Latest news with #Watford-based
The South African
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Where is former Springboks captain Francois Pienaar now?
Before Bryan Habana and Siya Kolisi became household names, Francois Pienaar was the most recognised face of the Springboks. He is best known for leading South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and is also referred to as the 'Lays guy' due to his appearances in numerous commercials for the brand. Pienaar was born in Vereeniging but completed high school in Witbank. He then enrolled at Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg), where he studied law. He made his provincial debut for Transvaal Province in 1989 and joined the Springboks squad in 1993, following South Africa's readmission to World Rugby. Two years later, he captained his team to their first Rugby World Cup triumph at Ellis Park, a moment regarded as one of South Africa's most iconic. The image of Pienaar receiving the trophy from Nelson Mandela became an iconic symbol of unity in post-apartheid South Africa. His stay with the national team was short-lived after he was controversially dropped from the Springbok squad after 29 caps by coach Andre Markgraaff in 1996. He then moved to Britain, where he became the player-coach for Watford-based club Saracens. After retiring from playing, Pienaar became Saracen's CEO but stepped down a couple of yeas later and returned to South Africa where he took on various roles within rugby, including CEO of the Rugby World Cup Bid Committee. He also worked as a rugby commentator and founded the 'Make a Difference' (MAD) charitable organization. On October 24, 2011, the former Springbok captain was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame. Despite stepping out of the limelight, Francois Pienaar has remained involved in numerous charities and regularly works as a rugby analyst and commentator. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wickes profits slide after weak demand for big-ticket home improvements
Wickes has revealed a drop in profits and sales for the past year after cash-strapped customers pulled back on big-ticket purchases. However, shares in the company lifted higher in early trading on Thursday after it pointed to a 'good start' to trading in 2025. It came as the home improvement retailer revealed that group revenues slipped by 1% to £1.55 billion last year, compared with the previous year. The slump was driven by 10.5% fall in sales from its design and installation business amid weaker demand from homeowners seeking to launch large renovation projects. However, resilient demand from shoppers for DIY products helped retail sales grow by 1.9% for the year. The Watford-based retail firm said this was also aided by strong growth among its trade customers. Retail sales have continued to grow over the first 11 weeks of 2025, with overall trading for the year so far 'in line' with company targets. Wickes highlighted that it has witnessed 'challenging' recent trading conditions but that the loss of sector rivals such as Homebase, Carpetright, CTD Tiles and Wilko is 'presenting an opportunity' for the firm. The group saw adjusted pre-tax profits drop by 16.2% to £43.6 million for the year, although this was at the 'upper end' of market forecasts. David Wood, chief executive of Wickes, said: 'We grew volumes and share throughout the year in retail as customers bought more of our products for their home improvement projects, however big or small. 'Given the strong progress over the last 12 months and the good start to Q1, we are well on track for the coming year.' Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: 'Wickes has delivered a mixed performance as it grapples with the ongoing squeeze on household budgets, but its value-focused offering has clearly helped to keep customers engaged.' Shares were up 5.7% in early trading on Thursday.
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Wickes profits slide after weak demand for big-ticket home improvements
Wickes has revealed a drop in profits and sales for the past year after cash-strapped customers pulled back on big-ticket purchases. However, shares in the company lifted higher in early trading on Thursday after it pointed to a 'good start' to trading in 2025. It came as the home improvement retailer revealed that group revenues slipped by 1% to £1.55 billion last year, compared with the previous year. The slump was driven by 10.5% fall in sales from its design and installation business amid weaker demand from homeowners seeking to launch large renovation projects. However, resilient demand from shoppers for DIY products helped retail sales grow by 1.9% for the year. The Watford-based retail firm said this was also aided by strong growth among its trade customers. Retail sales have continued to grow over the first 11 weeks of 2025, with overall trading for the year so far 'in line' with company targets. Wickes highlighted that it has witnessed 'challenging' recent trading conditions but that the loss of sector rivals such as Homebase, Carpetright, CTD Tiles and Wilko is 'presenting an opportunity' for the firm. The group saw adjusted pre-tax profits drop by 16.2% to £43.6 million for the year, although this was at the 'upper end' of market forecasts. David Wood, chief executive of Wickes, said: 'We grew volumes and share throughout the year in retail as customers bought more of our products for their home improvement projects, however big or small. 'Given the strong progress over the last 12 months and the good start to Q1, we are well on track for the coming year.' Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: 'Wickes has delivered a mixed performance as it grapples with the ongoing squeeze on household budgets, but its value-focused offering has clearly helped to keep customers engaged.' Shares were up 5.7% in early trading on Thursday.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watford firm recognised after making £2.5m since starting in 2018
The local founder of a Watford-based company which has brought in £2.5m in revenue since 2018 has received a Business Elite award. Lorenzo Luiso, from Kings Langley, started SEO agency Brick Digital to support businesses in the Hertfordshire area in 2018. It has since expanded to operate internationally, with clients across Europe and America. (Image: Brick Digital) Earlier this month, the business was named 'best SEO agency in Hertfordshire' in the SME News 2025 Business Elite Awards, which recognise the success of small and medium enterprises across the UK. Lorenzo said: 'It's a real honour to be named Hertfordshire's best SEO agency and for our team to be recognised as leaders in our field is really quite something. 'The advances in search technology and AI have presented some exciting challenges for us this year, but I'm proud of my team for their hard work and dedication to our clients.' The Station Road firm is not the Luiso family's first business venture in the town, with Lorenzo's grandfather having founded Dwyer Hire in Watford in 1972 before expanding the business with four branches in neighbouring counties. (Image: Brick Digital) Its Watford store remains in the family and Lorenzo still emphasises services to local businesses, despite expansion into the US market including the launch of US storefront on behalf of retailer The Wood Veneer Hub. 'One of the more recent additions to our client roster is Swan Windows, who are based in Rickmansworth', Lorenzo added. 'While there are obvious benefits to working with large-scale, international entities, there's still a lot of value in working with businesses in our local community.'Brick Digital has apparently driven estimate business profits of more than £10m for its clients and contributed to the creation of more than 100 jobs worldwide. The business says it offers a 'strategic approach' to SEO (search engine optimisation) to increase companies' reach, digital presence, web traffic, sales and growth, as well as boosting content marketing and PPC (pay-per-click) marketing. This has seen it having to deal with ongoing updates to search engine algorithms, changing search trends, and AI.
