Father and son take seven-figure equity investment to boost productivity

Award-winning Mallows Bottling is ramping up production with a significant seven-figure equity investment by the Development Bank of Wales that will more than treble capacity and create 18 new jobs.

Established in 2021 by Directors Andrew Mallows and his 28 year-old son Rhys, the Tonyrefail-based manufacturing business provides contract bottling for leading retailers in the international spirits and soft drink industry.  Their 30,000 sq. ft purpose-built bonded facility is accredited with the British Retail Consortium and can fill up to 90 million bottles a year. 

The investment by the Development Bank will be used to fund the purchase of  a new filler that can produce up to 6,000 bottles per hour, creating five high-speed lines. The company won “Scale-Up of Company the Year” at the Wales Food and Drink Awards in May 2024, as well as winning the “Food and Drink Award” at the Insider Made in Wales awards for 2023. 

Commenting on the investment, Rhys Mallows said: “We’re proud to be Welsh born and bred so it was important to us to find a funding partner that understood our business model and provided a solution that allows us to deliver on our growth plans. The Development Bank is definitely the right fit for us and we’ve been really pleased with their support so far. 

“The equity investment means that we can now continue to scale to meet demand with investment in additional production lines that will boost productivity as we expand our bottling and distribution offering to the growing UK and international markets.”

Joanna Thomas is a Deputy Fund Manager with the Development Bank. She said: “Mallows Bottling is a family business that has gone from strength to strength since it first opened in 2021. With an impressive customer portfolio that includes many of the UK’s leading retailers and exciting plans to grow the export market, our bespoke funding solution that includes a mix of capital expenditure and growth capital  will help the team to scale-up production and deliver long-term sustainable growth that will benefit both the local community of Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Welsh economy at large.”

The investment for Mallows Bottling came from the £500 million Wales Flexible Investment Fund that is financed by the Welsh Government and Development Bank of Wales. Loans, mezzanine finance, and equity investments are available for businesses based in Wales from £25,000 to £10 million.