deliver high quality information about companies involved with global financial markets, such as company names, addresses, ownership structure and industry classifications. Its team of analysts independently research information on companies in more than 180 countries.        In the spring of 2014, DTCC began an expansion programme, which has seen its team in Wrexham more than double to 550. Its success has won praise from Prime Minister David Cameron, who hailed its expansion as a “great vote of confidence in Wrexham”, as well as Wales’s First Minister Carwyn Jones, who commended DTCC’s approach to investment in the local communities it operates. Mr Barlow joined DTCC after a 26-year career with Barclays Bank, the last decade of which he headed up global change management programmes. He joined in 2006, and has since played a prime role in growing the Wrexham-based operation to its current headcount of over 550, with additional job opportunities...... more ›

Economic expert highlights skills shortage “time-bomb”

AN ECONOMIC regeneration guru has warned that a shortage of skilled labour has become a “growing time-bomb” for Wrexham. Paul Hildreth, who has advised national and international organisations on the development of cities, regions and local economies, was one of the keynote speakers at a meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP). The influential group is made up of highly skilled firms of accountants, solicitors and other businesses working together to raise the profile of the professional and business expertise that exists in the region and beyond. Mr Hildreth works with the Bartlett School of Planning at the University of London and is also a Visiting Policy Fellow of the  SURF urban policy think-tank at Salford University. He has just completed a major piece of research on how Wrexham fits into in the economic picture of North East Wales and Chancellor George Osborne’s proposed Northern Powerhouse. And he gave an audience of around 100 at the Ramada Plaza meeting, which had the theme Powering Regional Prosperity, an insight into what this has revealed. Describing how he had conducted in-depth interviews with 58 companies in a variety of sectors across Wrexham, he said that one of the main messages from them was about a shortage of skilled workers. He said: “My research showed that a strength of the area is that it is very much connected to its markets but that one of the key disadvantages is the shortage of skills. “This is a big problem because while Wrexham companies hold on to staff very well, their average age is going up and up. “This means they are being faced with a situation where a lot of people are retiring and they are not generating enough skilled people to take over.” He added: “This skills shortage is a fundamental issue for the companies I spoke to and is a growing time-bomb. “I know that both Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria are currently doing lots of work on...... more ›

Paté pioneer to spread secret of his success

Patchwork launch world's first dairy-free chicken parfait A paté entrepreneur who has launched the world’s first dairy-free chicken liver parfait will spread the secret of his success to members of an influential business group.. Rufus Carter, commercial director of Ruthin-based Patchwork Paté, is one of the keynote speakers at the next meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP) at the Ramada Plaza on May 12. The group is made up of highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other businesses working together to raise the profile of expertise  and enterprise that exists in the region and beyond. The topic for discussion at their May meeting will be Powering Regional Prosperity – Food Glorious Food. Rufus, 46, has unveiled Patchwork’s latest product, a chicken liver parfait made from margarine rather than the traditional butter which means it’s completely dairy free and, he believes, both a UK and world first. He explained: “We’d been approached by a chain of restaurants to come up with a chicken liver parfait that was silky smooth,” recalled Rufus. “We’d usually add butter but we tried with some margarine instead. “I remember saying to one of my colleagues that we’d just come up with the first ever dairy-free chicken liver parfait and, in fact, that’s exactly what we’d done. “It was so good that we decided to market it and following a couple of months of development, we have just launched this fantastic new product. “We showed it at the Food & Drink Expo at the NEC in Birmingham which is one of the biggest trade event of its kind in the world, and the parfait will then go on sale to the public during the first week of May.” Rufus’s mother, Margaret Carter, a talented home cook who found herself divorced with three children to look after. and Jenny Whitham, founded patchwork Pate in 1982. With a start-up cost of just £9, they began selling her home-made pâtés to pubs in...... more ›

Finance Minister tells top business chiefs Wrexham is region's commercial capital

WALES’S Finance Minister told an influential audience of business leaders that Wrexham is now the commercial capital of North East Wales. Jane Hutt was one of two Welsh Government Ministers who were keynote speakers at the latest meeting of Wrexham Business Professionals (WBP). The group is made up of highly skilled professional firms of solicitors, accountants and other businesses working together to raise the profile of expertise that exists in the region and beyond. Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant, also addressing more than 100 WBP members and guests at the Ramada Plaza, said economic development in “flying” Wrexham and Flintshire were the envy of the south of Wales. WBP Chair Gill Kreft urged the Ministers to develop a regional strategy which was deliverable and business friendly and one that encouraged businesses of any size to prosper. She said: "It goes without saying that we understand Government policy and funding must be prioritised for the good of the country as a whole . "That said, North East Wales cannot miss the wave of opportunity that presents itself at this time  "We are uniquely placed to maximise the impact of the Northern Powerhouse,  Anglesey's Energy Island initiative and the East-West commercial superhighway. It is an opportunity we cannot and must not miss." Both Ministers spoke on the theme powering regional prosperity and the climate for business in North East Wales, which has been the special focus of WBP since last autumn. Ms Hutt said: “I am delighted to be in Wrexham which is now the commercial capital of the region. “This is a real opportunity as your Finance Minister to learn more about the area, which I will be listening and learning about while I am here. I also want to reassure you about how we want to take forward our ambitions for North East Wales.” The Minister said that while she believed the Welsh Government had made good progress since the height of the recession in 2008,...... more ›