List of companies of Wales

Summary

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain.[1] Over the last 250 years, Wales has been transformed first from a predominantly agricultural country to an industrial, and now a post-industrial economy.[2][3] Since the Second World War, the service sector has come to account for the majority of jobs, a feature typifying most advanced economies.[4] From the middle of the 19th century until the post-war era, the mining and export of coal was a dominant industry. At its peak of production in 1913, nearly 233,000 men and women were employed in the south Wales coalfield, mining 56 million tons of coal.[5] From the mid-1970s, the Welsh economy faced massive restructuring with large numbers of jobs in traditional heavy industry disappearing and being replaced eventually by new ones in light industry and in services. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wales was successful in attracting an above average share of foreign direct investment in the UK.[6] However, much of the new industry was essentially of a "branch factory" ("screwdriver factory") type where a manufacturing plant or call centre is located in Wales but the most highly paid jobs in the company are retained elsewhere.[7][8]

Location of Wales

Notable firms edit

This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.

Notable companies
     Active      State-owned      Defunct
Name Industry Sector Headquarters Founded Notes
Admiral Group Financials Full line insurance Cardiff 1991 Vehicle insurance
Air Wales Consumer services Airlines Cardiff 1997 Airline, defunct 2006
Anglesey Aluminium Basic materials Aluminium Holyhead 1971 Aluminium, defunct 2009
Ankst Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1988 Record label
Arriva Trains Wales Consumer services Travel & tourism Cardiff 2003 Passenger rail, owned by Arriva, defunct 2018
Avon Inflatables Consumer goods Recreational products Dafen 1959 Inflatable boats, part of Zodiac Nautic (France)
Bank of Wales Financials Banks Cardiff 1971 Bank, part of Lloyds Banking Group, Defunct 2002
Bank of Williams and Rowland Financials Banks Neath 1821 Bank, defunct 1836
BBC Cymru Wales Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1964 Broadcaster, part of the BBC
Black Boy Inn Consumer services Hotels Caernarfon 1522 Hotel
Brace's Bakery Consumer goods Food products Crumlin 1902 Bakery
Brains Brewery Consumer goods Brewers Cardiff 1882 Brewery
Breconshire Brewery Consumer goods Brewers Brecon 2002 Brewery, defunct 2014
Buy as You View Consumer services Broadline retailers Bridgend[9] 1972 Home and electronics retailer, defunct 2019
Cadwalader's Ice Cream Consumer services Restaurants & bars Cardiff 1927 Ice cream
Cambrian Airways Consumer services Airlines Cardiff 1935 Airline, defunct 1976
Cardiff Bus Consumer services Travel & tourism Leckwith 1902 Bus services
Cardiff Waterbus Consumer services Travel & tourism Cardiff 2000 Water transport services
Celtic Manor Resort Consumer services Hotels Newport 1982 Resort
Clark's Pies Consumer goods Food products Cardiff 1909 Pies and confections
Corona Consumer goods Soft drinks Porth 1874 Defunct soft drink
Dee Valley Water Utilities Water Rhostyllen 1863 Water supplier
Dyfed Steels Basic materials Iron & steel Llanelli 1976 Steel
Edwards Coaches Consumer services Travel & tourism Llantwit Fardre 1925 Bus services
Felinfoel Brewery Consumer goods Brewers Llanelli 1870s Brewery
Ffestiniog Railway Consumer services Travel & tourism Porthmadog 1836 Passenger rail, now tourist attraction
Fflach Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardigan 1981 Record label
Filco Foods Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Llantwit Major 1946 Grocery chain
First Cymru Consumer services Travel & tourism Swansea 1995 Bus services, part of FirstGroup (Scotland)
Gelert Consumer goods Recreational products Widnes 1975 Outdoor equipment
George Hotel, Chepstow Consumer services Hotels Chepstow 1899 Hotel
GHA Coaches Consumer services Travel & tourism Ruabon 1990 Bus services, defunct 2016
Gilbern Consumer goods Automobiles Llantwit Fardre 1959 Automobiles, defunct 1973
Gocompare.com Financials Insurance brokers Newport 2006 Financial comparisons
Gomer Press Consumer services Publishing Llandysul 1892 Publisher
Gwasg Carreg Gwalch Consumer services Publishing Llanrwst 1980 Publisher
Heart Wales Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 2000 Radio
Hilton Cardiff Consumer services Hotels Cardiff 1947 Hotel, part of Hilton Hotels & Resorts (US)
Hodge Bank Financials Banks Cardiff 1987 Bank
Howies Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Carmarthen 1995 Clothing manufacturers
Hurns Brewing Company Consumer goods Brewers Swansea 1995 Brewery
Hyder Utilities Multiutilities Cardiff 1996 Defunct utility, bought by Western Power Distribution
Hypervalue Consumer services Broadline retailers Merthyr Tydfil 1980 Retailer, defunct 2006
Iceland Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Deeside 1970 Supermarket
Ifor Williams Trailers Industrials Commercial vehicles & trucks Corwen 1958 Trailers
Inexus Industrials Heavy construction Cardiff 2005 Infrastructure
ITV Cymru Wales Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 2014 Television, part of ITV
ITV Wales & West Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1968 Television, became part of ITV
Leekes Consumer services Broadline retailers Talbot Green 1897 Department stores
Lloyds Coaches Consumer services Travel & tourism Machynlleth 2001 Bus services
Loyn & Co Industrials Business support services Penarth 1987 Architects
Lurvills Delight Consumer goods Soft drinks Ynyshir 1896 Soft drink, defunct 1910
Media Wales Consumer services Publishing Cardiff 1869 Publishing
Michton Consumer goods Food products Swansea 1998 Chocolate factory
Moneysupermarket.com Financials Investment services Ewloe 1993 Price comparison website
Monmouthshire Building Society Financials Banks Newport 1869 Bank and building society
Monnow Valley Studio Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Rockfield 1975 Recording studio
Nation Broadcasting Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cowbridge 1999 Radio
National Welsh Omnibus Services Consumer services Travel & tourism Cardiff 1929 Operated in southeast Wales 1929 to 1992
Newport Bus Consumer services Travel & tourism Newport 1901 Bus services
Padarn Bus Consumer services Travel & tourism Llanberis 1979 Bus services, defunct 2014
Peacocks Consumer services Apparel retailers Cardiff 1884 Fashion retailer
Penderyn Distillery Consumer goods Distillers & vintners Penderyn 2004 Whiskey
Percy Thomas Partnership Industrials Business support services Cardiff 1912 Architects, defunct 2004
Peter's Food Services Consumer goods Food products Bedwas 1971 Bakery
Placid Casual Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1998 Record label
Plas Bodegroes Consumer services Restaurants & bars Pwllheli 1986 Former Michelin-starred restaurant
Princes Gate Spring Water Consumer goods Soft drinks Narberth 1991 Water
Principality Building Society Financials Banks Cardiff 1860 Bank and building society
Rachel's Organic Consumer goods Food products Aberystwyth 1984 Organic dairy
Real Crisps Consumer goods Food products Crumlin 1997 Crisp brand, part of Tayto
Redrow Consumer goods Home construction Ewloe 1974 Homebuilders
Rockfield Studios Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Rockfield 1963 Recording studio
Rowecord Engineering Industrials Heavy construction Newport 1967 Steel construction
Royal Mint Financials Specialty finance Llantrisant 886 Coins and currency
S4C Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1982 Television
Sain Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1969 Record label
Seren Press Consumer services Publishing Bridgend 1981 Publisher
South West Wales Publications Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Swansea 1912[10] Newspaper publishing
St David's Hotel Consumer services Hotels Cardiff 2000 Wales' first 5-star hotel
Stagecoach South Wales Consumer services Travel & tourism Cwmbran 1991 Bus services, part of Stagecoach Group (Scotland)
SWALEC Utilities Conventional electricity Cardiff 1990 Defunct utility, became subsidiary of Scottish & Southern Energy
Swansea Building Society Financials Banks Swansea 1923 Bank and building society
Television Wales and the West Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1958 Television, defunct 1968
The Vale Resort Consumer services Hotels Vale of Glamorgan 1994 Resort, part of Leekes
Tinopolis Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Llanelli 1990 Television
Goitre Tower Anthracite Basic materials Coal Hirwaun 1864 Wales' last coal pit, defunct 2008
Trade Centre Wales Consumer services Specialty retailers Neath 2000 Used car retailer
Transport for Wales Rail Consumer services Travel & tourism Pontypridd 2021 Passenger rail
Tŷ Nant Consumer goods Soft drinks Aberystwyth[11] 1989 Water
Veritair Consumer services Airlines Cardiff 1982 Charter helicopters
Wales & West Utilities Utilities Gas distribution Newport 2005 Gas utility
Wales West and North Television Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Cardiff 1962 Television, defunct 1964
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Utilities Water Cardiff 1989 Water supplier
Williams Medical Supplies Health care Medical supplies Rhymney 1986 Medical supplies
Woodham Brothers Industrials Waste & disposal services Barry 1892 Scrap metal merchants based at Barry Docks
Wrexham Lager Consumer goods Brewers Wrexham 1881 Brewery
Y Lolfa Consumer services Publishing Tal-y-bont 1967 Printing and publishing


See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The Countries of the UK". statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  2. ^ Davies (2008), p.233
  3. ^ Day, Graham (2002). Making sense of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 87. ISBN 0-7083-1771-5.
  4. ^ Davies (2008), p.233–4
  5. ^ "South Wales coalfield timeline". University of Wales Swansea. 2002. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  6. ^ Massey, Glenn (August 2009). "Review of International Business Wales" (PDF). Welsh Government. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  7. ^ "A Review of Local Economic and Employment Development Policy Approaches in OECD Countries" (PDF). OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme. OECD. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
  8. ^ "Wales A Vibrant Economy" (PDF). Welsh Government. 2005. pp. 12, 22, 40, 42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  9. ^ "Buy As You View Limited: Private Company Information". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  10. ^ "SOUTH WEST WALES MEDIA LIMITED - Filing history (free information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2017-12-20.
  11. ^ "Ty Nant Spring Water Ltd: Company Profile". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2017-12-20.