Valvworx Secures £75,000 Start Up Loan to Launch Engineering Business in Warrington

A group of four Warrington-based entrepreneurs – Ivor Jones, Stephen Duxbury, Paul Warburton, and Selwyn Jones – have successfully secured a £75,000 Start Up Loan from GC Business Finance to launch Valvworx, a new engineering business. Valvworx will provide specialised valve engineering services and is set to create local jobs in Warrington.

The founders bring together a wealth of experience in engineering, business development, and management within the valve industry. They identified a key opportunity in the local market to offer valve engineering services, including emergency response, diagnostic services for operational improvements, and comprehensive valve management solutions. In cases where valves are beyond economical repair, Valvworx will also source and provide replacements for its customers.

One of Valvworx’s standout advantages is its strategic location in Warrington, which allows local clients to save up to 80% in time, transportation costs, and carbon emissions compared to working with existing service providers located farther away.

After carefully researching various funding options, the team chose the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme. This flexible loan arrangement allowed three of the co-founders to share financial responsibility. The programme's no-penalty early repayment terms were particularly appealing, as the business expects to become profitable early in its operations. GC Business Finance, the national business support partner for Start Up Loans, played a pivotal role in securing the loan quickly.

The funding has been instrumental in helping Valvworx acquire essential flow control and relief valve testing equipment, ensuring their services meet safety standards. It also enabled the company to lease and fit out a new workshop, which was completed by the end of 2023.

Since its official launch in early 2024, Valvworx has already generated over £100,000 in orders, positioning itself for strong growth in its first year. The team is passionate about supporting the future of manufacturing and has plans to recruit apprentices as the business expands. They are also aiming to secure contracts with the upcoming carbon capture projects in the North Sea.

Valvworx is excited to contribute to Warrington’s local economy and the broader UK engineering landscape as they look towards a bright future.

Ivor Jones, speaking on behalf of Valvworx, said: “When we saw that a gap had arisen, our first thought was that we needed to protect this important local trade. But with no previous experience running a business, there were lots of hurdles to overcome. The first was convincing ourselves that we could do it. We drew up incredibly detailed business plans to show that it was worth doing, not just for ourselves and prospective customers, but also for our families!

Then came the question of finance. The equipment we needed was incredibly specialist, there was no way we could have footed that bill by ourselves. A Start Up Loan was perfect for us. From the moment we met Alex and Julia from GC Business Finance, we were put at ease. They guided us through the process, explaining every step and was always there to answer questions.

Since officially launching and trading in our primary service of valve overhaul and certification, our order book is filling rapidly and business is going well. As of last week, our test rig was delivered and commissioned, meaning we can now operate at an increased capacity, and meet customer’s needs better than before.”

Alex Mearns, Head of Start Up Lending at GC Business Finance, said:“Valvworx provides a perfect example of what the Start Up Loans programme is all about: encouraging entrepreneurship, helping start ups to survive, and breaking down the barrier that is accessing finance. Ivor, Stephen, Paul and Selwyn have been able to secure a local trade and have ambitions to train new apprentices, and we wish them all the best when they open soon.”

Delyth Edwards, senior network manager for the North West at the British Business Bank, said:
“Warrington has an incredibly strong manufacturing sector, and it’s so important that we protect the businesses in the area, prioritising local contracts and local employment. Valvworx is a brilliant story of a group of people coming together to do just that, and I’m proud that Start Up Loans have been able to play a role in this.”