13 July 2010

The people of Tywyn have delivered a huge thank you to the Jones Bros team working on the £6.4m coastal defence project in their seaside resort. It came in the form of a 300-name ‘declaration of thanks’, signed by community members and visitors to the mid-Wales town.

It was organised by pensioner Tommy Payne, who said he collected the names in just a matter of hours, so enthusiastic were locals to add their signature to it. He said all the signatories were impressed by the professionalism and technical expertise of the Jones Bros team tasked with the job of strengthening Tywyn’s sea defences to minimise the risk of flooding which has plagued the local community since the 1930s.

Tommy has a caravan on Neptune caravan park, not far from where the work has been taking place. He went out on his mobility scooter collecting signatures from people walking along the seafront, local residents shop-keepers and business owners.

He said: “These days people are very quick to complain and gripe, but they rarely say thank you when its due. These boys at Tywyn have been working so hard yet have remained friendly and accommodating throughout. They realise there is great interest in this work and they have been more than willing to answer all our questions.

“They are a great bunch who deserve our gratitude for doing an excellent job for the whole community down here. I thought this would be a way to pass on our appreciation.”

He delivered the letter in person to Jones Bros Project Manager at Tywyn, Geraint Thomas who was delighted to accept on behalf of the whole team. The letter said: “We appreciate the high quality personnel, be that the managers, engineers, the men carrying out the physical work on the beach and those who kept us informed along the promenade. Tywyn Beach has been transformed and countless people will enjoy this lovely resort for years to come. We will miss having these fantastic people around but we say a sincere than you for a job well done.”

Hundreds of people have visited the Tywyn site during the project which is now more than half way complete and expected to be finished by September.

The company’s headcount, which stands at 265 currently, is set to expand further.  Mr Jones added:  “Virtually all of these employees live and spend their wages locally, benefiting the Welsh economy.”