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Swansea council leader Rob Stewart (right) at the new Dr Organic depot with group export director Steve Price, operations director Kevin Wykes, group marketing director Michael Lightowlers, group finance director Matt Harvey and co-founder/director Steve Quinn.
Award-winning Dr Organic’s move down to £5 million funding The South West Wales-based owner of natural and organic skin care brands, which won two categories at the Swansea Bay Business Awards, used nearly £5 million worth of investment to expand into its new premises in Swansea. Dr Organic Group, which won Overall Business of the Year and the Innovation Awards at the Swansea Bay Business Awards, made the move to the former Alberto Culver site on Llansamlet Enterprise Park due to £4.85million funding from Barclays bank. Exports now account for 40 per cent of the group’s turnover and the UK market is primarily serviced through health retailer, Holland & Barrett. Worldwide distribution now stretches to more than 60 countries. Entrepreneurs Steve Quinn and Fred Whitcomb established the business in 2008. Mr Whitcomb, Dr Organic company founder, said: “We had outgrown our former premises which simply could not keep up with the continued growth of the business.
“The acquisition of the new site is fundamental to our growth and through strong management and leadership we are looking to build on the foundations that we achieved over the last eight years. The new company headquarters will provide all the additional storage and office space for the entire group and provide a foundation for future expansion in manufacturing. “We had the opportunity to raise the finance from a number of banks and institutions however, given our existing relationship with the bank’s local team, its clear understanding of our needs and the speed of execution offered, we decided to take the funding package from Barclays.” Julian Hallett, Barclays relationship director, added the bank was confident of Dr Organic’s future success. He said: “By really understanding the business and the industry sector, Barclays has been able to provide a funding package to support Dr Organic throughout this exciting new venture. A £4.85 million investment in the new premises demonstrates both Barclays and Dr Organic confidence in the success of the business.”
Further expansion is planned in the US and Dr Organic’s new target markets in 2016 include China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Korea and Russia. The business anticipates group turnover to exceed £50 million this year. Swansea Council agreed to sell its freehold interest in the Alberto Culver site at Llansamlet Enterprise Park to the group towards the end of last year. The 18.75 acre site had been unoccupied since the autumn of 2012 following Alberto Culver/Unilever’s decision to close its Swansea operation. The company’s manufacturing was moved to Merseyside and a facility in Poland, leading to 60 job losses in Swansea. Dr Organic anticipates their move to the site will open up 110 jobs within a period of two to three years. The company is proposing a distribution, manufacturing, design centre and head office facility at the Swansea site that would help consolidate its operations across the UK and Europe. Mr Quinn said the quality of Swansea’s infrastructure and communication links, together with the availability of skilled labour, played a major part in the decision.
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3/29/2016 4:26:57 PM