TESTIMONIALS
Read what our local businesses have to say about the benefits of owning a business and investing in Melton. In the words of Brian Thompson, “You’ve got to be in it to win it!” Take his advice and you won’t go far wrong, this is a great place to live, work and play.
KS Composites
KS Composites was set up in 1985 by Kelvin Smith and moved to Long Clawson in 1987 where the business remained until last year when it relocated to a fantastic new facility on Crown Business Park in Old Dalby. The company employs a workforce of over 100 yet remains very much a family concern with the business now run by Jamie Smith, Kelvin’s son.
The company originally began working in the motorsport sector but as technology advanced it expanded into different industry sectors, including aerospace, defence, rail, marine and mainstream automotive. “We are now one of the leading companies in composite and GRP development in the UK and have a very broad and continually expanding client list, which includes Jaguar Land Rover and Network Rail,” says Jamie Smith.
“We are very pleased to be situated within the Borough of Melton, in the heart of the countryside but with nearby access to A-roads which take us quickly to motorways, therefore enabling us to service our clients across the whole of the UK from this central location. The borough has a great local community and access to skills from the surrounding areas. Some of our key suppliers are based nearby, such as Hunt & Swain in Melton Mowbray, and Metal World Engineering at Old Dalby. Our future is very much invested in the Borough of Melton.”
Brian Thompson Agricultural Contractors
Brian Thompson Agricultural Contractors (BTAC) is a small agricultural groundwork contracting business established in 2014 employing six staff. Its work covers Leicestershire, Rutland and the borders of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire mostly servicing rural landowners, farmers and private residential customers.
After 25 years of working on other people’s farms, Brian Thompson took a risk and decided to set up on his own. The chance to run his own business in such a wonderful rural setting after so many years of working for someone else was motivation enough. Initially helped by Melton Borough Council’s dedicated Growth & Regeneration Team, the business was signposted to lots of support and advice needed for a start-up company. From there, Brian was able to access Leicester County Council Rural Development Funding for rural businesses to help purchase capital equipment and establish the company.
Now in its seventh year of trading, the business has gone from strength to strength. In the words of Brian, “You’ve got to be in it to win it!” Take his advice and you won’t go far wrong; this is a great place to live, work and play.
Hallmark Consumer Services
Hallmark Consumer Services is a family business started nearly 30 years ago. The company has grown from three people in 1992 to over 80 today and has always been based in Melton Mowbray, despite moving premises on no less than five occasions. Like all successfully businesses, the company has adapted over time and is now a well-established e-commerce logistics company with clients such as major charities where Hallmark processes and dispatches Christmas gift orders, as well as entrepreneurs who look to outsource their warehouse, order processing and customer service functions.
“The principal reason for remaining in Melton is the excellent workforce we can call upon,” says Managing Director Phil Hall. “The location is also very handy for the M1 and A1 road links, and we find the team at the Council very encouraging and a great resource that points us in the right direction for advice. In fact, the Council supported us with our bid for funds from the LLEP to help us purchase and convert our current site on Saxby Road to enable our continued growth while remain conveniently located within the town.”
Manor Farm Cookery School
Manor Farm Cookery School opened in 2016. We run a wide range of cookery courses and demonstrations using highly experienced Tutors and Masterchefs with specialist skills, not only from the local area but further afield too. We try and source from local producers. Tutors who come into the Melton area are always impressed by the range of food and drink industries in this beautiful part of rural England.
Melton Borough has a historic reputation for being a major contributor to the food industry and is now an expanding and buoyant centre for promoting the benefits and attractions – not only to the food and drink sector but for other businesses as well. The increasing number of businesses in the town and surrounding area range from major manufacturers, knowledge-based entrepreneurs to smaller rural enterprises.
There is a wealth of support available to businesses in Melton. When I was setting up my business, I had support and advice from Melton Borough Council right from the beginning regarding planning, locating available funding and meeting others in the industry – all of which was of huge benefit. Even now as an established enterprise, the support for any business need is still there.