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Gwent company gets aboard international marine company’s plans to go 4ward

A Gwent training and outsourced human resources consultancy which was launched less than a year ago is staking its claim as a major player in the market after winning a contract with a global company.

Llantarnam-based 4ward Development has been chosen to deliver an outsourced HR service for marine and industrial boiler specialist Harris Pye. The contract is part of Harris Pye’s plans to progress and diversify. The initial HR HR consultation work will take place at the company’s Barry Docks base, however if successful, 4ward Development could be contracted to work with Harris Pye staff on an international level.

4ward Development director Denise Morris said that this contract was a sign that the company had established itself firmly in its market. Denise said: “Having only been running for nine months, we were extremely proud to win the Harris Pye contract. Harris Pye is a distinguished company and leaders in its field, so to be working with them at this stage in our company’s development is a major achievement and signifies that we have become major players in our market.”

Mark Prendergast, group managing director of Harris Pye, which recently refitted and refurbished a Saga cruise ship in Swansea Dry Dock, said: “We really believe that 4ward Development can help us achieve our company’s ambitious growth plans. We were very impressed with the outsourced HR plan that they drew up for us and look forward to working with them.”

4ward Development is the brainchild of entrepreneurial duo Denise Morris and Janet Hay. The women both reached the peak of their respective professions of HR and training before deciding to combine over 50 years of joint experience and merge their existing businesses.

As well as delivering an outsourced HR consultancy to a range of companies in the private and public sector, the firm provides high quality training delivered by a network of 55 development coaches. Its HR consultancy arm offers 24-hour advice on arising issues and assistance with policies on a wide range of employment law issues, and the firm is noting a growth in firms outsourcing this function in order the comply with legislation while keeping costs low.

Business award moves Gwent business even further 4ward

A director of a thriving Gwent HR and training consultancy has scooped a top business award. Janet Hay of Llantarnam-based 4ward Development was named ‘best business newcomer of the year’ in the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards 2010.

The Welsh Women Mean Business Awards were set up to recognise and honour women running their own businesses in Wales, and were launched by former Welsh Woman of the Year, Sarah Cornelius of children’s charity The Joshua Foundation.

The awards ceremony took place at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on March 11, during International Women’s Week. Since it was established last April, 4ward Development has grown its turnover to £1.8m after picking up contracts with medical laser manufacturer Magstim, the Port Talbot Corus steel plant and the Claire Price Beauty chain.

Entrepreneurial Janet and childhood friend Denise Morris both reached the peak of their respective professions of training and HR before deciding to combine over 50 years of joint experience and merge their existing businesses. The firm provides high-quality training delivered by a network of 55 Development Coaches and expert outsourced HR consultancy to a range of companies in the private and public sector.

Janet said: “It is a great honour to win this prestigious award. Since we established 4ward Development things have happened incredibly quickly and this is just the icing on the cake for us. Starting a business from scratch has involved a lot of hard work but it’s been worth it. This award will really help us raise our profile and this gives us a great deal of confidence for the future.”

Llantarnam businesswomen get ‘Womenspired’ on International Women’s Day

4ward Development co-founders Janet Hay and Denise Morris helped inspire over 150 south Wales women at an International Women’s Day event staged by Chwarae Teg Agile Nation as part of its ‘Womenspire’ campaign. The event on Monday March 8th at McArthur Glen, Bridgend, saw the pair join speakers including British sporting hero Tessa Sanderson, managing director of GoCompare.com Hayley Parsons and Wales’ youngest Assembly Member Bethan Jenkins in sharing the inspirations that have driven them to succeed.

The event saw women from all walks of life gather together in the atmospheric surroundings of an Odeon cinema screen to hear the speakers’ very different personal stories, but themes emerged that were common to them all; the importance of believing in yourself, of having the courage of your convictions and following your dream, whatever it may be. Janet and Denise were invited to take part in the event after the success of Llantarnam-based 4Ward Development within only a year of the childhood friends setting the company up came to the attention of the organisers Chwarae Teg.The pair shared their career experiences and the people and events that have inspired them to achieve their potential with an invited audience of women drawn from the world of commerce, education and charities.

“For far too long women have been put off by the trousers in the boardroom but it’s important to remember that women can wear the trousers too. Every decade we have seen women become more prominent in public life and in the private sector, but the persistent pay gap proves that there is still a long way to do to ensure women achieve equal parity with men.”

‘Womenspire’ has been designed to raise awareness of the £12.5m European Social Fund and Welsh Assembly Government-funded Agile Nation project, which addresses gender inequality in employment and career progression by training women and supporting employers to implement flexible working measures.

Katy Chamberlain, chief executive of Chwarae Teg, said: “International Women's Day is about celebrating the achievements of women and Janet, Denise and our other inspirational speakers provided our audience with food for thought and the inspiration to strive towards their own personal goals.

“Women are not as good at selling themselves which is why through Agile Nation we are helping women to build confidence, skills and self-esteem as well as supporting employers to make the most of the talent available to them.” The event is supported by a social media campaign which uses Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In and an innovative iPhone/iPod touch application to allow women across Wales to share their inspirations.

For more information please log on to www.agilenation.co.uk.

To watch the ladies in action on the day click here: www.youtube.com/agilenation

Top awards nomination moves Gwent business even further 4ward

The directors of a thriving Gwent company which was established just nine months ago have been shortlisted for a top business award. Denise Morris and Janet Hay of training and outsourced HR company 4ward Development are finalists in the ‘new business’ category of the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards 2010. The Welsh Women Mean Business Awards is a new programme for women running their own businesses in Wales. It has been launched by former Welsh Woman of the Year, Sarah Cornelius of children’s charity The Joshua Foundation. The awards ceremony will take place at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on March 11, which is during International Women’s Week.

Since it was established last April, 4ward Development, situated in Llantarnam, has grown its turnover to £1.8m after picking up contracts with medical laser manufacturer Magstim, the Port Talbot Corus steel plant and the Claire Price Beauty chain.Entrepreneurial duo Denise and Janet both reached the peak of their respective professions of HR and training before deciding to combine over 50 years of joint experience and merge their existing businesses.The firm provides high-quality training delivered by a network of 55 Development Coaches and expert outsourced HR consultancy to a range of companies in the private and public sector. Denise said: “It is a great honour to be on the shortlist for this prestigious award. Since we established 4ward Development just nine months ago, things have happened incredibly quickly and this is just the icing on the cake for us. “Starting a business from scratch has involved a lot of hard work but it’s been worth it. All the investment has paid off as we have just watched the contracts roll in recently, and this gives us a great deal of confidence for the future.”

Gwent training and HR company looks 4ward to bright 2010

A Gwent training and outsourced human resources consultancy has secured a number of prestigious contracts with major international firms only months after launching. Llantarnam-based 4ward Development, established in April, has grown its turnover to £1.8m after picking up contracts with medical laser manufacturer Magstim, the Port Talbot Corus steel plant and the Claire Price Beauty chain. 4ward Development is the brainchild of entrepreneurial duo Janet Hay and Denise Morris, who both reached the peak of their respective professions of HR and training before deciding to combine over 50 years of joint experience and merge their existing businesses. The firm provides high-quality training delivered by a network of 55 development coaches and expert outsourced HR consultancy to a range of companies in the private and public sector.

Clients benefit from training designed to suit staff from the shop floor up to board level, and the firm specialises in devising effective programmes for large workforces or those operating complex shift patterns. The HR consultancy arm offers 24-hour advice on arising issues and assistance with policies on a wide range of employment law issues, and the firm is noting a growth in firms outsourcing this function in order to comply with legislation while keeping costs low. Janet said: “We are delighted to work with a range of high-profile clients and have won several contracts which show that we have really established ourselves as a respected provider of training and outsourced human resources. “Starting a business from scratch has involved a lot of hard work but it’s been worth it. All the investment has paid off as we have just watched the contracts roll in recently, and this gives us a great deal of confidence for the future. “Over the next year we’re really keen to develop our training offering into new sectors, and we also want to spend a lot of time growing our HR division.” 4ward Development currently employs five members of staff with plans for further recruitment in the New Year in order to meet the demands of new business. Two of the firm’s coaches are trained barristers, which is particularly useful to clients requiring international employment law advice. Denise says that the recession wasn’t a deterrent to starting a new business venture. She said: “If anything the recession incentivised us even more to pursue our venture, as it is a proven fact that investing in training, even during times of financial hardship, saves companies money by motivating staff and encouraging improved productivity.”