More than 150 staff gathered at the Newport showroom for AJ Wells and Sons Ltd on Tuesday lunchtime to receive The King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.
Lord-Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Susie Sheldon, presented the award, as the company celebrated the recognition for the hard work of all involved.
More than five decades
The family business employs around 170 staff and has been running since 1972, and as well as operating in the UK, AJ Wells operates extensively throughout Europe and trading with South Africa, North America, Japan and Australia.
AJ Wells is known for designing and manufacturing Charnwood clean-burning wood stoves, innovative architectural vitreous enamel solutions, signage and cladding for the iconic London Underground and more recently they’ve introduce the Vlaze range of outdoor kitchens.
In conversation with the MD
The company has seen incredible growth in overseas sales, particularly in France and Belgium, as Managing Director, Hugh Wells, explained when we caught up with him after the celebration for a chat.
We touched on several areas during our 20-minute conversation including
- How things began
- Delighting customers and transforming lives
- How to succeed in overseas markets
- The importance of the local community
- A flat management structure
- How faith plays a part in the business
- The value of a sustainable business
- Innovating new products
- What’s next for AJ Wells
Listen to the conversation
You can listen to the conversation by clicking on the play button below. You’re able to pause, jump back 10 seconds or forward 30 seconds.
Find out more about AJ Wells & Sons Ltd by visiting their website.
