A Swansea Valley company that specialises in sign and print systems, large-scale graphics for commercial use and interior design, is expanding by making several key hires and investing in new equipment.

Ministry Graphics, which previously traded as BOW Design, has recruited Rhys Jones as a graphics installation manager and Dave Brandon as a full-time designer. It will also hire a new installer early in 2020.

The company has expanded into an additional 2,000 sq ft at its existing factory in Ystalyfera and has invested more than £100K in a new UV Flatbed Printer and associated kit to print directly onto any rigid material. This broadens the scope of what the company can offer, not only to existing customers but also to trade printers.

For instance, Ministry Graphics has supplied stunning new graphic hoarding panels for Merthyr bus station as part of a major project delivered through Morgan Sindall Construction.

The printer also supports the growth of the company’s well established office furniture remanufacturing business. Recognising the value of the ‘circular economy’, a business model that works to reduce waste and help the environment, Ministry Graphics has trained its staff to re-manufacture and upcycle old products, materials and pieces of furniture to extend their life and usefulness. The initiative began after the company secured an investment from sister company Ministry of Furniture earlier this year.

A recent project involved taking a number of old tabletops from a school and upcycling them to make lockers for use in universities or schools. Ministry Graphics has also re-manufactured furniture for many companies, giving it a new and fresher look with vinyl wraps and new graphics created with the new UV Flatbed Printer.

Ministry Graphics shares a factory and other resources with Ministry of Furniture at the company’s head office on Baglan Energy Park, near Swansea, and in Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley, where the two companies operated from adjacent units prior to joining forces.

Ministry of Furniture emerged from Remploy Furniture after it closed. Remploy was the UK’s largest employer of people with disabilities before its factory closures, and Ministry of Furniture continues Remploy Furniture’s commitment to creating opportunities for a diverse range of workers: more than fifty percent of its workforce are people with disabilities, and Ministry of Graphics shares this commitment to inclusivity. Its new full-time designer Dave Brandon is registered disabled with rheumatoid arthritis.

Matthew Anderson, Ministry Graphics managing director, said:

“This is an exciting time for Ministry Graphics as our business expands and our capabilities develop. I’m proud to welcome our new members of staff and am confident they will help us move forward with our growth plans.

“The new UV Flatbed Printer is a vital addition to our upcycling offering. I’ve been delighted to see some of the fantastic results our staff have achieved through upcycling: the finished pieces look great and come with the feel-good factor of knowing we are doing our bit towards cutting waste. With all our upcycling work, the aim is to create pieces that are both individual and practical. Our clients have really got behind the idea and I’m looking forward to seeing what creative upcycling opportunities present themselves over the coming months.”