Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The price of petrol will be dropping to just 105.7p per litre tomorrow, as supermarket chain Asda cuts fuel costs across the country. Asda's decision to introduce a national price cap at the pumps means that 105.7ppl is the highest any of its 245 filling stations will charge for unleaded petrol, while diesel will be capped at 112.7ppl. Fuel prices have been cut by 19ppl for unleaded petrol and 15ppl for diesel at Asda fuelling stations since the end of September. The prices to be introduced tomorrow will be the lowest seen in five years. West Wales business have reacted as follows - Simon Buckley, chief executive of the award-winning Llandeilo-based Evan Evans brewery said – "The brewing industry is always affected by the feel good factor, whether it's people going to the pub, or simply buying beer for consumption at home. Fuel prices are always a drain on consumer spending, so my view is every little helps, now all we need to go with this is dry late winter weather and 2...

The busy Burry Port-based firm Amcanu is looking to fill key vacancies. "It's been a very busy time for us here at Amcanu," said Managing Director Owain Davies. "Amcanu is a sheet metal manufacturer with specialist expertise in building world-class industrial enclosures. "We’re now looking for some new blood to join our team and support us during an exciting period of growth and development.  "Finding the best fit for our vacancies is very important to us, so we are looking for quality candidates for the following positions."  Purchasing Manager (£25,000 to £35,000) A self-motivated manager with good communication skills and manufacturing experience to liaise with our designers and suppliers, source and procure the most cost effective materials, analyse costs and manage stock. Technical engineering experience would be advantageous. Production Controller (£20,000 to £30,000) This role requires a good communicator that can liaise with team l...

The news headlines about flooding have added meaning for the team at Burry Port engineering firm Amcanu. Production at the factory is heavily geared-up to producing canopies and fabricated bases for mounting state-of-the-art water pumps of the type needed in natural disaster scenarios such as flooding. “The pictures in our newspapers and on our television screens hammer home the message every day for the team here,” said Amcanu managing director Owain Davies. “We specialise in tailored sheet metal solutions and providing the noise-insulating enclosures which fit around giant pumps. “It is specialist work and the team here are Amcanu are keenly aware that the finished products they help produce are going to be of great service and use when it comes to pumping water.” The engineers at Amcanu have just finished work on a beast of a pumping unit – a 10-ton giant called the Series 15. “This is the largest enclosure unit we have produced at Amcanu and we were very proud to see it...

There was a big class reunion held in Burry Port at the weekend. Members of the Class of 1980 from Porth Tywyn (Burry Port junior) School got together at The Coasting Pilot pub. The reunion was organised by Christine Rees and same 22 members of the original class of 28 turn up to discuss their old schooldays. One ‘Class of 1980’ member was Burry Port businessman Owain Davies. He said: “We all have very happy memories of our time in school. We had a fantastic teacher in Mr Heddwyn Jones, who now lives in Four Roads. “We were very fortunate to have the same teacher for three years and we were a very happy class. Mr Jones was an inspiring teacher and we all got on every well and we are all still good friends. “Heather Thomas (now Heather Osmond) made it from Surrey, but she was trumped by Gail Morris, who flew in from Ohio in the United States for the reunion. “It was a fantastic evening at the Coasting Pilot with good food, good wine and good company. We even recreated the class...

A Burry Port design and manufacturing business has helped provide the ‘cutting edge’ to a new specialist children’s hair salon which is reckoned to be the biggest in Wales. The Tickled salon is opening in High Street, Swansea, this week (May 1), with owner and stylist Damian Hart grateful for the help of his engineering expert friend Owain Davies. Mr Davies is the managing director of Amcanu, a firm which normally provides tailored sheet metal solutions for industrial purposes. He explained: “Damian was looking for something novel for his new salon and hit upon the idea of using toy quad bikes and cars as ‘barbershop chairs’. “We enjoy a challenge here at Amcanu and we were able to adapt battery and pedal-powered toy vehicles to suit Damian’s needs. “With close attention to detail and safety, we were to provide him with some eye-catching ‘barbershop chairs’ for his new venture. “Our normal work sees us building giant acoustic enclosures for noisy industrial machinery. Doing ...

Burry Port firm Amcanu has lent its support to the Burry Port railway crossing shelter project. The firm’s HQ is just down the road from the railway level crossing in Burry Port. The crossing has been home to a shelter for a number of years. The shelter doubles as a bus shelter and a place to seek refuge from the elements when the crossing barriers come down to halt movement over the level crossing. In recent years, the shelter has suffered at the hands of vandals. The Burry Port Crossing Shelter Project was set up by the local community to breathe new life into the shelter. Amcanu came up trumps by buying all the paint for the project and providing the labour to get the job done. Amcanu managing director Owain Davies said: ““We are a Burry Port business, based in the town and we want to do our bit to help the community. We take our corporate responsibility seriously and try and support many community organisations as we can.” http://amcanu.co.uk/about/

Burry Port firm Amcanu is backing junior rugby in the town. The tailored sheet metal specialists business has teamed up with two other businesses to help Burry Port RFC's under-14s team with new kit. "We are delighted to be able to lend our support to junior rugby in the town," said Amcanu managing director Owain Davies. "We are a Burry Port business, based in the town and we want to do our bit to help the community. We take our corporate responsibility seriously and try and support many community organisations as well as the younger generation. Sport is a great avenue for youngsters and were more than happy to put our name on the new strip for the under-14s team at Burry Port RFC." The team has also received support from Leighton Jenkins at DL Jenkins solid wood flooring and Peter Harper of PW Harper Roofing and Son. Mr Davies added: "Partnerships are all important in this day and age and we were happy to team up with other interested businesses to make...

Burry Port design and manufacturing business is investing in the future by recruiting a new apprentice. Josh Palmer, 18, of Burry Port, is already working part-time at specialist tailored sheet metal solutions firm Amcanu. In September, he will start an apprenticeship linked to a HNC mechanical engineering course at Coleg Sir Gar's campus at The Graig, Llanelli. “We pride ourselves in helping to develop and nurture staff at Amcanu,” said managing director Owain Davies. “We already have excellent links with Coleg Sir Gar and recruiting Josh as an apprentice is just another step along the road for us. “We are a go-ahead firm keen to make sure staff get the best training possible and keen to give local youngsters an opportunity to take those important first steps on the job and career ladder.” Josh, a former pupil at Burry Port's Glanymor School, said: “I'm very grateful to Amcanu for giving me the chance of an apprenticeship. A HNC qualification is my first target, but I ho...

The finishing touches are being applied to another giant ‘Series 14′ water pump enclosure unit at Amcanu’s Burry Port headquarters. The pump enclosure is one of an order of four from one of Amcanu’s key clients, the global pump manufacturer Godwin Pumps. Amcanu managing director Owain Davies said the enclosures were destined for work in Norway. “The Series 14 is the biggest enclosure that we produce and the four in this order are also special in that we have had to kit them out with special covers to allow them to function in the snowy conditions of Norway. “We take pride in every enclosure we produce here in Burry Port, but there is a special buzz at our headquarters when we work on the Series 14, simply because of its size.” Pictures: Top: New Amcanu apprentice Josh Palmer with one of the Series 14 units now being completed. Above: A finished unit being loaded for transport.

There was plenty of excitement at Amcanu’s Burry Port headquarters as staff loaded up a ‘Series 14′ water pump enclosure for delivery. A special crane had to be called in to lift the giant tailored sheet metal enclosure onto the delivery lorry. The pump enclosure was one of an order of four from one of Amcanu’s key clients, the global pump manufacturer Godwin Pumps. Amcanu managing director Owain Davies said the enclosures were destined for work in Norway. “The Series 14 is the biggest enclosure that we produce and the four in this order are also special in that we have had to kit them out with special covers to allow them to function in the snowy conditions of Norway. “We take pride in every enclosure we produce here in Burry Port, but there was a special buzz at our headquarters when we loaded the Series 14 up, simply because of its size.” Mr Davies added: “The Godwin name is top of the tree when it comes to pumps and we are delighted to be associated with the firm. “Where we come ...

Burry Port firm Amcanu has received an order for some of its tailor-made sheet metal enclosures from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. “It’s a particular delight for us to receive an order from a prestigious Welsh company,” said Amcanu managing director Owain Davies. “Our enclosures are often shipped all over the world, so it’s nice for the team here at Amcanu to be working in Wales on something which will be put to use for everyone’s good in Wales.” The order will see Amcanu produce tailor-made sheet metal enclosures in a white finish. The enclosures will be branded white to match the Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water branding. Mr Davies said: “Usually, we produce a great deal of our enclosures in orange for our key customers, so a white version will be something unusual for us.” Mr Davies added that the firm’s enclosures were put to use providing sound insulation for different forms of pumps and machinery. “Sound-insulation is the name of the game when it comes to providing pumping and generating equipm...

A Burry Port firm is stepping up to 24-hour working to meet increased demand. Amcanu specialises in sound insulating enclosures and tailored sheet metal solutions at the company’s factory in Glanmor Terrace, Burry Port. “The order book has taken off in the last few weeks and we have taken the bold step of temporarily changing our shift structure,” said Amcanu managing director Owain Davies. “We have just stepped up a gear to 24-hour working. “We have an excellent team here at Amcanu and they have responded well to increase in demand with changes to our working patterns.” “One of the major reasons behind the move to 24-hour working has been prompted by work on the biggest enclosure project we have produced to date.” “We produce tailor-made sheet metal enclosures for different pump and generator manufacturers, but the new 'Series 14' enclosure is the biggest we have tackled to date.” Amcanu currently employs 26 people in Burry Port. “We have come a long way from our early hi...

A Burry Port firm will feel the immediate benefit of Tata Steel’s pledge to invest a massive £800 million in Wales over the next five years. The first keystone in that investment is the £185m to be spent on rebuilding the No 4 blast furnace at Tata Steel’s huge Port Talbot plant. And the small specialist Amcanu firm in Burry Port will gain spin-off business from that development. “We are delighted to say we are already involved in the No4 blast furnace project,” said Owain Davies, managing director at the specialist tailored sheet metal solutions firm. “We are quite a small fish in this particular pond, but it just goes to show that the ripples from massive investment projects like the one planned by Tata Steel can reach a long way. “As a South Wales business we are delighted to see Tata Steel making such a huge commitment to the future of their industry in Wales. “It can only be good news for other businesses as they feel the ripple effect of such welcome investment.” Mr Davies s...