Miami
As a third-generation shooting instructor from Wales, Justin Jones was the perfect candidate to run the shooting school at the prestigious Gleneagles hotel in Scotland despite being only 19. But 20 years later (after teaching Hollywood luminaries Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg) Jones returned to work for the family business – an arable farm and shooting school in north Wales.
"Shooting was what I'd always done because it was in the blood but when I went back to Wales I wanted to do something different," he explains. "There have been three people who have been involved in my life as mentors –former racing car driver Jackie Stewart, Peter Lederer (Gleneagles chairman), and Tom Purves, who used to be chief executive of Rolls-Royce – and they got together to talk about what I should do."
In 2010, Jones's mentors suggested he should head to the US and get involved in networking and promoting British goods abroad. "They told me they would put me in touch with the right people so I took their advice and went to Miami."
Three strings to a bow
At the beginning of 2011, Jones launched a food importing business, Ready4, in Miami. "I thought the name would be something different. Ready4 Wales, Ready4 Britain – it could be anything. It's funny because I'm Welsh, I worked in Scotland and here I am promoting British goods in America," he says.
Jones quickly discovered his shooting skills were also in demand. "I was asked to be the resident professional instructor at the Trail Glades gun club in Miami," he recalls. "Having gone into the hotels to promote Ready4 products I went back to ask if I could take guests to the gun club and look after them, which the hotels agreed to."
The third string to Jones's bow happened by chance. "I'm friends with Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, whose sister Zara is married to England rugby player Mike Tindall. Peter brought Mike to Miami for his stag do, which I organised.
"I invited the British consul general, Kevin McGurgan, to join the rugby team for drinks one night and after that I was asked if I would like to be the new executive director of the British American Business Council (BABC) working with hotels and putting on major events in Miami, which couldn't have been better because it meant I could open more doors. All three tie together beautifully."
A fresh start
Jones adds: "I have friends who are small-business owners in Wales and they asked Ready4 to represent them in the US, which I've been doing for nearly a year.
"It was fairly straightforward launching a new business here. I got a licence to operate in Key Biscayne and then I went to the government offices and acquired a permit to trade. It took me no more than a month to arrange."
Jones now works with three products – Patchwork Pâté, Llanllyr Source Water and Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt. "It was relatively easy when I arrived – because of my experience I knew how to approach and get involved with hotels.
"One has to be careful when importing food to America. The water is certified organic, which makes a huge difference and the salt is quite straightforward, too. We just have to explain what it is on the customs forms then we ship the products in containers from Wales to Miami or Boston or New Jersey. But because the pâté is chicken-liver based and there are strict regulations, we must make that in New Jersey.
"I've employed a French chef and a Scottish distributor in New Jersey but apart from that it's just me and my wife promoting the products," he says.
The celery salt Jones imports surged in popularity after it was used at the royal wedding. "But the water is the most popular product. The singer, Rihanna, was pictured with a can recently, which was fantastic publicity."
He now works with several top Miami hotels including the Fountainebleau, the Brinkley, the Conrad, the Four Seasons and the Marriott.
He's upbeat about the future. After an encouraging last quarter in which orders rose, he says turnover this financial year should top $100,000 (£63,000) and within 10 years he expects Ready4 to gross $1m annually.
Jones adds: "We want to grow the Ready4 brands we look after and attract more, including English and Scottish ones. The aim is to grow the distribution company on the east coast because America is so vast you have to be realistic – the east coast alone is enormous."
Transatlantic trade
Jones's role as executive director of BABC takes up most of his time during the week. Formed in 1985 as a non-profit organisation, the BABC serves the growing transatlantic trade links between the UK and south Florida. The council has a trustee – law firm GrayRobinson – that specialises in helping UK business owners and traders acquire green cards.
"The council has lots of useful contacts, which is why I would advise people to join," Jones advises. "In Miami, relationships are key and being part of the council helps unlock doors in the business and venture capital community."
"My job involves networking, arranging social events and assisting British companies relocating to Miami. There are around 3,000 member companies but my goal is to build up the council membership and create programmes for the new year. We recently arranged a
European event with the German, French, Italian and Spanish chambers [of commerce] and hosted a cocktail party for 250 guests in a Miami hotel.
"There's a huge British contingent in the city and lots of them are using Miami as a gateway to South America because it has great trading prospects and is the perfect avenue for growing businesses."
Miami fact file
Population An estimated 400,000 in 2010.
Economy As the gateway to Latin America, Miami has seen a boom in trade in recent years. But tourism remains the principle industry.
Sights "A company called EcoAdventures (www.miamidade.gov/
ecoadventures) is really professional. It organises tours of the Everglades, on airboats as well as hiking, biking and kayaking," says Jones.
Food "In Miami there are lots of Cuban café-style restaurants that serve amazing sandwiches, which are made with ham and cheese, but my favourite restaurant has to be Zuma (www.zumarestaurant.com), which offers excellent Japanese cuisine and is superb for business meetings," he adds.
Where to stay
The Moroccan-inspired Shore Club (www.shoreclub.com) in South Beach offers a relaxed atmosphere with a Mediterranean-themed outdoor area. Mayfair Hotel & Spa (www.mayfairhotelandspa.com) in Coconut Grove provides indulgent travellers with a bit of luxury.
Getting there
Delta Airlines offers flights from Heathrow. A return economy seat including all taxes and fuel costs from £379. Business class fares start at £1,867. Or book through WEXAS at www.iod.com/travel (020 7838 5989).
Useful numbers
British American Business Council in Miami, 001 305 781 5177
The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), 001 305 539 3000
