£2.35m investment backs first commercial development for Welsh construction firm

Nation.Cymru staff

A Welsh construction company is moving into commercial property development for the first time following a £2.35m funding package.

Port Talbot-based CJ Construction (Wales) will build more than 20,000 sq ft of commercial space at Mardon Park in Baglan, on 1.37 acres of brownfield land within the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone.

The development will be capable of being occupied by a single business or divided into smaller units, with construction expected to take around six months.

The £2.35m funding package includes a £1.37m grant and a £980,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales’ Wales Commercial Property Fund.

CJ Construction was founded by Chris Jones in 1988 and incorporated in 2000. It now employs 32 people and has an annual turnover of almost £5m, working on residential and commercial projects across South Wales, including schemes for housing associations.

The move into property development follows a management buyout in July 2024 by Mr Jones’ son Russell Jones and fellow director Alex Holland. Founder Chris Jones remains with the company in an advisory role.

Mr Holland, the company’s commercial director, said: “Completing the management buy-out gave us the opportunity to shape the future of the business, and this development is a major step forward in that journey.

“We’ve spent many years delivering projects for clients across South Wales, so taking on our first development of our own feels like a natural progression. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for some time and the support from the Development Bank of Wales has given us the confidence to make that move.

“We’re proud to be investing in Port Talbot. Wherever possible we’ll continue working with local subcontractors and suppliers throughout the build, ensuring the investment benefits the wider local economy as well as creating high-quality commercial space for businesses looking to locate or expand here.”

Contracts director Russell Jones said the company hoped the project would be the first of further developments.

He said: “We’ve built the business steadily over many years and have always taken a long-term approach. This development forms an important part of our future growth strategy and is something we’d like to build on in the years ahead.

“There is clear demand for flexible, modern commercial space in this part of South Wales.”

Commercial Property Fund

Since January, the Development Bank of Wales says it has invested almost £8m through its Wales Commercial Property Fund in projects expected to provide nearly 143,000 sq ft of new industrial space.

The fund provides loans of between £250,000 and £5m for office and industrial developments.

The bank says it has invested £34m in commercial property projects through the fund since 2017, resulting in more than 411,000 sq ft of space.

Alwyn Thomas, senior property development executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said the Baglan development would bring new commercial space to a “strategically important employment site” while supporting regeneration and future business growth.

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