Bridgend landscaping firm Inscapes plans to create 40 new jobs and drive revenues

A Bridgend landscaping firm has designs on future expansion and creating 40 new jobs following new investment. To support its growth plans Inscapes, which recently acquired Cardiff-based Landcraft, has received a £100,000 investment from Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE.

Over the next three years managing director, Gareth Rees, said the plan is to recruit a further 40 staff bringing its workforce to 120 and to see turnover rise from the current £9.5m to £15m.

He added that the order book was strong, and the outlook encouraging.

Recent high profile projects include relaying the lawn on Parliament Square at the Palace of Westminster. This posed many logistical challenges, not least of which was the Jubilee Line running just beneath the site close to the surface. Other work has included Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Bristol City Football Club, Eastleigh Football Club, Ffos Las Racecourse, Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, The Celtic Manor and The Vale Resort.

Inscapes was set up in 1998 as a sports and commercial landscaping company, and now also has bases at Virginia Water In Surrey, Tring in Hertfordshire and Shrewsbury. The company offers the latest in artificial surfaces, and has a maintenance, hire, arboriculture and irrigation division.

Mr Rees said:“We have worked very hard to build long-lasting relationships with clients and I am extremely proud of what has been achieved. We are looking to work closely with the Landcraft team and their clients and move into new areas as the business continues to grow.”

The UKSE investment is part of its Support Programme for Wales launched last year to help mitigate economic changes resulting from the transition to greener steelmaking at Port Talbot. Under the UKSE programme £3m has been invested in 81 Welsh businesses with potential to grow and create jobs, and an estimated 400 jobs have been created.

Alan Jenkins, UKSE regional executive, said: “Inscapes has huge experience which gives it the ability to take on complex challenges, and has added to its capabilities by acquiring Landcraft.