£1.6m investment brings jobs boost at waste firm
WASTE management company GD Environmental has announced new investment of £1.6m and expansion across its three south Wales sites aimed at growing its business and creating 39 new jobs.
The plan, which is backed by £300,000 from the Welsh Government’s Growth and Prosperity Fund, will also safeguard 27 jobs and bring the total employment at its sites in Newport, Pontypool and Llanelli up to 136.
GD Environmental aims to be one of the first carbon positive waste management companies in the UK and has a strong focus on maximising waste recycling and reducing landfill.
It currently recycles 98% of the 225,000 tonnes of waste it processes each year.
The investment will expand its liquid waste services in Llanelli, upgrade and refurbish its waste transfer station in Pontypool, and expand its processing plant in Newport, ensuring increased capacity and the introduction of new technology to sustainably recycle hard plastic.
The company offers a complete waste management service for the private and public sector and has developed from a core drainage business into a national provider of all forms of waste management.
Its range of services includes scrap processing, plastic recycling, liquid waste processing, dry waste sorting and separating and hazardous waste handling, as well as skip hire, clearing and repair blocked drains and asbestos disposal.
The business has embarked on an expansion programme since it was acquired in 2015 by Oliver Hazell and Mark Hazell.
The company expanded its capabilities through the 2016 acquisition of Pontypool-based Fred Lloyd & Sons which provided a scrap handling and end of life vehicle arm to the business.
Chief executive Oliver Hazell said: “This investment and the backing of the Welsh Government will support our ambitions of becoming an industry leading waste management services requirements in the UK.
“We are making a significant investment at all three sites to offer an even better service to our customers that will help grow the business and enable us to create more jobs at each location, and we continue to offset our carbon footprint whenever possible.”
Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: “GD’s focus on recycling and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill supports the Welsh Government Strategy, Towards Zero Waste.
The investment will assist their growth plans, increase capacity and help boost their business while bringing new jobs and economic benefits to regions across south Wales.”
GD Environmental was set up in 2003 by young entrepreneur James Norvill, who was just 23 at the time.
Starting as a drainage business, the company expanded into a wide range of waste management services and skip hire operations as it grew, acquiring other businesses on the way.
In October 2015 the company was sold to MDW Holdings, a Newportbased company owned by Mark and Lucinda Hazell.
Oliver Hazell became chief executive officer earlier this year, having previously been operations manager.
The company’s latest accounts for the period from April 2015 to August 2016 reveal that the company made losses before tax of £251,428 on turnover of £11,4m.