Wylfa and Trawsfynydd Sites Encourage Local Businesses to Raise its Game
As part of its commitment to working more closely with the local and regional supply chain, Magnox Limited captured the attention of 119 small and medium size Welsh businesses recently during an event to help encourage them to bid for work at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd.
The ‘Raise your Game’ Event was a joint initiative organised by Menter a Busnes, Wylfa, Trawsfynydd, the Welsh Assembly Government, Ynys Môn and Gwynedd County Councils and Bangor University.
Magnox Limited focussed on what work the sites anticipate undertaking over the next five years, what is expected of our sub-contractors and where they can seek assistance to achieve these expectations.
Key contractors from both the Magnox sites made themselves available to discuss future opportunities to sub-contract elements of their work on the two sites and to highlight other opportunities within other industries where they have a presence. The opportunity to speak directly with these businesses attracted over 200 people who shared a vision of building a sustainable local supply chain.
The event included a presentation by Bangor University describing how businesses can make themselves more marketable by engaging in Sustainable Development. The University offers a tool which measures each individual business’ impact on Social, Economic and Environmental issues. Wylfa and Trawsfynydd will follow up with a self-audit to highlight areas where their contribution in this area can be developed further.
John Idris Jones, Head of Socio-Economics, felt that the networking opportunity was priceless for businesses in our community. He said “This has been an invaluable first step in developing the local supply chain, which is in line with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Socio-Economic Policy. Our Tier 2 contractors were identifying not only opportunities for the smaller companies to work with them within the nuclear industry at our Wylfa and Trawsfynydd sites, but also on other projects elsewhere in North Wales - and beyond.”
The Tier 2 contractors found the event useful in sourcing local business support. Liz Pulford of Alstec said “I was impressed with the number and range of potential suppliers who attended - we had a very busy afternoon!”
Welsh Assembly officials gathered initial feedback from the attendees, 92% of whom regarded the event as excellent overall.
“As a company we were able to explain our tendering processes for contracts, along with our very high standards and our expectations of those companies who would like to work with us” added John Idris Jones. “Einir Young of Bangor University was very pleased with the interest and follow-up shown in her sustainable development presentation, and the audit tool promoted by Business Sense.”
It is hoped that local companies will now be better placed to compete for any work at the Magnox Limited, North Wales sites
