Family-run training firm expands with new Caerphilly site after Development Bank loan
Family-run training firm expands with new Caerphilly site after Development Bank loan
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A long-established transport and industrial training provider has expanded into a second site after securing a £70,000 micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.
Heads of the Valleys Training, founded in 1969, provides HGV, plant machinery, industrial and safety training from its Gilwern base near Abergavenny.
The business has been run by the Dunstall family for more than two decades, with Paul and Alexandra Dunstall taking over in 2002 and their son Ollie joining in 2013.
The company has experienced sustained growth in recent years, driven by rising demand from logistics, construction and other sectors.
As a result, its existing site was becoming increasingly constrained, limiting the number and range of courses that could be delivered simultaneously.
To support further expansion, the business has leased additional premises at the Pen y Fan Industrial Estate in Crumlin, Caerphilly.
The move has been backed by a £70,000 micro loan from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund, managed by the Development Bank of Wales.
The new site will enable the company to offer a wider range of safety and industrial training, with a bespoke indoor training centre, while HGV and driver training operations will continue from Gilwern.
Owner Ollie Dunstall said: “The training we offer is hugely varied, and as we’ve taken on more accreditation then we’ve been able to provide more types of training over the years.
“That’s been fantastic for our business, but it’s also meant that the capacity we’ve got at the training centre near Abergavenny has got tighter.
“Taking on this new site at Caerphilly frees us up in terms of capacity. Having a bigger space in Caerphilly means we can offer additional safety courses such as forklift, machinery and safety training, while maintaining our driver training courses in Gilwern.”
He added: “The loan from the Development Bank of Wales meant we could have more control over how we grow as a business, and it gave us the space we needed to plan for our future.”
Chris Stork, Investment Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “This investment is a great example of how we can support established businesses with funding that supports growth.
“Expanding to the Caerphilly site was a natural next step for Heads of the Valleys Training, and we’re pleased that we were able to support them with the strategic investment they needed to grow.”
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