Valley Mill have been manufacturing and supplying 100% Welsh made products for over a decade now. Valley Mill prides themselves on bringing only authentic, handmade Welsh and British products to the UK high-street and online market. Having supplied products to some of the most demanding and influential customers in the world, such as Red Bull, NATO, NFU Mutual, Bafta Cymru, RBS, The Welsh FA and even Her Majesty the Queen, Valley Mill has the confidence and drive to keep putting Wales on the map.
It all started in 2007, with director and creator Kevin Thomas after purchasing a laser engraving machine and utilising two bedrooms at home as a workshop to handcraft Welsh slate products. After developing a range of beautiful home and giftware, Kevin started attending markets and shows on the weekend in Hay-on-Wye, Abergavenny and Monmouth, whilst still working as a full time manufacturing engineer.
After committing to the business full time in 2009, the next step was to build two sheds in his garden to house the workshop. This gave Kevin the ability to keep up with the high demand for his products, begin posting products out all across the country, and invest in the machinery needed to handcraft Welsh slate house signs.
With the expansion of Kevin’s manufacturing facilities, he was finally able to take on his first employee and open his first full-time stall in Neath Market.
By 2010, Valley Mill had refined their manufacturing processes to the level that enabled them to begin selling their Welsh slate products to other high street retailers. To be able to reach a bigger market, they began to attend some of the biggest trade shows in the UK; including the NEC in Birmingham and the Olympia stadium in London.
In the next two years, Valley Mill outgrew their workshop in Kevin’s garden and the little market stall in Neath. So Valley Mill moved into their first commercial premises- a 200 square metre workshop in the Crynant industrial estate, near Neath. This new expansion made it possible for Valley Mill to take on more employees and develop two brand new product ranges- 100% natural soap and handmade soy wax candles. They also opened their first high-street store in Neath and became stockists of other Welsh-made products, including Welsh woollen blankets, handmade ceramics and more.
After the success of their first store and their growing visibility on the high-street, Valley Mill carried on expanding and by 2016 they had opened their bigger, second store in Swansea, expanded their workshop by another 200 square metres and employed more staff.
In 2019, Valley Mill reopened in Neath town centre, specialising in our new product ranges, sublimation printing and trophies.
In 2020, Valley Mill now has 10 employees, working in both the Swansea and Neath stores and their 400 square metre workshop. With an impressive range of machinery, including 3 laser machines, a large masonry bridge cutter and a high-powered sand blaster, they are now able to supply their product ranges to over 120 stores across the UK. These include a wide range of Welsh slate items, various home fragrance products, natural soaps and a large selection of printed homewares, designed by our in-house team.