Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2009/January 2010 | Page 108

life

LOCAL BUSINESS

PHOTO: John Wells receiving The Queens Award for Enterprise 2009 from Maj. Gen. White

Queens Award for enterprise
for A J Wells
THE phones were switched off, the

eight and a half times in six years. Yet

is having an excellent product. As well

machines were halted. Every employee

such impressive figures are not on their

as France AJ Wells sends its stoves to

of AJ Wells was present when the Lord

own enough to meet the rigorous criteria

the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, the

Lieutenant came to present the firm with

demanded by the award selectors. “They

Netherlands, Cyprus ,Portugal, South

its Queen’s Award for Industry, on 11th

checked, double, and triple-checked our

Africa and Japan. “We’ve spent a lot

November.

environmental credentials, and that we

of time developing a quality product,”

are basically a decent company,” says

says Hugh. “And people recognise wood

effort, so everyone had the right to be

Hugh. “We’re very passionate about

burning stoves are a pretty clever thing

there,” says Hugh Wells, sales director.

making things on the Isle of Wight, using

to install. They are carbon-neutral, they

“Logistically, though, closing the

UK materials, and about keeping people

save on your oil and gas bills and use

factory and the switchboard was a bit

employed on the Island. We employ about

sustainable fuel.”

problematic,” he grins, “because we’re

180 people now. Only six years ago it was

running round the clock.”

75!”

“We see it very much as a team

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise

One of its largest markets is in France,

The company has been making stoves
since the late 1970s, when Hugh’s
grandfather, father and uncle, who ran

is given for export, and AJ Wells,

where wood burning stoves are nearly

an engineering company in Niton, were

manufacturers of Charnwood wood

as common as garlic. The crux of a

asked if they could make a small stove.

burning stoves, has seen exports rise

successful export business, therefore,

There was an oil crisis in the Middle East,

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