About the Trust
Tom Parry Jones grew up on a farm on Anglesey with Welsh as his first language; he went to Carreglefn primary school followed by Sir Thomas Jones School at Amlwch. After a degree in Chemistry from Bangor University and a PhD in Canada he settled down to a lectureship at the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST), now Cardiff University. In the mid-1960s as the tougher drink-driving legislation became imminent, he was approached by an electrical engineer, Bill Ducie, who wanted to develop a British made chemical breathalyser based on colour change of potassium dichromate crystals. Tom quickly improved the test kit and a company, Lion Laboratories Ltd, was set up in 1967 with Ducie and four others, in a terraced house in a back street of Splott in Cardiff to manufacture the ‘Alcolyser’. It sold well and Tom Parry Jones the academic had turned businessman. In those days there was little support for academic scientists who wanted to run businesses and sources of venture capital were very limited. He raised the money needed for starting the business from colleagues and private investors including the chef from Park Hotel in Cardiff. He worked round the clock: in the University during the day and in his small factory during the evenings and at week-ends. There were other obstacles to overcome. The Home Office had awarded the contract to a German company and was buying all the breathalysers from abroad. So, the British market was closed to him. Undaunted, Tom decided to tackle the export market and established customers in South Africa, Australia, Sweden, the USA, France and Belgium before the UK Government belatedly approved his products. At one stage 98% of Lion Laboratories business was exports. In the early 1970s the US Government demanded a re-usable and accurate instrument and Tom proceeded to perfect Lion’s own prototype electronic breathalyser based on fuel cell technology. Within a year, his company put the hand- held ‘Alcolmeter’ on the market. It got worldwide approval. This was used by the police for roadside screening. It was accurate, compact, reliable and re-usable and the design won a series of awards, including the prestigious Queen’s Award for Technology in 1980. Orders came in from all over the world and Lion Laboratories became extremely successful. Tom was awarded the OBE in 1986. His company also developed the more sophisticated instrument used within the police station for evidential purposes, avoiding any need for blood or urine analyses. By now he had left academia and was working full time for the company. He maintained his links with the University by funding research and employing some of the star PhD students from the Chemistry Department. He attributed his success to team work and strong commitment to Research & Development; he spent more than 10% of his turn-over in improving the product and customising it for different users. His advice to small companies was to look beyond the home market. It was this philosophy which resulted in the significant growth of his company and its success throughout the world. More than 500,000 of Tom’s electronic breathalysers have been sold to over 100 countries worldwide. As a result, his invention of the electronic breathalyser, transformed the way that police forces were able to enforce drinking and driving legislation and reduce fatalities. In 1979 fatalities due to drink drive accidents were as high as 1,640 in the United Kingdom. By 2011, fatal casualties resulting from drink drive accidents had been reduced to 230 and a major contribution to this reduction was the effectiveness of Tom’s electronic breathalyser. This reduction in fatalities, resulting from drink drive accidents, has been repeated all over the world, from Australia to Russia, Europe to the Asia Pacific and both North and South America. A truly astounding achievement in saving lives on a global scale! The Company had moved to larger, purpose built, premises in Barry in 1981, where it continues to flourish. He sold his company in 1990 and came back to his roots on Anglesey. He could now realise one of his dreams - flying – and as someone who did not do things by half, and with a vision for improving the state of affairs, he pioneered charter flights between North and South Wales. He set up ‘Welsh Dragon Aviation’, which flew passengers from Mona Airport to Cardiff in his Sesna340 twin engine aircraft. He argued that it needed 6 passengers each way to make it viable. In those early days of no Welsh Assembly and no subsidy, he managed to keep it going from his own funds for nearly two years. He also quickly got involved in setting up the Snowdonia Business Innovation Centre (now BIC Innovation Ltd) jointly with the University and the local authorities to encourage enterprise and industry in North Wales. To date, BIC has helped and promoted well over 1000 companies. He set up PPM Ltd at Parc Menai for manufacturing monitors for formadehyde and glutaraldehyde. It was a radical diversification of the fuel cell technology that he had used for the breathalyser. They are used for detecting small proportions of these chemicals in locations like wood and garment factories and hospitals respectively. The company which he helped his employees to buy from him is still flourishing in Caernarfon as PPM Technology Ltd and selling its products globally including to its biggest buyer - China. Its MD, John Jones, found Tom an excellent mentor and has followed his business model and methods. Tom Parry Jones was much more than an inventor and a successful businessman, he was a humanitarian and philanthropist; he was passionate about the plight of others, particularly of the less fortunate. 50 years ago he became involved with the United Nations Association in Wales; he was a founding member of its Rumney branch in Cardiff area and served on the UNA’s Welsh Executive Committee. The Temple of Peace in Cardiff, the UNA’s Headquarters in Wales, which was built by Lord Davies of Llandinam to provide a focal point for the concern of the people of Wales for International peace gave rise to the Welsh Centre for International Affairs. Tom held many important offices. He was its Treasurer, Chairman and finally President from 1991-95. He was also a Trustee of the UK Freedom From Hunger Campaign and involved in the distribution of over £1 million to 57 projects around the world. He combined his love of flying with the work of UNICEF by launching his own special appeal in 1992 to mark his participation in the first Round the World air race for small aircraft . He competed in the race with his friend John Powell in a plane with the red dragon emblazoned on it. He raised £20,000 for humanitarian projects in Mali and Bangladesh. In 1995, at the age of 60 he accompanied Bill Davies, the Director of the Welsh Centre, and a close friend, on a charity walk from Cardiff to Abergele where the National Eisteddfod was being held. He was also a grass roots man and took a keen interest in the work of the International Youth Service which involved the Welsh youth in practical projects overseas. Tom was deeply committed to giving opportunities to young people to improve themselves and to realise their full potential. For many years he sponsored a sixth former from his old school in Amlwch to work in his company in Cardiff to gain work experience. He served as a Trustee of the highly successful Engineering Education Scheme for Wales (EESW) for nearly 20 years, which has encouraged many sixth formers into science and engineering as a career. He was elected a Fellow of Bangor University and remained its strong supporter; serving on its Council and various committees. He endowed a fund to promote science & engineering and entrepreneurship in young people, and it is used to stage the Bangor Science Festival. Bangor University paid a handsome tribute on his passing and declared that it had lost one of its most distinguished and cherished alumnus. A close friend described him as a “Renaissance Man” – there are so many facets to his extraordinary life. He had an enquiring mind, constantly searching for new horizons, a determination to succeed and help others to do so and to enjoy this success. He was not a self- centred man, he was not driven by an ego. He revelled in the opportunities that life afforded him and used his talent to the full. Tom, a true cosmopolitan in his outlook, was very proud of his Welsh heritage. He was a great ambassador for Wales on his travels abroad. He had a genuine enthusiasm for developing Wales’s future economy through enterprise and education. He was inducted an Honorary Druid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1997. The dedication of the Llangefni Police station to his memory would be a timely recognition of this outstanding Welshman of his generation. The Police Authority very aptly also propose to institute a Tom Parry Jones Annual Award within the force for the best innovative idea for improving policing. There are many people who can justifiably be remembered for making a difference but hardly anyone will be remembered for having saved countless lives of people throughout the world whom he did not know, and of those, few in turn would have known him! That is the unique achievement of Dr Tom Parry Jones who died on 11 January 2013. Tom Parry Jones certainly made a difference.