South West plastics business Marcol sold to new owners
A businessman from Portishead is now looking forward to his retirement after selling the plastics company he founded jointly in 1990.
Marcol Fabrications (Plastics) Ltd began life in a farm building near Bristol airport, helped by a loan of £9,000. Its founders are Colin Vye and business partner Mark Godfrey.
READ MORE: Portishead’s Q5D completes £1.8m LiveWire project
Turning over more than £1.5 million three decades later and the pair decided to sell to new owners - the company becoming part of Safety Critical Plastic Solutions Group.
Vye, 59, who lives in Portishead, is now retiring following advice from accountant Tim Bowden at Bristol SME specialists Haines Watts.
"When Mark and I started we were like a lot of entrepreneurs – great at what we could do but winging it a bit on the business strategy and doing whatever we needed to do to survive," said Vye.
“We didn’t want our clients seeing our premises so we’d drive up to places like Yorkshire for meetings, pretending we were in the area anyway.
"We did lots of overtime, sacrificed a great deal but never let go of our belief and our passion.
"We’ve been supported by some great advice along the way and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Instrumental to Marcol’s growth over recent years was investment in 2015 in a new vehicle and workshop equipment, communication and stock control systems, as well as creating two new jobs.
Advice from Haines Watts allowed the company to claim 20 per cent of the qualifying capital and revenue costs, following the grant from the West of England Growth Fund.
"It’s just one example of how Haines Watts have helped us over the years," added Vye. “They were great during Covid, too.
"Like many SME owners, we’re great at what we do but not experts at finances or office management, so receiving expert professional advice is key.
“And when it came to selling up, Tim was great. We’ve built up a strong relationship over the years and I trusted him, alongside the lawyer and the financial adviser, to do what was in my best interests."
Now based in Nailsea, Marcol employs 14 staff and continues to produce high quality thermoplastic fabrications.
Bowden said: “We’re delighted to have helped Colin exit the company he founded and to have reached a satisfactory conclusion to his business career.
“There’s a reason that Haines Watts specialises in SME accountancy – we love supporting entrepreneurs on their business journeys, being partners in their growth and acting as a trusted adviser in the decisions they want to make.
“We wish Colin and Mark all the best and hope their story can be an inspiration to other entrepreneurs looking to start or finish business careers of their own.”
