Winners of the third annual Merthyr Business Awards were announced recently at a prestigious ceremony in Cyfartha Park. Nearly 200 guests attended the event where nine winners were recognised for excellence in business in Merthyr over the past 12 months.
The Awards, led by Merthyr Business Club and supported by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Programme and Equinox Communications, aim to celebrate and encourage innovative enterprise within the County Borough. While all ten winners have fascinating stories to tell on their road to success (see table below), it was Sam Jones of A [two] Clothing who was named as Enterprising Retailer of the Year, who stole the show.
Sam, aged 32, started his clothing business in 2002 offering customers from across Wales high end fashion brands that are not available elsewhere in Wales. He recently appeared in Esquire Magazine’s Top 5 Menswear retailers in the UK and celebrities such as Plan B, Mike Skinner from The Streets and Spurs footballer Jermain Jonas have been photographed wearing his own brand, Weekend Offender.
A [two] Clothing is based on Victoria Street in Merthyr Tydfil but, through innovative use of social media marketing techniques and consistently standing by his top quality promise, Sam has built a business which now sells to customers across the UK. He explains that training is the key to providing a great quality offer in retail: “The staff are offered a wide range of product knowledge training from details on fabric quality to visual merchandising so we all know how to sell the right product to the right customer. I have also funded the staff to do formal NVQ qualifications in retail. We don’t get the same footfall as a shop in Cardiff or London and rely on repeat business so our service offer has to be excellent.
“To keep the product fresh and ensure I get the top brands first, I travel to the seasonal fashion shows in Berlin and meet other retailers to pick up top tips from around the world, from up and coming brands to shop fit advice. We have recently revamped our shop which has had a positive impact on sales, despite the challenging market at the moment and we are also seeing an impact from our Facebook and Twitter activity.”
Jeff Edwards, Leader, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council said: “This is the third year of running the Business Awards and it is remarkable every year to see these fantastic stories emerging of innovative businessmen and women making a success of their enterprises in such a challenging economic climate. On a wider scale, it is crucial for the future of the Valleys that these individuals are recognised so that they can inspire others to start businesses here and help develop the economy.”
Category Criteria Winner
- Most Innovative Business Innovation and its impact on workforce, customers, suppliers, communities or society. Rollspack UK
- Sole Trader 2010 All elements of business success including customer service, management and reputation. KB Installations
- New Start Business Award Businesses that have been trading for 2 years or less. Valley Education Services Ltd
- Enterprising Retailer of the Year Innovation in response to challenging economic climate, diversification, new practices, excellent customer service. A [two] Clothing
- Green Business Award Good practice in environmental capacity. Sekisui Alveo
- Social Enterprise Excellence Award Organisations making a significant contribution to the community through their businesses. Green Horizons Merthyr Tydfil
- Tourism Business of the Year Innovative methods of promoting Merthyr to tourists and bring tourists to the region. Mount Pleasant Inn
- Creative Industry Award Creativity and cultural achievements of businesses using creativity to secure commercial success. Punk Forever
- International Business Award Recognizing excellence in international trade. Tectonic International
- Lifetime Achievement Award Recognizing achievement by a longstanding business in the Borough. Bob Wilding motorcycles
The Deputy First Minister of Wales, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said: “I am delighted to see the continued success of these business awards in Merthyr, which do an important job in highlighting best practice for the next generation of business people in the area. Only through the efforts of innovative and determined individuals will we be able to create the thriving business community which we all want for the future of the Valleys.”
