Aquarian Cladding - Construction entrepreneur launches new investment fund
Construction entrepreneur launches new investment fund
A Clevedon-based company that has been supplying external cladding systems across the UK for over 12 years has launched a new investment fund to develop new products.
Due to the challenges Aquarian Cladding Systems face from Grenfell and Brexit, the Directors decided the time was right to start thinking about investing in other opportunities to counter these headwinds.
As a result, Aquarian Holdings will be looking to invest money in additional ways to help the company’s long-term future.
Managing Director Paul Richards explains: “The focus will still be on the cladding part of the business, which is our main bread-winner, but the future is about repositioning ourselves post-Grenfell and positioning ourselves for Brexit.
“We need to invest in product research and development to find sustainable, environmentally-positive, fire-safe cladding solutions which we can produce here in the South West, as we want more strings to our bow.”
Paul is also on the board of Construction Excellence South West and Clevedon Chamber of Commerce, so is well-positioned to spot trends and be aware of investment opportunities.
He continued: “Our plans involve NDA’s and research and development, and we need money to do that, which is why we have created Aquarian Holdings.
Whilst what we currently do is purely on the distribution side, we’re also looking at the option of adding a façade design and engineering side.
“Holdings will give us some head room to expand and evolve and will allow us to spread our risk a little bit more to look at different income opportunities.”
Aquarian is in talks with a couple of other companies seeking investment and have recently invested in a local company at the forefront of gigabyte broadband.
Paul added: “The investment arm is also there to invest in other like-minded companies who, like us, are disrupters at the forefront of innovation.”
It has been a great year for Aquarian, with the company hitting its £8million target thanks to a hugely successful 2018.
The company also scooped the Business of the Year (1-10 employees) award at last year’s Business Leader Awards, the South West’s biggest and most celebrated business awards event of the year – and has been nominated for the same award again this year.
Aquarian Cladding supply brick and terracotta cladding systems to the UK construction industry. For more information, telephone 0808 223 9080.