Welsh entrepreneur wins £30k to make business dream reality

A Welsh entrepreneur has won over £30,000 of business support to help make his business dream a reality.

Founder of T-Box, John Chichester, won a Dragon's Den style competition, called Bright Business, at the recent New Start Wales Exhibition in Cardiff.
 
Chichester successfully pitched his business to a panel of four Welsh business experts beating off competition from three other shortlisted entrepreneurs to be crowned the winner.
 
Established on the back of the fight against the use of plastic carrier bags in supermarkets and retail outlets, Chichester has designed a  box system made from 100% recycled natural materials , called T-Box, that fits perfectly into shopping trolleys, removing the need for carrier bags and bottle carriers. The biodegradable product, which is reusable and folds flat when not in use, has been designed to shorten the average packing time by twenty five per cent.

On winning the competition, John Chichester of T-Box said, “I am thrilled to have won the Bright Business competition. To have my product and business model recognised as having potential is fantastic. The prize of £30,000 worth of business support is incredible and will undoubtedly be of enormous benefit as I look to drive the company forward to the next level. The competition has allowed me to raise the profile of T-Box in Wales and with the support and mentoring that the prize will provide me I'm confident that it will be come a national success. I'm grateful for the platform that this competition has given me and look forward to the exciting next stage of T-Box."
 
Competition judge, Lyndon Wood, chairman and CEO of Moorhouse, said: "Despite the downturn, the entrepreneurial spirit is definitely alive and kicking in Wales and I'm proud of the entrepreneurial talent that exists here. Four completely different businesses made it to the final with two things in common - a great idea and a really engaging entrepreneur. However T-Box stood out from the other submissions offering a product which has wide appeal and that tackles a problem that exists in the UK today.
 
“The recent economic downturn has made it even more financially difficult for entrepreneurs like John to turn their ideas into a reality, however with the business support on offer from this competition John will receive expert business advice and support to help him make T-Box a resounding success.  Undoubtedly T-Box has a strong future ahead of itself and we look forward to watching the company continue to grow and develop over the coming months.”

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