Business Spotlight: Workplace Worksafe

Based in Ruthin, Workplace Worksafe specialises in PPE and branded workwear and works closely with different companies across different sectors, including the wind energy sector, to create bespoke solutions.

Workplace Worksafe joined GlobalWelsh’s Business membership programme in 2023. We caught up with Managing Director, Rhian Parry, to talk about the company’s mission to support Welsh businesses and why they’re more than just a PPE company…

Could you tell us a little about Workplace Worksafe

I set up Workplace Worksafe in our study back in 2005 after moving back to Wales. I had been working in England for many years, and due to an injury, I had to come home to recuperate. While recuperating, I decided to set up a company to earn money, and I chose to focus on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) products and branded workwear for the workplace, as I already had many years of experience in this market. Back then there was no major competition at the time here in North Wales, typically companies from England were selling to Welsh companies at a higher cost.  I made it my mission to shake up the market causing prices to be more competitive in the area.  That with the ability to ship products anywhere next day in the UK, enabled me to set up successfully in Wales and win business.  One of my key drivers is I’m giving local Welsh people opportunities. I left the area due to a lack of career opportunities, so if I can offer and boost the local ecosystem by creating jobs and tapping into the local supply chain then that is an important payback to me.

Over the last 18 years we have gone from selling personal protective equipment to being a one-stop shop for a lot of our customers. It works well for us and the organisations we deal with as people think of us as an extension of their workforce - keeping them safe and offering great customer service. Whether you’re asking for advice or if you’re looking for a specific piece of equipment, we can help find the right fit for our customers.

Today Workplace Worksafe is a multi-million-pound company and is one of the largest independent distributors of PPE in Wales.  We don’t want to be the biggest or have the highest turnover though, we want to make sure we service our customers and keep to our core values of great customer service and supply on time. We have 15 staff members, and we supply companies all over the UK such as Siemens, GE, RWE, and local councils, along with sole traders and various SMEs. Whilst there might not be anything glamorous in selling PPE and branded workwear, people’s safety at work is incredibly important and we know we’re able to offer expert advice and solutions.

"We’re known for solving problems, to the extent that customers often joke that we help them complete impossible tasks daily and we only need a few extra days to perform miracles."

What makes you different from your competitors?

There are three parts to our business. The first and core part is selling branded workwear and PPE to companies across the UK. The second is the wind farm sector where we design and develop products especially for them, including our Deltasafe bag, which is now being used on wind farms as far away as New Zealand. The last part is where we are looking at building bridges between people from disadvantaged backgrounds and working with industries to create meaningful work, where they can recruit people who are trained to work in that sector.

We’re known for solving problems, to the extent that customers often joke that we help them complete impossible tasks daily and we only need a few extra days to perform miracles. I was invited to a customer site a few years ago to help with one of the problems they had, this resulted in us designing and developing a brand-new product for the sector which is now being sold all over the world to offshore wind farms. We have since been told this product can be used on oil and gas platforms. Our innovation is often driven by client demand, which is great!

Through collaboration, we not only resolved their issues, but it resulted in significant cost savings of millions of pounds. Since then, this product has also received recognition from the British Safety Industry Federation and has won a highly commended safety award.

Our customer service is also a stand-out strength for us. Helping customers overcome challenges, working collaboratively with them, and building trusted relationships are key. Personally, my hands-on approach with my customers is what makes me different, and I have an amazing team behind me who also work so hard for all our customers.

"One of my personal goals is to help introduce more women to the industry as it’s currently heavily male-dominated. In recent years I’ve been listed as one of the top 100 inspirational female entrepreneurs in the UK. I would love to see more women enter the sector."

Which industries do you want to break into next?

We’re already supplying the UK wind energy market with a mix of our bespoke solutions and branded workwear and PPE, now our bespoke products are getting recognition from other sectors like oil and gas, and even the Navy in different countries. We’ve had interest from other companies in Europe and recently a company in Brazil and the USA. I would like to investigate the oil and gas sector and see if we can supply these teams further afield.

One of my personal goals is to help introduce more women to the industry as it’s currently heavily male-dominated. In recent years I’ve been listed as one of the top 100 inspirational female entrepreneurs in the UK. I would love to see more women enter the sector.

We also want to expand our work with our 3D animation virtual training for the wind teams. Through introducing this training, people will be able to engage and be trained on shore in a realistic/adaptive program virtually without damaging tens of thousands worth of equipment. This is a large project and will take some time but it's something we are working on and looking to do for more businesses in the future.

"We also want to create relationships with other Welsh businesses, employ more people in Wales and support the mission of Welsh-designed, Welsh-manufactured, and Welsh-implemented."

How can GlobalWelsh help you?

I want to raise our brand awareness and I think GlobalWelsh can help us do that. When you haven’t got the biggest marketing budget, we are always looking for smart ways to stand out amongst our competitors, besides word-of-mouth referrals.

We also want to create relationships with other Welsh businesses, employ more people in Wales and support the mission of Welsh-designed, Welsh-manufactured, and Welsh-implemented. You don’t need to be in London or Manchester to be a successful business. The GlobalWelsh platform and its business members are proof that you can start a successful global business in Wales. Building our brand and expanding our network is the main reason for joining GlobalWelsh but it’s also great to support the future of Wales.

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