Showcasing the Best of Welsh Business

DEFAULT GROUP

Welsh Government and EU Backed Project Helps RCT Firm Achieve Biggest Ever Year

SHARE
,

A Rhonnda Cynon Taf based business has seen its biggest ever year for enquiries and achieved a turnover of £3.5million, with support from a sales and marketing affiliate who joined the company through a Welsh Government and EU backed project. 

Based in Abercynon, Complete Co-packing Services offer contract packing, warehousing and distribution on behalf of national and international companies. In 2019, with the business experiencing continued growth and having just opened a new 65,000 square foot factory, Complete Co-packing recruited Sophie Thomas as a sales and marketing affiliate through the Project HELIX Knowledge Transfer Programme.

The Project HELIX Knowledge Transfer Programme is delivered by ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University, who are part of Food Innovation Wales. The programme employs part-funded technical or sales and marketing affiliates and embeds them within Welsh food and drink manufacturers with full support from ZERO2FIVE.

Jeff Parry, Business Development Manager, Complete Co-packing, said:

Strategically, it was lovely to have a new building, but we had to fill it. So, we had to grow, we had to increase sales and we had to increase our profile. And that really is what led us to taking on a sales and marketing affiliate.

Throughout her two-and-a-half-year placement with the company, Sophie received coaching and mentoring from the team at ZERO2FIVE, who have experience of working in marketing and sales for some of the UK’s largest FCMG brands.

In her role as an affiliate, Sophie was Complete Co-packing’s first point of contact for customer sales enquiries, allowing further internal evaluation to take place. Sophie was also responsible for all aspects of the company’s marketing, including social media management, media relations, email newsletters and attending exhibitions.

Sophie Thomas, now Sales and Marketing Manager, Complete Co-packing, said:

This was my first marketing role after graduating so it was putting that theory into practice and that's exactly what I've been able to do here. I've really been able to develop my communication and sales skills.

With Sophie’s support, Complete Co-packing turned over sales of £3.5 million in 2021, saw their biggest ever year for enquiries and launched 17 new products in collaboration with their clients.

As a direct result of Sophie’s marketing activity, we had more sales enquiries which led to increased sales. We've also now got to the stage where the enquiries are of a higher standard as people now know our business better,

said Jeff. 

In recognition of Sophie’s impact to the business, she was named one of the 30 under 30 by Packaging Innovations in 2020. The awards celebrate the best young talent working in the world of packaging.

More importantly, at the end of her placement Sophie was employed permanently by Complete Co-packing and promoted to the role of Sales and Marketing Manager.

I think it shows how much I’ve grown in the last three years, it’s been amazing. The knowledge that I've gained through working with everyone at Complete Co-packing and the marketing support from ZERO2FIVE has been a great balance,

said Sophie. 

Jeff added:

The Knowledge Transfer Programme has two key benefits for me. Firstly, it's a conduit to the marketing professionals at ZERO2FIVE who mentor the affiliate. The other benefit is that half of the salary is funded so it gives companies the time to grow and develop without the added pressure of looking over their shoulder.

Project HELIX’s Knowledge Transfer Programme is funded through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

To find out more about the Project HELIX Knowledge Transfer Programme, visit:
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/health/zero2five/services/Pages/HELIX-Knowledge-Transfer-Programme.aspx

Business News Wales