Pioneering Deeside company Rubicon Garden Rooms wins Unique Business of the Year at Welsh SME Business Awards
Rubicon garden rooms ; Pictured is Tony Gibbons at his new Rubicon spa in his garden in Runcorn. Picture Mandy Jones
A pioneering Deeside company that uses aviation technology to create bespoke zero maintenance garden rooms has won a top business award recognising its unique approach to construction.
Rubicon Garden Rooms was awarded ‘Unique Business of the Year’ in the 2nd Welsh SME Business Awards, set up to celebrate the best small and medium sized businesses across Wales.
Rubicon Garden Rooms MD John Lyon was presented with the accolade at a glittering ceremony at Cardiff’s Exchange Hotel, after judges heard how the company has grown in the last five years and is now on track for a £1m turnover in 2020.
John, a former Airbus engineer set up the company in Shotton after spotting a demand among home workers for garden offices.
He developed a unique composite wood fibre material using similar techniques to those used in the aerospace industry, which is used to clad Rubicon Garden Rooms’ buildings making them zero maintenance.
Now the company builds 40 to 50 garden rooms a year for clients across the UK including in Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and further afield in London, Halifax, Leicester and Bristol.
John said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have won. It’s a reflection of all the hard work by the whole team over the last five years.
“We were up against some stiff competition, there were a lot of excellent companies in our category from across Wales.
“It was a fantastic night and adds to our story of success as we look to continue to grow in the future.”
It comes as Rubicon Garden Rooms has just celebrated its 5th anniversary and is on track for a record £1m turnover next year.
It is the only garden rooms company in the UK to have Buy With Confidence accreditation from Trading Standards.
John added:
“We are proud to have stayed true to our roots here in Deeside as we have expanded to build more and more garden rooms across the UK.
“We are committed to providing the best possible quality of product and customer service from our base here in Deeside.
“We’re committed to helping improve the skills of the local workforce which is why we have been keen to continue training up apprentices through our partnership with Coleg Cambria.
“Wherever possible, we try and buy from local suppliers because we like to support the local economy and keep as much as we can of the revenue in this area.
“It’s great to be recognised in this way.”
John started the company with an initial complement of two staff growing to 10 by 2019, together with 4 local sub-contractor artisans. The company has just recruited its third apprentice thanks to a partnership with Coleg Cambria, to help meet an increasing number of orders.
The bespoke, top of the range modular buildings have helped several businesses to expand by creating outdoor office space and meeting rooms which are fully insulated for year-round use, and plumbed in with kitchens and toilets, cutting overheads for company rent.
The Welsh SME Awards were set up to honour the contributions made by ‘small but mighty’ SME entrepreneurs and businesses across Wales.
It gave thanks to SME businesses for serving their communities, for implementing creative approaches to product design and service, and for staying true to their roots.
Rubicon Garden Rooms’ buildings are manufactured at their workshop at Deeside Enterprise Centre, and erected on site at the client’s home or business.
They are popular with home workers who improve their work-life balance by using outside space to keep work separate from family life, and cut out commutes.
There is also growing interest from pensioners and younger couples wanting to expand their living space and add value to their homes without having to move house.
Rubicon’s buildings have also proved a hit with artists, musicians and craft makers who use the rooms to enjoy hobbies from sewing and model making, to recording music and painting. The company used its expertise to build a café for North Clwyd Animal Rescue (NCAR), a one-off project at Trelogan, near Holywell.
They are an ideal solution for fitness fans who have used the space to create home gyms, yoga studios and even house swimming pools and spas. They’ve even been commissioned as outdoor cinemas for private individuals and schools.
Creative Oceanic has delivered award ceremonies for nearly a decade in cities around the world, including Belfast, Dublin, Toronto, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester Leicester, Birmingham and is soon launching in New York.
Creative Oceanic campaigns have awarded people in the hospitality, food, hair & beauty, SME business, independent retail and women’s sectors.
Irfan Younis CEO of Creative Oceanic said before the event:
“These awards will give thanks to small business owners and provide them with a platform to be recognised for all the great work they do.”