A Monmouthshire businessman who sells rare and vintage drum kits is making a loud noise in the music world after setting up shop just six months ago.
Nick Hopkin, of Nick Hopkin Drums, operates from his new shop on Union Road in Abergavenny, where he restores old drum kits and sells them on to clients across the world.
Since he started the business back in April, Mr Hopkin, 40, has exported full kits and drum parts to America, Denmark, France, Spain and Australia. He has also been in demand with recording studios and has supplied equipment to Monnow Valley at Rockfield in Monmouth, which has played host to some of the world’s greatest artists.
Before setting up his business, Mr Hopkin approached the Centre for Business after reading about them online. The Centre for Business runs the Welsh Government’s Business Start Up Service and was able to offer him practical advice to help get the business off the ground.
Mr Hopkin explains: “I have always loved drumming and as a child I was always banging on pots and pans. As I grew older, I played in various bands and toured the country but got tired of the life style, and decided to settle down in Govilon with my wife and children.
“I began restoring an old drum kit as a hobby and was always online looking for spare parts. Most drum restorers do it as a hobby, and I quickly realised that there was a gap in the market for someone to be doing it full-time.
“I approached the Centre for Business whose advisor gave me some solid advice in the practicalities of starting a business. I then found my first premises, had a website built and since then orders have been coming in from over the world.”
As he is operating in such a niche marketplace, Mr Hopkin has relied on social media to promote his business. Contacts he has made through Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin have all helped to bring in business, and he has received personal endorsements from celebrity drummers, including the regular Paul Weller collaborator, Steve White.
Thanks to his growing reputation, Mr Hopkin has now been approached to catalogue and sell Europe’s single largest collection of drums.
Talking about his future plans, he said: “The future is definitely looking bright, but there is still a lot of hard work to do. I have hired equipment to various recording studios and would like to expand that part of the business. I would also really love to tap into the great theatre, television and film that is being made in Wales at the moment and supply production companies directly.”