A Blaenau Gwent company supplies life-sized models of dinosaurs across the UK to theme parks, businesses, and even celebrities. TOM MOODY visited its shop in Cwm

LIFESIZE Models has sold 25-foot T-rex to celebrities, been warned the sale of live dinosaurs is prohibited on social media selling sites, and – most recently – launched a campaign to find a missing model washed away by Storm Callum.

The company is certainly not your typical business.

From a warehouse in Cwm, the business designs, manufactures and supplies full-sized fibreglass resin models across the UK, and wider Europe.

Lucy Powell inherited the business from her father, with her brother Ben also on board.

She said: “My dad started the business after he saw similar models to the ones we make now while he was out in the Philippines.

“He decided to start importing them in 1998 and over the years he built up the business.

“But about two-and-half years ago he was thinking of selling up. Then I stepped in.

“I did it for a year and then Ben came on board. It’s taken off from there.

“Originally the business was called ALBA shed, but we were getting lots of enquires for garden sheds. So Ben came up with the name Lifesize Models, and we rebranded about a year-and-half ago.

“This has been our first full year as Lifesize Models. And it has been a very good year for us.”

The business was nominated for the ‘Family Business of the Year Award’ in the South Wales Argus Business Awards.

Ms Powell called it fabulous recognition.

“For our first year of trading it was great to be in the final three,” she added.

The business supplies life sized models to a number of attractions across the UK, including all the dinosaurs at Dan-yr-Ogof, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales.

They have also catered for a number of famous faces, including Boris Johnson, and former Oasis drummer Zak Starkey.

But Ben says he will never forget the day Hollywood director Tim Burton visited.

“Dad used to sell a lot on eBay and one day he got a phone call from someone saying that they’d like to buy some dinosaurs, and wanted to come and see him,” he said.

“A man with curly, fuzzy hair and glasses, who had these two big men with him showed up.

“Dad said that he didn’t know who it was at first, which is quite possible as he’s not one for celebrities.

“But it was Tim Burton and he loved what he saw. He bought some smaller models first, and we took them up to Oxford, which was where he was living at the time in a huge country estate.

“About three months later he bought about a load more, around 12 in total, including a 25-foot T-rex.”

The company hit the headlines in recent weeks when one of their dinosaurs at Dan-yr-Ogof caves was swept away in Storm Callum.

Ben added: “Some of their dinosaurs are close to the river and when the water levels rose, one of them got swept away.

“Once we found out about it we launched a campaign on social media, called #FindFred, to see if anybody had spotted him.

“Hopefully someone will find him and bring him back.

“It’s things like this that we love to do. Every day is different and every client we meet is different too.”

Lifesize Models also recently ran into to trouble selling their models on social media, with websites confusing the goods as prohibited.

Ms Powell said: “We have a Facebook shop, and some of the products were coming up as errors. We had a warning on a dinosaur saying that the selling of live animals is banned.

Follow a stellar first full year following the rebrand, Lucy and Ben are determined to keep growing the business.

Mr Powell said: “Even though I see the models every day, I still think how amazing they look. You really have to see them in the flesh.

“That’s why we are hoping to open up a showroom here in Cwm. We are looking to refurbish the front of the building, and it will hopefully help to put Cwm on the map.

“We are also looking to start making our own bespoke models in the future.”