“ We find Bath an excellent talent pool for creative people ” |
Inspecs - the award-winning British eyewear design house is headquartered in Bath .
Established in 1988 and celebrating its 30th year of trading , the firm partners with global consumer brands such as Superdry , CATERPILLAR and O ’ Neill and also has offices in the USA , China , Hong Kong , Stockholm and Lisbon , and factories in Bath , London , China and Vietnam .
Currently employing over 1300 people worldwide with around 50 based in Bath , the company originally moved from London in the early 2000s and claims to find Bath a good source for the Creative , Commercial , Production , Finance and Logistics people it needs .
The firm ’ s Scandinavian CEO , Robin Totterman , places “ a strong emphasis ” on
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good work-life balance which is why he decided to make the move from the ‘ Big Smoke ’ to Bath .
He said : “ Bath is well-located for regular brand and retail buyer meetings around the UK plus it has good travel links to Europe from Bristol airport .
“ Our customers and brands really enjoy visiting the city to meet with us and will often use it as an excuse to look around the sights . From a staff perspective , we find Bath an excellent talent pool for creative people who are often surprised to discover a global fashion accessories design company based here in the city , working with some of the world ’ s most well-known brands . Also , being in Bath allows choice for staff between city and country living – many of our staff get to work on foot or by bike .”
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2018 has shown a “ sharp uplift ” in both turnover and profit across the Inspecs Group , with the organisation acquiring its own industry-accredited manufacturing points in China , Vietnam and the UK . Additionally , it has made plans for the inevitable challenges that will be raised by Brexit . Robin explained : “ Our strategic acquisition of the French-Asian company , Killine , has given us a second headquarters in Lisbon , ensuring access to the EU market post- Brexit .” |
“ Our customers are very loyal , so we hope that Brexit will not cause too much disruption to our business ” |
Nutrisure was founded by its CEO , Martin Kemp , in 2006 and comprises of the brands Supernutrients and Naturya .
It is one of the “ largest importers ” of superfoods into the UK and Europe . Supernutrients supplies bulk superfoods to a wide variety of businesses which are used as ingredients by manufacturers or repackaged as white label products .
Naturya - the company ’ s own brand - started as a range of popular single ingredient superfoods , but in the last few years , has added some ready to eat products , including smoothie blends , snack bars , cereals and jams .
The company aims to make it easier for people to include superfoods in their diet , and to eat nutrient-rich , varied meals .
It employs around 35 people at its head office in Bath and its warehouse in Keynsham and its employees live locally either in Bath , Bristol or surrounding towns and villages .
Founder and CEO Martin Kemp has lived in Bath for many years and established the company close to his home in Combe Down .
He said : “ We love our HQ in Southstoke . We overlook the Midford valley and the views
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are stunning . We are always grateful to take our lunchtime walks in this beautiful environment . Business visitors invariably love it too .”
According to Martin , this financial year will see a “ period of consolidation ” while the company enters new channels with its brand , Naturya . Additionally , it has just launched a range of superfood cereals and a new turmeric blend which has just hit the shelves in Holland and Barrett .
With growing consumer interest in nutrition , Martin said that Nutrisure is “ pleased to be involved ” in meeting this demand with high-quality organic products .
He continued : “ However , we are bound by strict rules in talking about the nutritional value of our products , and although we approve of the regulations around this , it can be a challenge to talk about the benefits in consumer-friendly language !”
In terms of Brexit , Martin is reasonably optimistic : “ We do a lot of business in Europe ,” he explained . “ We have prepared as best we can with our suppliers and our customers are very loyal , so we hope that Brexit will not cause too much disruption to our business .”
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“ Bath is good for business logistically ” |
Founded in 2011 , Union Jack Oil ( UJO ) is a UK onshore focused hydrocarbon production , development and exploration company with assets in the Weald Basin ( Southern England ) and the Humber Basin ( North West England .)
According to UJO ’ s Executive Chairman , David Bramhill , the company ’ s well - the Wressle-2 - was a “ major discovery ” and produced approximately 750 barrels of oil equivalent per day during test production . The company is awaiting planning permission to be granted in respect of production and when this happens the net cash flow to UJO from Wressle-2 is predicted to be $ 4,000,000 .
David - who grew up in Bath - says that UJO is always seeking new production and near-production transactions as a way of growth and , where possible , tries to keep the business support in Bath or the West country .
He said : “ I cannot think of a more beautiful place to operate out of than Bath . Even though the high street is suffering there are still many , many new businesses appearing and thriving – which is a great sign for the future . Bath is good for business logistically and also with a small company , costs are reasonable and one can acquire nearly any service one needs without the London overhead .”
With the shadow of Brexit looming , many business owners could be forgiven for being apprehensive about what the future holds , but David ’ s concerns are on a more national level .
“ I do not see Brexit harming UJO because of what we do - but from a personal perspective , I feel it will be a retrograde step for us all . I am very worried that we may be in a twilight zone where business begins to suffer which means that the monies from corporation tax ( yes we pay it ) and personal taxes are not as free-flowing as they were , leading to an even greater erosion of public services . Anyway , I could write a book on this – maybe I should !”
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