GRA Success Stories

SOME of GRA's SUCCESS STORIES

Ecolab Customer centre brings 55 jobs to Caerphilly

AMERICAN hygiene company Ecolab has announced the creation of 55 jobs at a national customer service centre in Caerphilly (as reported in Western Mail of Dec 13 2006) the centre will handle inquiries for its pest elimination division and be based at Ecolab's existing offices at Caerphilly Business Park.

The £750,000 expansion establishes Caerphilly as the British administrative headquarters for all customer services operations. The search for staff to fill the roles has begun, and will bring the number of employees to more than 80.

GRA worked with Ecolab Pest Elimination Division's UK team to prepare and negotiate their case for grant and secure a substantial offer of Regional Selective Assistance from the WAG. This has made the project possible at Caerphilly.

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise at the Welsh Assembly Government, said a number of locations outside Wales had been considered and support from the Assembly Government had been pivotal in securing the investment. "Our support, coupled with the dedication and commitment of the existing workforce, has enabled the Caerphilly operation to expand, safeguarding existing jobs and creating a range of well paid new jobs," he said.

Interbrew get £3.3M for bottling line at Magor

With the help of a £3.3M grant, Interbrew has announced it is investing £11m in a new state-of-the-art bottling facility at Magor near Newport. The new operation to produce bottles of Stella Artois, will both create jobs when it becomes fully operational next summer, and add to the £18.5m already invested in the plant, increasing production by 25% by 2006, and creating up to 100 jobs in addition to the 462 people already employed.

The new 4,350sq m bottling hall is being funded by £3.3m in Regional Selective Assistance awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government.

GRA worked with Interbrew to prepare and negotiate the succesful RSA grant application, and which was fundamental to Magor's Management Team's efforts in getting project approval from their Belgian Group Board of Management.

Iechyd da, Magor! says Roger Davies - Here's to your success!

* £600K RSA for new wafer-fab manufacturing - 183 Jobs in Oldham

* 200 Jobs for Wigan - £925K secures successful future development

* £920K for Swiss company - 72 Jobs for St Helens

* Grant for Diamond bit manufacturing in North Wales

* RSA of £330K establishes future Steel subsidiary in St Helens

* Rockwell Inc subsidiary gets £1M

183 JOBS IN OLDHAM THROUGH GRA
Zetex plc is well ahead with plans to upgrade its wafer fabrication plant at Oldham to allow the use of larger sized silicon wafers as the result of a £600K offer of Regional Selective Assistance negotiated with the help of GRA.
The company will also invest further in its surface mount assembly and test methodology, and seek to provide other innovative technologies to secure its future with planned development at Oldham through a total investment plan costing more than £8.5 million, which will allow it to both safeguard existing jobs and create future employment from within the local community.
The company designs and manufactures discrete analogue semi conductor components, analogue linear integrated circuits, and electronic sensors. It concentrates on the development of specialised products which often combine high efficiency with small size, a major requirement, for example, in portable applications. Products are sold around the world, and the company also has a subsidiary production unit in former East Germany which was an alternative site for the investment strategy.
Zetex is part of the quoted Telemetrix Group.

OVER 200 JOBS FOR WIGAN £925K AWARDED
A major expansion is under way in the North West by AT Group of Wigan, which will lead to the creation of over 200 new 'quality' jobs within the next three years, including 183 in the Wigan area. Considerable investment is intended, which together with an RSA grant of £925K secured by the efforts of GRA now enables AT Group to continue with its rapid expansion.
The project will allow AT to relocate to new headquarters now in preparation at Lowton St Mary's, where it will consolidate all divisions of the company. 'Absolutely delighted' said Chairman, Alan Taylor, when GRA confirmed the grant offer had been made, 'I'd recommend GRA to anyone.' 'We've come a long way since 1984, and this RSA award will allow us to go much further still.'

72 JOBS FOR ST HELENS
The offer of a grant of £920K for the UK subsidiary of a Swiss multinational will lead to the establishment of a brand new custom built manufacturing facility at St Helens, and the creation of 72 jobs in the initial start up phase.
The company was in close competition with its sister Belgian company for the Swiss main board investment decision, and the eventual impact of the project for the UK business will be considerable as compared with the market being supplied via Belgium imports.
Needless to say the UK directors are delighted with the efforts of GRA in securing the grant offer, and particularly with their choice of location which was originally suggested by GRA as worthy of detailed consideration.
The project will include some rationalisation of the existing UK manufacturing base with St Helens becoming the central production unit. This could lead eventually to further expansion and additional job creation.

DIAMOND BIT DRILL MANUFACTURING IN NORTH WALES
GeoGem Ltd now have an established future thanks to a 94K (UKP) grant from the Welsh Office, secured with the assistance of GRA, to help fund the purchase of their premises at Bodelwyddan, North Wales in addition to new plant needed to expand production of high performance drilling tools for the oil, mining, civil engineering and geothermal industries.
The company (then trading as Oreco Diamond Products Ltd) was bought out of receivership in 1992 by members of the existing management team acting together with the directors of Archway Engineering (UK) Ltd who had previously been a large customer and agent for the company.
'Awareness of our commitment to long term investment in the company as demonstrated by this project, has ensured the renewed confidence of the workforce and the underwriting of our increasing overseas customer base', says MD Anthony Arak. 'This has been a major factor in our growth since our receipt of the grant offer, and we are grateful to the Welsh Office for their help.'
GeoGem Ltd is the only UK manufacturer of diamond bits for the mining and oil exploration industry - GRA will be pleased to pass on any enquiries.

RSA OF 330K (UKP) FOR STEEL GIANT SUBSIDIARY
Permanent acquisition of loaned plant and investment in new production machinery has ensured the continuation and expansion of its UK manufacturing base at Haydock Lane, St Helens by Hoogovens Aluminium Buildings Systems Ltd with the help of an RSA grant of 330 (UKP) negotiated on behalf of the company by GRA.
The Dutch owned Hoogovens Steel and Aluminium Manufacturing Group subsidiary operates in the UK under the control of a German sister company, who actively competed against the UK company for their main board investment decision.
'Thanks to DTI assistance' says General Manager, Bill Guest, 'We have secured our position on Merseyside and can now continue to grow in the UK.'
Bill also wrote a letter to Roger Davies at GRA 'I do feel you have put an inordinate amount of time and effort in the preparation of the case for the DTI. but the end result speaks volumes and I would like to thank you on behalf of my company for the efforts you have put in.'
There was also an invitation to a celebratory lunch which was very enjoyable - "thanks Bill".

ROCKWELL SUBSIDIARY FINALLY GETS £1M
The final claim of 330 (UKP) on a grant offer of 1M (UKP) made in 1987 to ROR Rockwell Ltd the UK subsidiary of US multinational Rockwell International has now been met in full by the Welsh Office. The grant of Regional Selective Assistance was originally provided to modernise and expand the company's (then known as Rubery Owen Rockwell Ltd) Llay plant in North Wales, where the company manufacturers semi trailer running gear, as well as to safeguard the 230 permanent jobs then existing. Progress to project end had been twice delayed and the closing date date extended (with the permission of the Welsh Office) for a variety of reasons including the company's passage in 1992 into full ownership by Rockwell International.
GRA advised ROR on the claim preparation, and are pleased that their assistance has been beneficial thus far. 'Rejoice' said Group Financial Director, David Hinchliffe, in his letter to GRA passing the good news.
'We will, when the outcome of your proposals for future support on the forthcoming projects is known' commented GRA's MD, Roger Davies, mindful of the job yet in GRA's hands.
'Clearly however this receipt will now change ROR's funding requirements, perhaps allowing a wider investment strategy to be considered in North Wales with perhaps further expansion and additional job creation resulting.'
'Just what RSA is supposed to do - stimulate and sustain growth.'

GRA is happy to provide one-off, or on-going answers to the what if questions posed when considering the funding of proposed investment or other business expansion projects: CAN we get a grant? What FUNDING sources are available? Am I eligible for grant aid? Initial advice is FREE.

No fees are incurred by initial enqiries where these are by email in the first instance. GRA will give a considered and useful response. Please give fullest information which will be treated in strict commercial confidence.

With a long experience of solution finding at Boardroom level right across British Business, the addition of more than 17 years experience of the UK grant regime has complimented a natural ability to bring an overall creativity to maintaining a successful record of funding projects of all sizes to enable and facilitate strategic approaches to investment within the grant eligible areas of the UK by GRA' s disparate clients.

As well as taking a more senior role, after some years with GRA covering the West Midlands, Roger Wright continues to bring his most diligent approach to bear to achieve the best successes possible in pursuit of large grant awards for those clients of GRA who are seeking maximum GBI grants (or RSA in N Wales)to assist their investment plans come to the best possible implementation and fruition.

Keith Bushnell
Area Applications Director
South Wales

From a background of managing a healthcare plc, Keith Bushnell, brings experience and understanding to add to his diagnostic skills as a multi disciplined professional in the attainment of helping to make a case for substantial RSA grant aid; and adds to GRA's team of expertise to help clients through the minefield of the grant application process.

Ian Lowe
Area Applications Director
West Midlands /N West

Ian Lowe brings to bear many years experience of management and business development in both Construction and all aspects of General Manufacturing Industry with the prospect of fruitful results by way of the successfully argued applications by GRA to attain large GBI grant awards to help in the expansion of his personal GRA client portfolio.

Doug McNeill with a record of success in the Business to Business consultancy field brings a background of strong analytical, problem solving, and creative strategic thinking to his role at GRA. Add in his passion for customer care, and quality results, and an enthusiastic expectation to find the best arguments for grant aid and his clients can be assured of maximum funding by means of GBI or RSA (in Scotland) for their projects.

Led by Roger Davies, and with a background of direct involvement with DBERR, local Regional Development Agencies, and other Regional Government and Economic Departments, the continuing success of GRA's Applications Team members remain as the driving force and engine house within a back office function and private and confidential area for the benefit of all GRA's clients.

In over seventeen years, we have never lost a case although from time to time we have been involved in some very tough negotiations to ensure an outcome of recognition of our client's case for grant support.

Of course, it has to be recognised that we do not take on a case unless we feel confident that we can win on behalf of our client. It is this aspect, that has underpinned GRA's continuing success story.