1. Zip World
The adventure tourism provider opened its first zip line adventure, known as Zip World Velocity, at Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda in 2013. The business now has 13 adventures spread over three sites in Snowdonia, including Penrhyn Quarry in Bethesda, Llechwedd Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog and Zip World Fforest in Betws y Coed. Over the past five years, the Zip World brand is said to have contributed £251m to the north Wales economy.
Now the company is coming south plans for a zip wire park at a former coal mine in the Valleys. Plans have been submitted to bring three zip wire courses made up of four zip lines to part of the former Tower Colliery Site in Hirwaun in the Cynon Valley. Zip World believe the plans would help conserve the coal-mining heritage of Wales’ last remaining deep pit, which closed 11 years ago. The company estimates the development would provide eight full-time and 50 part-time jobs.
2. Bad Wolf
With A Discovery of Witches and His Dark Materials the Cardiff-based production company Bad Wolf has had a pretty big 18 months. And last month it took top spot in the Wales Fast Growth 50 after it achieved a staggering growth rate of 2668% from 2016-18, with revenues rising from £1.8m to £50.3m.
Established in 2015 by former BBC executives Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, the firm is continuing to sustain exceptional revenue growth, and in 2020 the second seasons for both His Dark Materials and A Discovery of Witches will be joined with the banking drama Industry and the submarine-set thriller Tenacity. The production company is also behind the Billie-Piper-starring I Hate Suzie for Sky One, although that is being filmed in London.
3. Dr Organic
Dr Organic was founded 10 years ago by entrepreneurs Fred Whitcomb and Steve Quinn, to make skincare and beauty products made from natural and organic ingredients sourced from around the world, such as snail gel from France and tea tree oil from Australia. Mr Whitcomb and Mr Quinn had previously built up the Cardiff company Optima Healthcare, which specialised in health food supplements and cosmetics – selling it for £23m in 2005.
Products from the Swansea-based skincare and beauty firm are now available in the US. The company, which has around 50 members of staff, posted a turnover of £22.4m.
4. Adventure Parc Snowdonia
North Wales has corned the market for adrenaline sports. It started life as Surf Snowdonia in 2015 it has rebranded as Adventure Parc Snowdonia to include the additions to the site. This year the resort expanded its offer with the launch of a high-thrills Adrenaline Indoors facility and off-site Explore Outdoors adventures like gorge walking and mountain biking.
A 106-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn with conference facilities and a wellbeing spa is currently under construction at the adventure parc, with bedrooms looking out across the surf lagoon’s waves to the mountains and forests of the Conwy Valley beyond. It is due to open in November 2020. A pump track and woodland nature trail will open in spring 2020.
5. Aerfin
Most Read
Since its foundation in 2010 the Caerphilly-based global aircraft and spares services firm has made regular appearances on local and national fast growth lists. Aerfin supports aircraft operators and lessors globally providing a range of services, including leasing contracts, technical consulting, as well as trading and supplying equipment from entire aircraft through to components and engines.
In April 2019 the company opened a facility in Atlanta to focus on the growing Embraer E-Jets market in the Americas region. Then in October 2019 private equity firm CataCap became the majority shareholder in the company. In 2020, CataCap will look to strengthen the business and make it ready for further international expansion.
Sign up to the BusinessLive Wales newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn
As well as an in-depth early morning newsletter, we will be sending out regular breaking news email alerts. To sign up to this service
And, follow us on to catch the latest stories and to network with the Welsh business community.
6. Amplyfi
Since it was set up in Cardiff in 2015, Amplyfi has being tipped to become the first Welsh unicorn – a business with a valuation of more than $1bn. Exploring fathoms of the web undisturbed by the standard indexing of household search engines, its innovative software, DaaVoyant, is helping companies to unearth potential future fallout from global issues and current affairs that could present challenges to business.
Clients include RBS, BP, and Bayer, and Amplyfi has seen growth in Asia, particularly Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, partnering with the Department for International Trade to help elevate the 海角视频 technology industry on the global stage.
7. Tiny Rebel
A household name in Wales for its award-winning beers but an off-shoot of the company called Tiny Rebel Games is set to take some of the spotlight in 2020. The Newport-based company is part of a collective of companies that have been tasked with bringing Wallace & Gromit to life.
Chosen by 海角视频 Research and Innovation (海角视频RI) as part of the Audience of the Future program, which is a key part of the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Deal announced in March 2018, the consortium has been awarded a multimillion-pound R&D grant to explore and pioneer cutting-edge immersive experiences. And now, working hand-in-hand with Aardman, they will bring a brand-new adventure in the lives of Wallace & Gromit, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.
8. Creo Medical
Don’t miss
The Chepstow-based life sciences raised more than £40m in December. Creo intends to use the injection of funds to continue its development of electrosurgical devices, clinical trials for Chinese and Japanese markets, and a US commercialisation expansion, which includes potential mergers and acquisitions.
The company is also looking to develop IP portfolio in areas such as plasma sterilisation, neurology and additional energy modalities within the CROMA Advanced Energy Platform.
9.Vortex IOT
Swansea-based Vortex IoT builds sensors and networks for harsh environments where conditions are hostile, power supply is limited, AI is needed and data security is critical. In the past year it has invested heavily in developing air quality monitoring (AQM) sensors. It has pilots covering Neath & Port Talbot Council, Qatar, Tata Steel and are in process of getting its device adopted by the United Nations Air Programme for deployment globally in developing nations.
Vortex IoT is only two years old but has an office in Singapore and is looking to rapidly increase its workforce.
10. Net World Sports
Net World Sports – which boss Alex Lovén relocated to Wrexham Industrial Estate in 2014 – employs more than 100 workers and currently exports to more than 180 countries worldwide. The company’s client base includes professional sports teams and governing bodies from across the world, including the Canadian Football League and A-League club Perth Glory FC. Over the past decade, Net World Sports has grown consistently, turning over £22m last year – an increase of 27% on the previous year.
In December Mr Lovén announced the acquisition of a new 47-acre site in Wrexham with the move backed by a £1.6m loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Located less than a mile from the company’s current 120,000 sq ft headquarters the new site has already gained planning approval for a further 400,000 sq ft. of commercial development. The move was described by Mr Lovén as part of the long-term growth strategy.
11. Aston Martin
It’s a big year ahead for luxury car brand and Wales will be playing a huge part. The Aston Martin facility in south Wales was officially opened in December and full production of the luxury car makers SUV will begin in spring 2020. The St Athan factory will eventually create 1,000 jobs.
Aston Martin is initially making its first SUV, the DBX, at the factory, but will then add the manufacturing of Rapide E and Lagonda brands to the marque’s output at the Vale of Glamorgan site. Every car made at the St Athan facility will have an Aston Martin badge on the sill of the front doors that says “Made in Wales”.
The SUV is seen as critical to the long-term success of Aston Martin. In November the car maker slumped to £13m loss over the most recent three months, blaming tough trading conditions in the 海角视频 and Europe and weak sales of its Vantage two-seater sports car. The DBX, which will be Aston Martin’s first foray into the sports utility vehicle market, is designed to appeal to women in countries such as China and the US, enabling the company to expand away from its traditional male-dominated sports car clientele.
On a lighter note there is a new Bond film out in 2020 and Aston Martin, as it often does, has a starring role in the spy franchise.
12. Sonovate
The start-up recruitment lender has funded more than £1bn of invoices for recruitment agencies and consultancies since its inception in 2012. Sonovate tries to make the lending process less arduous by providing upfront funding against unpaid invoices.
Founded in 2012 by Richard Prime and Damon Chapple the business has grown to more than 100 members of staff in Cardiff and London. In Septembert Sonovate secured £110m debt and equity finance, led by M&G Investments, MXB Holdings Inc, Dawn Capital and Rocket Internet SE. This has enabled the firm to deploy more working capital to SME and mid-market businesses, scale up product and tech engineering teams and drive international growth.
13. Character.com
Karen Hewitt and her husband Stephen Hewitt set up the business when they saw a gap in the market for character clothing. Now it is a regular on numerous lists of the fastest growing companies and is the 海角视频’s largest independent online retailer of licensed clothing and accessories for children and adults.
The Swansea-based firm saw an annual sales growth of 71%, with sales near the £20m mark for tha past year. Character.com is also closing in on 100 members of staff as it exports to countries all over the world. This year it launched its own brand, Harry Bear, a range of clothing and accessories designed in-house.
14. CP Hire
CP Hire began with £40,000 worth of construction equipment and now runs a fleet valued at £40m. The Cardiff-based firm rents construction machinery such as excavators and dumper trucks, and offers consulting and data collection services on projects. Its sales rose by 65% per year over three years to £12.7m this year.
For for the fourth year in a row CP Hire was on the Fast Growth 50 list, this year at number 15, with growth between 2016 and 2018 at 219.9%. The firm is looking to continue to expand the depot model as customers work throughout the 海角视频 and supporting them in new geographical areas is key to its expansion.
15. Trade Centre Wales
The Trade Centre Group opened its latest car supermarket in Rochdale in December, with the recruitment of more than 100 staff to operate this outlet. Another store opening in the north of England is expected in the middle of next year.
Trade Centre Group Plc is the fastest growing car supermarket group in the 海角视频 operating from five retail outlets, three of which are branded The Trade Centre Wales (Neath, Merthyr, Abercynon) and two branded The Trade Centre 海角视频 (Wednesbury and Coventry).
The head office is based in Neath and the company operates its financial services company, Can Can Car Finance Ltd from its Abercynon outlet.
16. Radnor Hills
The leading soft drinks manufacturers, which is located right on the border with England in mid-Wales, launched a new canned spring water range this year. Having been dedicated to producing quality spring waters and soft drinks for the past 30 years, Radnor Hills are extended their packaging portfolio to embrace the can. Their pure spring water is sourced from the company’s family farm in Powys where it takes just seven minutes to filter from the ground into a can.
Founded in Powys in 1990 by fifth-generation farmer William Watkins, Radnor Hills is now a £47m business employing 170 people.
17. ICC Wales
The International Convention Centre in Newport opened three months ago but 2020 will see it make its mark.
ICC Wales opened to welcome its first conference on September 13, and events during the first month of opening included the three-day 海角视频 Space Conference for 2,100 delegates, the two-day Green Party Conference for 750 delegates and An Experience with Arnold Schwarzenegger, when the Hollywood superstar entertained 1,300 guests at a black-tie gala dinner.
18. Freight Logistics Solutions
Freight Logistics Solutions (FLS) provides end-to-end supply chain solutions, offering logistical advice and transport solutions derived from working backgrounds and expertise in operational, supply chain and logistics.
The Pontypool-based company has grown from three members of staff in 2016 to 26, and has is looking to invest in operations technology and expand its client portal tracking abilities, opening multiply 海角视频 hubs to expand and replicating its offer regionally. It also plans to open and develop its first European hub, while doubling the size of its workforce.
19. Vizolution
The Swansea-based company made its fourth appearance on the Wales fast Growth 50 list in 2019 and it has plans to continue its growth. In the next 18 months, Vizolution plans to scale across different regions and markets, and continue to acquire new clients in Europe, North and South America.
Vizolution is a customer experience technology provider which helps enterprises streamline complex customer journeys by replicating the qualities of face-to-face interactions within remote channels. It works with more than 30 financial service institutions, telecoms and utility companies, such as HSBC, Santander, RBS and Telefonica, its suite of SaaS solutions expands the functionality of remote channels by enabling customers to do everything they could in branch, but remotely (either online or over the phone). This means that customers can share, display, exchange, complete, verify and sign documents as if they were face to face and works without requiring customers to download any software or apps.
20. The Edenstone Group
The Edenstone Group – which consists of Edenstone Homes, Bluebell Homes, Edenstone Land and Ashgrove Partnerships – is an independent, privately owned housebuilder that has seen a growth of 380.7% between 2016 and 2018.
Caldicot-based Edenstone has secured a number of larger multi-year projects, including Parc Ceirw Garden Village in North Swansea and St Mary’s Garden Village in Ross-on-Wye, both of which feature around 300 homes each.
The year ending April 30, 2019 saw revenues for the Edenstone Group more than double the previous year.
The number of private sale completions also doubled, and the
group launched a number of new sites and sold its first zero-carbon home.