Growing Welsh exports

Economy Minister, Edwina Hart, has visited Bon Bon Buddies at its Blackwood headquarters to discuss growing the business’s exports.

Currently, Bon Bon Buddies sells its products in more than 40 countries worldwide and, with recent investment from the Welsh Government’s Innovation Vouchers scheme, the business is looking to further expand its operations in both the domestic and international markets.

The Welsh Government grant of £27,360 will be used by Bon Bon Buddies to invest in new, innovative technology to help further drive the business’s productivity.

Edwina Hart says: “Bon Bon Buddies is a very innovative company with plans to increase its own brand confectionery and I am pleased support through the Innovation Vouchers scheme will help it develop new products and get them to market faster. I am also delighted to hear about the company’s plans to increase exports significantly, which is vitally important for our economy and I wish the company every success in the future.”

Managing director of Bon Bon Buddies, Chris Howarth, says: “Bon Bon Buddies has humble beginnings, with the business starting from the front room of my home.

“In 21 years, we’ve grown the brand from strength-to-strength and exports have certainly had an important part to play in this success. Bon Bon Buddies has ambitious plans to continue to grow and expand the international markets we operate and sell to, and working closely with the Welsh Government, who champion the importance of exports, is an important partnership for us.

“Our aim is to increase the proportion of non-UK sales to two-thirds of total sales; thanks to the recent investment from the Welsh Government, we’re able to purchase new technology that means we will have a far more agile innovation, research and development process across our products and brands.”