How a 100 year old firm benefits form business support

Here at Business Growth West Midlands, we provide tailored, one-to-one support, delivered by our teams of expert Business Advisers. We also offer specialist business support programmes, events and access to grant funding*.  In this success story, we see how the support of a Business Adviser helped an established growing Birmingham business, Vincent Timber, to access grant funding that is enabling its operations to be more sustainable, helping to ensure a thriving future for the business.  

Vincent Timber's History

Vincent Timber is a family-owned business, which was set up 100 years ago. It used to make the famous wooden boxes used to send Cadbury chocolate to soldiers in the trenches during the First World War, and is now a specialist in timber cladding, solar shading, and decking. 

Support Received

The Managing Director at Vincent Timber, Darren Powell, has received business support from expert Business Advisers over plus a £10,000 business grant, all with the goal of growing a thriving business, becoming more resilient and sustainable to meet net zero targets. 

Vincent Timber, Managing Director, Darren Powell said: “Being more sustainable is what we are about as a company. Our whole team is very conscious about the environment. It’s great to see that the business is moving forward and trying to modernise. But all these things cost money and the grant alongside the direct business support I have received certainly helped.” 

Vincent Timber invested its £10,000 grant to support its procurement of three new side-loaders which are all-electric and replace an ageing diesel-powered fleet. It’s been estimated that the new vehicles will reduce emissions by 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. The new fleet will improve the air quality in the yard, where most employees work, due to no vehicle emissions being generated by the side-loaders. As a result of the positive impact this investment will have, the business is also planning on updating its fleet of delivery lorries too. 

Property Investment Scheme

In addition to helping to make Vincent Timber a more sustainable operation, the Business Adviser Darren worked with also referred him to Birmingham City Council’s Property Investment Programme. This has resulted in the business investing in a brand-new building on their Sparkbrook site that is being developed during 2023, for use by its employees at break out times, offering a warm and dry place to rest and eat. 

Darren said: “Just because you’re a profitable business doesn’t mean you can’t get support from Government initiatives.  Our Business Adviser really helped us navigate our way through the grant application process, and who to engage with regards to the growth and development plans for our site, and that made things much easier for us. I would recommend accessing funded business support to any business.” 

Contact a Business Adviser with your business support enquiry here

* Grants administered on behalf of WMCA are dependent on availability of funding and have eligibility criteria associated with them.