Plymouth Family Business Guide Herald 2013

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Owners Anthony & Victor with TV presenter Simon Reeve

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 3

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY BUSINESS GUIDE

The Family Business Team are here to help

Advice and support

■ Ian Wood, editor of The Herald

■ The Plymouth Family Business team at Francis Clark, from left, Gordon Fox, Giles Hutchings, Martin Atkins and Tim Culverhouse

AROUND two thirds of all businesses in the UK are family owned and managed and the contribution they make to the economy is vast.

According to a 2011 report by the Institute of Family Business, the three million UK family businesses, predominantly comprised of small and medium-siz ed enter prises (SMEs), provide some 9.2 million jobs or 40% of all private sector employment. They generated revenues of £1.1 trillion in 2010 and are estimated to have contributed £81.7 billion in tax receipts to the UK Exchequer, or 14% of total government revenues in 2010.

However, despite the part that family businesses play in the UK economy, it is alarming to find out that so few of them are passed on through the generations. Figures from a 2009 survey reveal that only 30% of family businesses survived to the second generation and 10% into a third. The average life expectancy of a family business is only 24 years.

The South West probably has a greater concentration of family owned business than many other parts of the UK and the impact they

have on the regional economy is every bit as significant. In fact, it is no exaggeration to suggest they are the lifeblood of the regional economy and should be provided with as much help as possible to prosper, grow and survive the generations.

The Government can do its bit by cutting burdensome red tape, continuing with a low corporat i o n t a x r e g i m e, providing tax incentives and ensuring that taxation policy does not penalise or hamper succession and the transfer of ownership.

At Francis Clark, we have long recognised the value of family businesses and we act for many across the region supporting them in a variety of ways over and above the provision of accounts, audit and award-winning tax advice. This includes recognising and dealing with the dynamics of a family business which introduces a whole new

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level of complexity not experienced by non-family enterprises.

Family and business are two very different and often conflicting forms of organisation. Long term planning is important for family tensions and conflicts to be minimised, including inevitable inter-gene r a t i o n a l d i f f e rences, and to ensure successful succession and exit strate gies are in place.

These conflicts between the family and the business arise because there are effectively two different systems.

On the one hand the family is a socialistic system with emotion, relationship and love whereas the business is a more capitalistic system which is rational and in many cases money focussed.

Many of the issues that affect family businesses are discussed on pages 12 and 13 of this supplement and they include succession and family

The South West probably has a greater concentration of family owned business than many other parts of the UK

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dynamics; mediation and conflict resolution; corporate governance; estate administration; buy-sell agreements; exit strategies; intergenerational differences; business valuations and remunerating your long-term employees.

We also discuss on page 12 the benefits of developing a family constitution which can provide an agreed basis on which the business will be run and owned in the future.

Although every family business is different, there are clearly common threads in their reasons why this business structure is effective – trust, confidence, loyalty and mutual support are recurring themes when talking to owner/managers and these sentiments are often reciprocated by employees who have “become part of the family” and are assured that their well being is a big part of a family enterprise philosophy.

Resilience and a commitment to hanging on to what you and your family have worked for may go a long way to explaining why so many local family businesses survived the recession less damaged than their non family enterprise counterparts.

THE HERALD is proud to support Plymouth’s businesses, and particularly its family businesses – because they are the bedrock of the economy.

In the city, as throughout the country generally, family run firms provide employment, wealth and bind communities.

Where would we be without them?

The Institute for Family Business estimates there are about three million family fir ms in Britain.

Together they employ more than nine million people, contribute almost a quarter of the UK’s total GDP, and provide more than £81 billion in tax every year to the Chancellor’s coffers.

The Government estimates that 66 per cent of all UK businesses are now family owned.

And those nine million family firm employees represent 40 per cent of the entire private sector workforce.

It has even been suggested family firms account for 38 per cent of the total private sector turnover.

Some of the UK’s largest firms are family af fairs. Take for example JCB, Clarks, Warburtons and Dyson.

And in Plymouth we have fine examples of large firms still under family control too, such as The Range, Vospers, and Pipex px.

But for many, the image of a family firm is a small or medium enterprise (SME).

The Government estimates 62 per cent of the country’s 1.23million SMEs are family run.

Plymouth is very much a city of small businesses, with the Plymouth branch of the Federation of Small Business boasting about 1,100 members.

Many of these are family run.

And with a Government report last year highlighting family ventures as a “strong driver in economic recovery” it is clear they are here to stay – and vital for Plymouth’s and the UK’s future.

It is crucial, therefore, that we support these family firms. large and small, so they can continue to grow, prosper, bring jobs and wealth, and boost our economy.

Family matters

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Let’s keep it in the family Business editor

@WTelfordHerald

FAMILY-RUN businesses remain a mainstay of the Plymouth economy – and The Herald’s Business pages.

estate, where running the 2,500acre South East Cornwall plot not only gets passed down the generations – but also comes with the title Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.

But not all family firms are small affairs, as already pointed out.

Take Roborough’s stella composite manufacturer Pipex px, which in May opened an extension packed with £300,000 of new kit.

And Independent Utilities landed a ÂŁ150,000 boost from the Plymouth University and Western Morning News Growth Fund in July, creating a jobs boost.

Dairy business Lang age Farm, in family ownership, announced in September that it was expecting to reap profits from its ÂŁ4million bio g as plant.

Peter Vosper, chairman of the huge Vospers Group car dealership, featured on the front page of Business, in July, revealing how a surge in sales was helping the city’s economy.

And, of course, family firms were well represented when we handed out our annual Business Awards in April.

Among those nominated we r e M a n n a m e a d S t o r e s, Drakesgroup, The Range, Pipex px, Tanners, Fairway Furniture, Michael Spiers, The Original Pasty House, Peter Goord Travel, Langage Farm, and Underhill Engineering, some of which appear in the following pages.

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■Above, a view of Plymouth, and below, The Herald’s Business supplement

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INSIDE TODAY

‘Plymouth is a social news enterprise city’ –Festival Pages 8 & 9

City needs action from Government THE Government needs to by WILLIAM TELFORD do more to help Plymouth Business Editor @WTelfordHerald by taking decisive action on issues such as key transport links and devolving power, funds and even Whitehall departments to the region, the head of a major construction giant says.

Steve Hindley, chair man of Midas Group, feels Plymouth is set for lift-off as key high-quality developments, such as the Mount Wise housing scheme his firm is involved in, come on stream.

But he wants the Government to boost the area further by improving road and rail links to the region, acting to ensure South West firms get government contracts, and he is even calling for Whitehall departments to be shifted to the regions and leave an increasingly high-priced London to “the Russian tourists�. “We need to see the Government concentrating more on moving its own offices and administration to the regions,� he said. “Every time the Government talks about moving a ministry it gets stymied by the civil service – they need to put their foot down. “And we should not be having a

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REGIONAL APPROACH: Midas boss Steve Hindley wants more help from central government for regions like the South West debate about one infrastructure project like HS2,� he said. “We should be looking at the whole infrastructure of the country and how each region is developed.�

Among many key appointments, Mr Hindley has held is chairman of the CBI in the South West. He

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Barely a week has passed without a family-controlled enterprise, of some form or other, appearing in our Business pages

Family matters

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working alongside his two sisters – Vittoria Rixon and Carol Boyd – at Devonport’s V&V Hair and Beauty, which opened in September.

And there are father-son firms too, such as Wants, the expanding second-hand chain begun by Alan Horton and now under control of son John Horton.

Mother-daughter combinations work also, such as at the Barbican’s Flower Cafe, which combines tea-and-cake with a florists and is brought to you by Michelle Clark and her daughter Shelley Whiting.

While in Oreston, Annette Wood has brought daughter Jaimee into her cake business Dizzy’s.

And there are whole family controlled enterprises too, such as Stoke-based construction firm TPS Group, which is run

by Trevor and Bev Paddon, and their son Matt.

We have also featured Dartmoor Zoological Park, where boss Ben Mee and his relatives are perhaps the only Plymouth business family to have been portrayed in a hit Hollywood feel-good movie.

Some businesses have passed down through the generations.

In May, Business featured The Cabinet Supplies, a hardware store which has stood proudly on Union Street since 1928, and is now being run by Dave Sterne, grandson of the founder.

And not forgetting the enormous Mount Edgcumbe

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When we revolutionised our coverage of the city’s economic landscape earlier this year, producing a packed Business supplement inside the paper every Wednesday, it gave us even more scope to feature familyrun firms.

In the very first edition, on March 20, we featured Stonehouse oriental food wholesaler KW Brothers Ltd, started by the late Peter Wong and still with his widow Dawn on the board.

And since then barely a week has passed without a familycontrolled enterprise, of some form or other, appearing in our Business pages.

This has included the mighty – such as Chris Dawson’s The Range £500 million retail empire, in which the entrepreneur involves several family members – and the minnows.

Take for example, Jones & Champion, the Ebrington Street butchers shop, which we spotlighted in March when it hit it’s 50th anniversary – and still under family control.

We’ve covered various family business models. The husbandand-wife/life partners variety, for instance. Such as Stephen Barrett and Katrina Dawe, who started a daily pannier market in Liskeard in April.

Or Jo and Paul Woodcock, who opened Modbury Melodies music shop in the South Hams town in May. O r Te r r y a n d Vi c k y McCarthy, who celebrated 25 years behind the counter at the Mini Market in North Prospect Road, in June.

Not forgetting Emma and Alexander Allan, who run Plympton-based home care provider Bluebird Care.

Or Marion and Bob Bignell, who set up their plaster cast cover enterprise Cover My Cast in Whitleigh, two years ago, and launched it as a limited company in August.

Then there is art dealer Trevor Horswell and his wife Marie Hewitt who are transforming the Royal William Yard’s admir-

20.11.2013

by WILLIAM TELFORD

alty house into a gallery, tea room and business space.

Just last week Sonia Hall and Alex Hosking rebranded their Surplus Weee recycling social enterprise as Collectricals.

In Plymouth City Market, husband-and-wife teams abound, such as Mark and Fiona Kelly’s Nuthouse, and Joe Brown’s fruit and veg stall, run alongside partner Cathy Mills.

But perhaps it is the hospitality trade where couples are most prevalent.

Just look at some of Plymouth’s best known independent restaurants.

Garry Morris and Negesti Goodwin have made a startling success of Sprouts in Union Street.

Not far away is the Rock Salt eatery, run by Chantel and D av i d Je n k i n s, wh i c h i n September was included in the prestigious Good Food Guide, a mere two years after opening.

And Jamie and Paula MacLeod-Johnstone took over the running of The Chancel, in St Andrew’s Street, two years ago, growing it from a wine bar into a full diner.

Meanwhile, Joe Wadge and B e c c a S p e a re o p e n e d t h e Samphire Brasserie, in Mayflower Street, this year, specialising in a vegetarian and vegan menu.

And Katie Easter and Phil Hague lifted the shutters at the Real Food Kitchen, at Quay Point on the Barbican, in July, selling foods which are grown locally.

The newly opened Zuzimo, in Vauxhall Street, is also run by a husband-and-wife team.

And hotels can be included too, such as the South Hams’ 104-year-old Port Light Hotel, run by Sean and Hazel Hassall.

But not all family restaurants are run by couple’s. Mehdi Taheri’s catering and diner business, which includes Bretons ide’s Bed and Exeter Street’s Heaven, is essentially a family enterprise.

And among the many restaurant businesses run by members of the Hajiyianni family is the landmark New Continental Hotel, in Millbay Road, which next year has been in the family’s control for 30 years.

And then there are Plymouth’s two most famous sibling chefs: the Tanner Brothers.

In May, Chris and James revealed they were extending their Barbican Kitchen restaurant, while continuing to keep the flagship Tanners among the city’s top culinary attractions.

The sibling style venture is also epitomised by the rapidly expanding Independent Utilities utility brokerages and energy reduction firm, set up by brothers Chaz and Joedy Lawrence.

Victor Rixon, however, is

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 5

CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY

■ Acquisitions and rentals by businesses are on the increase and the same applies across the residential market. The increased demand is impacting directly on associated construction services, from architects to ground workers and plasterers

Harrisons ticks all the right boxes HARRISONS BUILDERS

EATING, breathing and living the business has been a price well worth paying according to Linda Harrison of Harrisons Builders Limited as she and her husband Bruce can see a tangible relationship between effort and reward.

The business started out in 1987 with Bruce undertaking general building services and Linda keeping the books from their home in Hooe. It was formalised into a partnership before incorporating in 2002 as Bruce Harrison Builders Limited. Earlier this year the decision was taken to re-brand the company to Harrisons Builders Limited.

“The penalty you pay is that you can’t switch off,” said Linda.

“People can see some of the benefits we have derived from our hard work but they don’t see the difficult bits, like the sleepless nights and the extremely long hours we have had to put in.”

The business, now based in St Judes, has steadily grown over the years.

There has been considerable investment in equipment, health and safety and other training initiatives for its employees to ensure Harrisons Builders Limited tick all the boxes required for potential clients and this is reflected in the quality of their commercial customers who include Plymouth City C o u n c i l , P ly m o u t h C o m m u n i t y Homes Limited and Punch Taverns.

Linda said: “We have built the business on providing a personal, friendly service and this applies to both domestic and commercial clients.

“Bruce is definitely of the ‘o ld school’ breed; meeting every customer personally and never treating anyone as just a number or an account.

“We have been lucky to have loyal staff and we all strive to work together.

“We have considered the issue of succession and have talked to our two eldest children, Scott and Yasmin, who recently agreed to come on board.

They will eventually have a lot of responsibility maintaining our high

■ From left, Linda Harrison, Scott, Bruce and Yasmin reputation and keeping the business going.

“Scott is 24 and is currently out learning the trade on site.

“Unlike Br uce’s traditional approach, he is of the new generation and will embrace change easily and quickly, particularly in terms of IT, the pace of changing legislation and health and safety issues. Yasmin, who

Scaffolding is in the blood for Tony Glynn Although the business was established by Tony Glynn in 1986, scaffolding is truly in the Glynn family’s blood as Tony’s father Brian was engaged in the trade in the 1970s. Today, managing director Tony’s daughter Jenna is a director and company secretary with her brother Simon a director and scaffolder and their uncle Steve, an advanced scaffolder.

The business employs seven people with a combined experience of over 100 years in scaffolding and operates from offices at Aveton Gifford near Kingsbridge with a yard on the River Plym Embankment. It services both domestic and commercial markets including sub-contracting to the construction sector and provides tube

LTC GROUP87 LTD

A PLYMOUTH man who founded a scaffolding business 26 years ago has seen it grow into a construction services company with turnover of more than £5 million a year,

■ From left, Steve Glynn, Tony, Jenna and Simon and fitting scaffolds with the capacity to supply system scaffolding and containment scaffolding.

Tony Glynn said: “Most of our work comes from referral and recommendation and we believe this is a direct result of operating as a family unit. We have a more personal approach where we provide a guaranteed, reliable service.

“We meet regularly to review the jobs we have on and who is doing what. Any issues are easily resolved because we are a close knit unit and work together to get the job right every time.”

Jenna Glynn added: “O ur reputation is fundamental to us winning work but we have

ing with the mountain of red tape and legislation we are faced with.

“Bruce and I will be around for a little while yet, until Scott and Yasmin are ready to take over completely.

“However, we know we will experience what many other family business founders have undergone – the difficulty of letting go because we’ve always done everything ourselves.”

Team is hand selected

TONY GLYNN SCAFFOLDING

IN a tough, competitive market, Tony Glynn Scaffolding achieves its competitive edge through its reputation for consistency and reliability, qualities that a family run business can guarantee.

is 22, has now started her two-year (day release) accountancy course and is learning the administrative side of the business which is quite a challenge for a business like ours in the construction industry.

“It would help us, and many others, if the Government could offer more support for family businesses in deal-

ensured we back this up with some relevant accreditations.

“We are CITB registered and ISO 9001:2008 approved. This means we undergo an annual audit so we are able to demonstrate our health, safety and security credentials and that our service meets customer and all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

“Although my grandfather never worked in the family business, you could say my brother and I are third generation scaffolders. We haven’t any plans for a fourth generation yet but it would be good to keep the name of the family business going.

“My mum Anita certainly would like a grandchild.”

Trevor Chinn is still is charge as chairman and majority shareholder at LTC Group87 Ltd, with daughter Katie Chinn as company secretary and training director.

Trevor’s nephews Adam Chinn and Dan Pask, work for the company as lorry drivers, and his stepson, Harvey Smith, is sales representative.

“I’d like to think the company will continue with my daughter and grandchildren into the future,” Trevor said. “It is nice to see family members progressing within the business.

And there are other members of the team who are almost family.

“The team has been hand selected by me over the years. Many of us have known each other for a long time and there’s a strong bond.

One member of the team, Kevin Court, went to primary and secondary school with me.”

Trevor started the business in 1987 as a sole trading scaffold company, which a decade later became LTC Specialist Scaffolding Ltd. The business has grown from ten employees in 1987 to 130.

Diversification saw the birth of LTC Powered Access in 1999 with the purchase of self-propelled booms, diesel scissor lifts and electric scissor lifts. This division has boomed and now has a fleet of almost 150 access platforms serving the South West.

francisclark.co.uk

■ Mike Burr, Trevor Chinn, Katie Chinn and Rob Wills In 2001, LTC opened a depot in Redruth which initially offered scaffolding but is now home to all four of the company’s divisions.

In 2007, LTC Training Services obtained accreditation for powered access and aluminium towers training, and in 2009 built a 500 sq m scaffolding training centre.

In 2008 the company name changed to LTC Group87 Ltd as it went from being a scaffolding company to a complete access solution firm incorporating four divisions: LTC Specialist Scaffolding, LTC Powered Access, LTC Training Services and LTC Hoists.

It opened another depot in Plymouth in 2011 for the powered access, transport and hoist elements. LTC’s latest project was the construction of an office block in Redruth.

Trevor said his plan now is to “continue to look for any new opportunities for growth”.

“The company has been successful because of our dedication to hard work and attention to detail,” he said.

Family matters

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6 Wednesday November 27, 2013

The Herald: Family Business Guide

RETAIL

■ With changes in shoppers’ buying habits and increased Internet sales together with escalating lease terms, is it any wonder that many of Plymouth’s best-loved local businesses are finding it hard on the high street?

Businesses which move with the times while maintaining their values and securing the right location are continuing to flourish

Beacon is a shining light in the market BEACON SOUTH WEST

A PLYMOUTH family business set up in 1976 is going from strength to strength – with the day-to-day running now in control of the founder’s two sons.

Beacon South West is actually two businesses: Beacon Electrical and Beacon Blinds.

Selling electrical appliances is a cutthroat business dominated by the Internet. But while giants like Comet have gone under, Beacon Electrical has thrived, thanks to a combination of keen pricing and customer service.

Chris Higgins left school at 15 and in 1959 went to work in Devonport Dockyard as an electrical fitter.

He worked his way up to become a design draftsman and in 1976 started Beacon Blinds, measuring and fitting blinds when he was still working in the dockyard.

Sensing the decline of the yard, he left in 1979 and bought two shops in North Down Road – one with a showroom for blinds and the other for the electrical side of the business, called Beacon Electrical.

In 1981, both businesses moved to Beacon Park, where they remain today.

The business grew rapidly and in 1983, Chris added a shop in Plymstock, followed by a shop in Totnes in 1988.

In 2004 another branch was opened in Stuart Road, Pennycomequick, which specialises in large appliances and cookers.

Chris and his wife Sue are both still involved with the Beacon empire, but have handed over most of the load to their co-directors, their sons Mark and Nick.

Beacon South West Ltd now turns over £4 million a year, with the electrical shops employing 30 workers and the blinds shop five. Over the years, the business has expanded to include a

■ Chris Higgins and wife Sue, centre, and sons Mark, left, and Nick, right wide range of electrical products including cookers, washing machines, phones and televisions.

It has developed its website and is part of the Euronics buying group, which allows it to compete on price with bigger names like Curry’s.

The business also remains competitive because of the family’s long-

standing policy of owning freehold properties rather than leasing, thus keeping overheads low.

Although customers can buy direct from the website, Mark said he much prefers them to visit one of the showrooms to talk to staff about their needs and tap into their expert knowledge.

“We are a family business and we

like to meet our customers face to face; we treat them as human beings, not numbers,” he said.

“The family works together very well, and we pass this on to our staff, most of whom have worked for us for a long time and are like an extended family. We all have a desire to move the business forward and have survived well through the recession.

“Beacon Blinds has enjoyed three successive record years and Beacon Electrical two successive record years.”

Mark said that there are plans to expand again in 2014 with a new shop in South Devon, which will strengthen the firm’s ability to service its target customer base of Plymouth, South Devon and East Cornwall.

“Washing machines, cookers and TVs are fairly major purchases, and we would much rather people come and speak to us and get proper, honest, impartial advice,” he said.

“We also deal with heating and lighting, and while there is a lot of confusion about light bulbs, we can advise about the best and most economical way to light your home.”

Looking to the future, he said: “The economy is still quite fragile, but for us, everything is looking very good.”

Drakes is complete jewellery package, says Andrew DRAKES

“The grandchildren of our original customers are buying from us to this day,” said Andrew Hirshman, director of Drakes who sees this as a testimony to the family values at the centre of this highly successful business.

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

“ To b e s u c c e s s f u l i n a n extremely competitive market you need the complete package: a strong and dynamic brand, inspiring and unique products, an exceptional in store experience with highly trained and knowledgeable staff and second to none customer service.

“These are the objectives and the values by which we run the business.”

The business was created as Plymouth Silversmiths in Ebrington Street in 1947 by Andrew Hirshm an’s grandfather Harry. His father John joined from school at

15 and is now semi retired after working for more than 50 years.

The business, which has undergone a few changes of name in its history, is now run by Andrew Hirshman, who controls the finance, together with his sister Monique.

Andrew said: “The business was flourishing, but prior to 2006 we were only running two retail outlets.

“Since we moved into Drake Circus, where we are the only independently owned retailer, the business has gone from strength to strength and we now have nine retail outlets from Truro to Bournemouth with five being specialist PANDORA stores and two Swarovski stores. This positions us at the forefront of the market.

“We have also had to learn and adapt on the way. Mall shopping, with its extended hours and multiple retailers, is a different kind of experience to high street shopping and you have to provide the right experience for your custom-

ers if you are going to get the best out of it.

“We adapted easily. We are very close with no family conflict. We are completely in tune with each other and are the best of friends.

This makes it easy to demonstrate our goals and ambitions to our 100 or so employees.

“Everyone we employ has a name and everyone has a voice.

Training is high on our agenda because it not only improves the customer experience, it engages and motivates our staff so it’s a sound investment.

“It’s important for us to release control and take on an increasingly strategic role. We see our store managers as leaders and not just caretakers for our stores.

“It’s this type of open culture and mutual support which will provide the structure for a new and exciting business plan to include a complete upgrade of our flagship store in Drake Circus.”

■ Andrew Hirshman and Monique Manfield and (inset) John Hirshman

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Family matters

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 7

Glittering future for jeweller’s sixth generation WRAY & CO

JEWELLERS Wray & Co is a glittering example of succession planning – the latest family member to join the business represents the sixth generation.

Nineteen-year-old Andrew Statton junior is learning the business from the ground up, just as his forefathers did.

His father, Andrew Statton senior, and mother Karen Statton are managing director and company secretary respectively.

“Andrew junior is on minimum wage and working his way up from the bottom,” said Karen. “He joined us just last year.”

Wray & Co buys and sells antique pre-owned jewellery.

The firm was started in Plymouth in 1887 by William G Capps, having served his watchmaker apprenticeship in the 1860s.

William’s son Reginald William Capps, after finishing his apprenticeship, opened a shop in Westwell Street using the name Wray – his mother’s maiden name – as his father was still trading as WG Capps.

In the Blitz, stores in Union Street and Old Town Street were destroyed, but Reginald continued to trade – from the front window of a chemist.

Post war, he was joined by son-in-law Herbert Statton, who in turn was joined by his son Richard.

In 1963 the current premises in New George Street were opened.

The shop is now run by Richard’s son Andrew who joined the business 1985.

In 2006 the business opened a second shop, in Kingsbridge, which includes a jewellery workshop – run by another family member: nephew Lee Molseed.

Karen said the business’s ethos is to continue as a stable family business.

“It’s about offering a service, not making multimillions,” she said. “It’s a hard task out there, but we are offering something to our customers they possibly can’t get anywhere else.”

She stressed that includes the “customer service and care” at a degree only a family business can provide.

“A lot of people come in and ask for Andrew himself,” she said. “We’re not about being cut-throat and reaching targets, but we’re about customer service, which is what makes long-term customers.”

Aside from the family, Wray & Co employs eight people.

The business has just refitted the front of both shops.

And just last month, Wray & Co was named Plymouth City Centre Company Business of the Year at The Herald’s City Centre and Waterfront Awards.

“That came out of the blue – we were gobsmacked,” Karen said.

Lawsons looks forward to 110th anniversary

■ Andrew Statton, right, and his son, also called Andrew

LAWSONS

A FOURTH-generation Plymouth family firm is looking forward to its 110th anniversary next year.

But while traditional service is at the core of Lawsons hardware and kitchenware business, it also moved into online retailing as long ago as 2000.

Lawsons was founded in 1904

by Tom Lawson in Frankfort Street, supplying tools to the dockyard and to apprentice craftsmen.

In 1910 he started another business with in-laws from Guernsey, this time a market garden growing tomatoes and grapes. This boomed during the Second World War, though the shop was Blitzed in March 1941.

But by May, Lawsons had rented a shop in Compton Street, the business expanding into selling cutlery and toys.

In 1952, when Plymouth was rebuilt, Lawsons moved to New George Street, where it stayed for 50 years. By this time, Tom had retired and his son Francis oversaw the two businesses.

In 1971 Francis’s son John Lawson came into the firm with his wife Jennifer. They noticed the popularity of kitchenware and started to promote this. In 1979 Lawsons acquired a shop in Totnes and in 1992 a third shop in Tavistock.

Two years later, Liz Lawson, John’s daughter, joined as manager in Tavistock, succeeding

■ Liz Lawson and her father John her father as managing director four years later.

In 2000, Lawsons started trading on the web. Three years later, anticipating the success of the planned Drake Circus mall, Lawsons moved to Cornwall Street, also opening a warehouse. In 2006 Lawsons bought an Ivybridge hardware business.

Liz is still managing director, her father and brother Tom are directors. Lawsons employs about 70 people, plus temporary staff at Christmas.

Ms Lawson said: “A good 20 to 25 per cent of our staff have been with us a long time. We have a paternal outlook: take care of staff and they take care of you.

“It’s a family business in every sense, other families have worked for us for multiple generations. We are looking forward to 110 years of trading.”

Ms Lawson said key to the

company’s success was listening to customers and being prepared to change.

“We look at business strategically, following a five-year plan,” she said. “For example, we felt Drake Circus would change the city and moved close to it three years before it arrived. In Tavistock, we started selling school uniform after discovering the only shop selling it had closed and parents could buy only online.”

Ms Lawson said Internet sales accounted for about six per cent of takings, but even online customers benefited from quality products, good service and specialist knowledge.

“We have got to embrace the internet with our customer service ideals,” she said. “But I don’t believe everybody is shopping online, because people are social animals and shopping’s a leisure activity.”

francisclark.co.uk

Family matters

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 9

RETAIL

Larry heads an empire at 80 LARRY SPEARE

LARRY Speare sold his first carpet as a 15 year-old apprentice in 1948. Now 80, he’s still enthusiastically selling carpets – only now he’s the boss of a thriving family furnishing empire.

His present freehold premises in Rendle Street cost £600,000 to redevelop 28 years ago and would cost up to £200,000 a year to rent.

Lar ry’s entre preneurial streak emerged at an early age.

One of six children living with their parents in a tiny cottage, he would get up early to pick mushrooms and berries to sell to local shops. At 15, he became an apprentice at a local furniture shop, rising to assistant manager.

His break came when Charles Edwards, a former Guards officer turned carpet rep, offered to increase his £9-a-week salary to an unimaginable £20 if he would turn around the fortunes of troubled carpet firm.

Larry did, and was so successful that decided to go into business for himself.

He sold his only asset – a Ford Anglia – to take out a lease on a shop in Cor nwall Street in 1965, Charles Edwards joining him as a partner and sourcing the carpet stock.

■ Larry Speare with his wife Shirley, front, and sons Henry, David and Kenny Larry said: “We had nothing but success.”

After a year, they opened a second shop, followed by 11 more shops in the next decade, all operating in different names and competing with each other.

But hit by competition from national chains, they reduced their premises to two, took one each and went their separate ways.

Larry said: “Our property in Rendle Street was an old garage with a cobbled floor and a tin roof that was so full of

holes that when it rained we had to put out about 30 buckets.

“But we did very well, and when the council condemned the roof as dangerous we bulldozed the place and built a 30,000 sq ft showroom.

“I built the place with Shirley and three staff. We worked seven days a week and took no holidays for three years.

“Then we bought the garage next door and extended the store for hundreds of rolls of carpet.

“I found if I boasted you could buy a bed or carpet and have it delivered the same day, I had to keep huge stocks.”

Famed for wacky adverts in The Herald and on local radio, Larry and Shirley saw their enterprise grow.

They still work in the business themselves and have 13 other staff, including sons David, Kenny and Henry.

Larry said: “I have been extremely lucky, and lucky in marrying Shirley; we built the business together.

“I have no plans to retire – this is my life and I love it.

“When I’m gone Shirley will stay in the business and I like to think my great-grandchildren will run it one day.”

Good relations are the secret for Fairway FAIRWAY FURNITURE AT Fairway Furniture all 24 shareholders are related and managing director Peter Harding is the sixth generation of Hardings to head the business.

Peter’s father, John Harding, retired last year, but is still chairman. Founded in 1856, the business changed its name from Harding and Sons Ltd in 1976, and Peter said customers are either those who have no idea Fairway Furniture is a family business, or long-term customers.

The company, whose headquarters and largest showroom, at 30,000sq ft, is in Billacombe Road, also has stores in Tavistock, St Austell and Newton Abbot, plus a distribution centre at Lee Mill.

It employs nearly 70 people and is expected to turn over between £10 million and £12 million this year. Profitability has tripled.

Peter said one reason for Fairway’s success is its membership of

■ Fairway’s Peter Harding Associated Independent Stores, of which he is a director. The nonfood buying group is a 650-member nationwide mutual co-operative.

Peter admitted the hot summer had been a tough time for furniture sales, which happily are now picking up with a strengthening economy. “When you have a strong reputation, you can get through most things,” he said.

“We are now looking to expand by opening more stores, probably in the South West.”

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Family matters

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10 Wednesday November 27, 2013

The Herald: Family Business Guide

MANUFACTURING

■ Capital funding projects, research and development tax credits, energy usage and exports can all be used to enhance what businesses offer. There are many government incentives available for such work and this is helping maximise the competitive edge, providing plenty of opportunity for profitable growth

Father’s vision and motivation has ‘rubbed off’ PIPEX PX

PIPEX Limited was established in 1975 by its current chairman Alan Smith and today remains a successful privately owned, family run, specialist UK based manufacturing, engineering and construction business.

The Pipex px Group of companies provide design, manufacture and flexible technical support services for the supply and installation of innovative FRP composite and thermoplastic products and systems to construction projects and applications with market sectors including oil and gas, chemical and industrial, marine, offshore and subsea, power and renewables, waste and civil construction.

The award-winning business has grown substantially in recent years and now employs around 120 people at its Roborough headquarters in Plymouth, a sales operation in the South East and a manufacturing facility in Glasgow.

In addition to the chairman, family members employed by the business include his son Tom Smith, who is joint chief executive, and his daughter, Sarah Raynor as marketing director.

Sarah’s husband David Raynor is also part of the sales team in Plymouth.

Sarah Raynor said: “My father started the business in the South East and it spent 15 years in Tiverton before moving to Plymouth some eight years ago.

“He had a vision for raising his family in a Westcountry environment.

He is very passionate about the business and his motivation has rubbed off on us. We are all very committed and have great trust in each other. The family business model is powerful for us in terms of having control over our

■ Alan Smith, centre front, with the Pipex executive board own destiny. We can minimise internal red tape, take quick decisions and be responsible for our own actions. We operate at a fast pace and it’s very dynamic.

“We have inherited a ‘can-do’ mentality and we continually strive to do what’s right for the business. Succession is planned but each of us has had to earn our place in the business and to

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“We have been successful because we offer a whole package to our customers in that we design, manufacture, train, install and maintain.

“We have also invested consistently in bespoke machinery and were able to maintain good profits throughout the recession.

“Working within a family business does come with some challenges. Overenthusiasm means you want to do everything all of the time and this can lead to a lack of focus.

“Strong characters with strong views also require systems and procedures that transcend personal opinion.”

Pipex has a robust social respons-

ibility programme donating five per cent of profits each year to local charities and makes an annual contribution to an alternative carbon offset programme which restores working wetlands.

The business runs an apprenticeship scheme and has a full range of industry accreditations including Investors in People.

Everyone gives 100 per cent MORRIS ENGINEERING

SPEED of response, trust and the confidence that everyone is giving 100% are some of the benefits of running a family business according to Andrew Smith the financial director of Plympton based Morris Engineering Limited.

The precision engineers’ core business is providing components for the aerospace, gas, defence and oil sectors and its success is derived from a strong customer base, long standing business, long serving staff and a strategy of continued investment in machinery to ensure the company is equipped to meet changing industry demands.

Owner/chair man Roger Mor ris established the business in 1983 with the current managing director Tim Winzer and it has grown consistently since moving from Chantry Court in Plympton, then to Langage Business Park, and

francisclark.co.uk

■ Tony Dyer, Andrew Smith and Tim Winzer later into a 25,000 sq ft modern facility on Newnham Industrial Estate where it now employs 42 staff.

Roger Morris has both his sons-in-law working in the company – Antony Dyer is production director, and Andrew Smith is financial director. Tim Winzer is the managing director and he has been with Roger for around 40 years.

“In fact, we have a lot of long-serving

employees and this is probably due to the ethos of a family owned and managed operation. There is an attitude of getting the job done. Everyone has a role to play and they are given discretion and responsibility to perform it and this goes right through the ranks. “ We re m a i n e d bu s y a n d g rew throughout the recession as a result of our investment programme and anticipating what the market wants. It has been a family decision to continually reinvest profits into the company to ensure we remain at the forefront of technology and to secure jobs. We are now one of the biggest machine shops in Plymouth.

“Investment has kept us strong and competitive and this has been supported by the commitment of staff, by amassing the right accreditations over time, the business is currently working towards Investors in People, and using the latest software systems, and technology to deliver best practice and added value. It is also very important to have the support of your bank along the way.”

Family matters

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 11

Making tracks to a £58m turnover

BANDVULC GROUP

TYRE recycling company Bandvulc Group was started by two brothers and has grown into a family business turning over £58 million a year.

The Ivybridge-based fir m has become one of Europe’s leading makers of remoulded truck tyres.

In fact a Bandvulc tyre is fitted every two-and-a-half minutes.

Seventy per cent of the UK’s groceries are delivered on Bandvulc tyres.

And the three main German cities – Berlin, Hamburg and Munich – specify Bandvulc tyres for their refuse trucks.

So it’s fair to say the firm has been steadily on the road to success since being formed by brothers John and Richard O’Connell in 1971.

Today they are still directors and other members of the family are involved too.

John’s son and daughter Patrick O’Connell and Jane Fussell are managing director and finance director respectively, and Richard’s son Ryan O’Connell is also a director.

It is intended that the family retains control of the business, and Richard said: “The company becomes part of

the family structure and is not so much a career as a way of life.”

Bandvulc aims to be the most innovative tyre recycling company in the market.

It is the only independent tyre retreader in the UK to have its own compound mixing works, tyre management and tyre support call-handling facility under one roof.

When it was founded it was producing just 35 tyres per week – today, 3,500 tyres are produced and undergo stringent testing each week.

The Bandvulc Group employs about 370 people with all its manufacturing carried out at its Lee Mill Industrial Estate plant.

There is also a distribution warehouse in Wigan and a tyre fitting division, which is called tyre maintenance, has its head office in Leeds and depots there and in Washington, Lutterworth, Nottingham and Luton.

They are examples of the firm’s continued growth.

It’s state-of-the-art tyre processing facility, called Camelot, was opened by Princess Anne, and the Arthurian theme spread throughout the company to include Galahad (integrated call/ fleet management software), Merlin (unique tyre production tracking system), Arthur (process control) and

■ Patrick, John, Jane Fussell, Richard and Ryan O‘Connell Ector (preventative maintenance system).

Devon Rubber was started in 1980 to provide quality rubber specifically for Bandvulc tyres. At its testing and development laboratory new compounds are created in-house for rolling resistance, increased mileage and spe-

Sons are the core workforce

cific applications, such as the waste market.

Bandvulc Tyre Contracts (BTC) continues to expand its tyre management business.

In 2009 the firm introduced a “disaster recovery office” offsite to ensure tyre management continues in the

event of a “major catastrophe” at head office. BTC Tyre Support Unit gives customers the ability to select the best service provider and ensure vehicles are kept running.

Richard said: “The company is now considering expanding into van tyre retreading.”

DT PLASTICS

TRUSTWORTHINESS and reliability are key advantages to employing family members.

A n d b u s i n e s s p a r t n e r s Te r r y Luscombe and Dave Beckwith should know: their core workforce consists of Terry’s sons Aaron and Scott and Dave’s son David.

Their firm DT Plastics started with “two men and a van” 14 years ago and has steadily grown.

From one small unit, then two, it now occupies 1,600 square feet on the Parkway Industrial Estate at Marsh Mills and turns over approaching £500,000 a year.

Terry said: “One way to spruce up your home, add value and kick the kerb appeal up a notch, is to replace your old windows with new uPVC ones, install new doors or add a contemporary conservatory.

“Whether you are a keen DIYer or prefer to leave jobs to the professionals, DT Plastics has the know-how to get your project moving.

“Our friendly and professional approach makes sure that you get the right advice at the best price.”

The company supplies guttering, underground drainage, a range of windows, conservatories, cladding, doors and specialist decking to homeowners looking to make the most of their homes’ outside appearance. It also has a trade counter.

Terry said: “I price all the work and do installations two days a week.

“Having our sons working for us is great because we know they are reliable and trustworthy. They know they are working for their own future, because

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■ Terry Luscombe with sons Scott, left and Aaron, right we want to hand the business over to them one day.

“Our business has really grown, and it has been quite easy to compete. People

come to us because we are not just employees of an international company, it’s our own business and they know we will give them good service.”

francisclark.co.uk

Family matters

12 Wednesday November 27, 2013

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

FAMILY BUSINESS CONSULTING

Meet the Francis Clark Plymouth Family Business Team

‘Baby Boomers’ need This immense transfer of wealth requires specialist expertise to ensure that succession is planned for and maximises the benefits to the parties involved.

The Francis Clark family business team specialises in advising on the financial implications of success such as tax and estate planning as well as the many factors that can and do influence the process including family dynamics and intergenerational transfer of wealth and power within these businesses.

■ Succession and family dynamics Passing on a business to a family member is an entirely different prospect to disposing of it to a third party.

Family dynamics often mean the seller can be under considerable pressure to accept a less favourable deal in order to facilitate the acquisition for a family member.

Understanding and managing the dynamics at play is vital in these circumstances, but expert advice will be needed to overcome the emotional and financial obstacles involved and can structure realistic deals that are fair to all parties.

■ Mediation and conflict resolution There are many sources of conflict within family owned businesses which are often exacerbated by having no formal systems and processes to deal with them. Conflict may arise because of business issues, family issues or ownership issues each impacting on

the other and this may require the introduction of specialist mediators.

■ Corporate governance

Formal systems and procedures are usually the last thing on the founding fathers of a family business but become crucial as the

Defining your hopes and dreams IF you run a family owned business, you might think about asking yourself some simple, but highly important questions.

TIM CULVERHOUSE tim.culverhouse@francisclark.co.uk Working in Plymouth but living in rural West Devon means Tim sees a whole range of businesses from agricultural to manufacturing where he helps owner managed and family businesses plan for succession and facilitates those often difficult conversations.

“When your boardroom table doubles as the kitchen table, ensuring business and family matters don’t result in conflict can feel like walking a tightrope. With the right approach and our involvement in regular board meetings we can help identify any mitigating conflict or disagreement before it happens with techniques to ensure all parties reach an amicable solution.”

Wednesday November 27, 2013 13

■ Francis Clark reflects on the top ten services offered with Family Business Consulting and also the benefits of a family constitution

to plan for the future

FAMILY businesses are the backbone of the UK economy but those founded by the “Baby Boomer” generation are ready to be handed on as that entrepreneurial group retires.

MARTIN ATKINS martin.atkins@francisclark.co.uk Born and educated in Plymouth, Martin is passionate about helping the family businesses of Plymouth grow and prosper using his wide range of specialist contacts and local knowledge to ensure his clients get the best possible business advice.

“Family businesses, like any other, need to focus on growth and profitability as well as managing internal dynamics. I like to roll my sleeves up and get involved in the business to help facilitate this. As a Growth Accelerator coach I can also tap into funding to deliver strategic business advice.”

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

When did you last have a family meeting?

Have you agreed how the business will be owned and governed? Do all the family members involved in the business buy into the same vision for the future as you? Have you thought about how you plan to hand the business on and how you will manage the transfer or executive power and ownership?

Too many owner managers are so focussed on the day to day running of the business that they fail to plan ahead and this is perhaps one of the main reasons that while 70 per cent of businesses in the UK are family owned, only 10 per cent of them make it to a third generation.

What seems like a straightforward process is often just the opposite. If you haven’t established a formal protocol of decisionmaking that will set standards and provide a means of conflict resolution, disagreements and tensions within the business have nowhere to go but grow.

Conflict may arise because of business, family or ownership issues each impacting on the other including business performance, sibling rivalry and perceived preferential treatment.

Different generations have different desires, aspirations and motivations. Understanding this helps to distinguish the dynamics of selling a family business to a family member or disposing of it to a third party.

Equally, it is important to establish rules of governance that apply to everyone – family

members and paid employees alike and this includes documented expectations, rates of remuneration, grievance procedures, success measurements and regular reviews.

It helps to reduce risk and maintain continuity should something happen to the founding entrepreneur.

Where that individual is the only one who knows the minutiae of the business finances and operations, sudden changes such as death or disability can badly affect the business’ ability to carry on.

None of these scenarios need happen if owner/managers take time to plan and if they are worried about the complexities of succession planning and exit strategies, help is at hand.

francisclark.co.uk

Establishing a family constitution gives the best chance of making those plans in an orderly and well thought out way. The family constitution is basically the way of defining the family’s dreams and aspirations.

It provides a framework of rules which governs behaviour as a family. It should also address the ways in which communication should be dealt with, conflict resolved and have a clear policy for the training and employment criteria for members of the family joining the business.

Each family and family business differs, but there are common themes that should be included in such a constitution including the philosophy and vision of the business, measures of success, subsequent ownership (succession or sale), governance (procedures and systems including conflict resolution and grievances), provision for retirement and family employment policy.

The best chance of a successful succession is where the new leaders, particularly from within the family, are appropriately trained well in advance of taking over their roles.

There must also be a mechanism for resolving conflict or disagreement within the family management of the business.

While the odds are often against a family business continuing through successive generations, with the right planning, particularly with the support of a strong family constitution, there is no reason why more family businesses shouldn’t continue to grow and to flourish.

Family matters

business grows. Not only do they set the standards by which family members must operate and provide a means of conflict res-

olution, they become fundamentally important to any potential buyer who will be looking to acquire a company with solid operational policies.

■ Succession planning Before considering the sale of the family business, it is important to have a succession plan in place. This will need to maximise the value of the business while retaining and protecting the family wealth.

The process involves establishing an exit strategy, tax planning, estate planning and corporate governance.

■ Estate administration Administering an estate after death can be a very difficult process. Often, it is the founding entrepreneur alone who knows the financial minutiae of the business leaving the bereaved family at a loss in trying to unravel the complexities. Professional advice and support will be invaluable at a time of need.

■ Buy-sell agreements Buy-sell agreements or buy-outs are legally structured but need to ensure that the deal is beneficial at every stage of the process from letters of intent, due diligence process and/or negotiation between the parties.

■ Business and strate gic planning, including exit strategies Strategic planning, or taking your business from where it is to where you want it to be, has a huge impact on its success and, ultimately, on its valuation. All businesses should have an exit strategy, which can be selling to family or third party, a management buy-out, or even winding the business up. Each of these exit strategies may require a different approach, and each is likely to have a different effect on

the family unit – financially, materially or emotionally.

Whatever the route, the family business owner will want to maximise the return from disposing of the business and minimise the tax liability it generates for themselves and their family.

■ Inter-generational differences Different generations have different desires, aspirations and motivations. Understanding this helps to distinguish the dynamics of selling a family business to a family member or disposing of it to a third party.

Disposing of a family business will always be accompanied by very many tough decisions.

■ Business valuations Getting the business valuation right can make a big difference to your future. Overprice your business and you may never get anyone to look at it. Under value it and you may be giving away hard earned family wealth.

■ Remuner ating your long-ter m e m p l oye e s Long-term employee loyalty not only helps a business grow, but can also be a key selling point for potential buyers, so providing the right financial package for them is very important.

You may pay them through a straight salary or the package may include profit share or stock options. The Francis Clark family business team use their extensive experience in helping owners formulate and build remuneration strategies that work for them.

Making a will is a critical step in family business planning BY the Law Society’s reckoning around six out of every ten people fail to make a will causing untold grief to their families.

The reasons are unclear but it is thought that many think the act of making a will somehow presages their imminent demise.

Many business owner/managers are often so busy, they simply don’t get round to it.

For family run businesses, making a will is a business critical function as it removes uncertainty over who will inherit, puts right assumptions that aren’t based on fact and reduces the likelihood of serious conflict.

A will is a legal document explaining what a person wants to happen to their possessions after their death. The instructions within the will for distributing those possessions are known as legacies. There are very good reasons for making a will. It ensures your possession including property and cash go to the people or organisations you wish to benefit from your hard work

and it can help mitigate the tax burden you leave behind.

If your estate is liable to Inheritance Tax, there are a number of ways you are able to mitigate the amount you pay but you’ll need the right professional advice to

minimise the liability in legally acceptable ways.

The dangers of not making a will may entail your assets not going to the people you wish them to but being allocated under fixed rules instead which may not reflect your intentions.

This can have a catastrophic impact on family run businesses including destabilising the business or seeing its value drop dramatically. Making a will with the right legal and professional advice can ensure that the business is passed on in a tax efficient manner.

However, it is also wise not only to ensure that the will is updated regularly to reflect changing circumstances but that next generation directors and other family members are aware of the provisions made in the will to avoid surprises, disputes and subsequent contentious legal action. In short, business owners who make a will are ensuring the assets they have built over a lifetime’s work go to the beneficiary they intended.

Sharing the contents of a will with the beneficiaries will also greatly assist in planning the direction of the business going forward and will help to demonstrate strong management credentials to interested third parties including employees and potential purchasers.

francisclark.co.uk

Meet the Francis Clark Plymouth Family Business Team

GORDON FOX gordon.fox@francisclark.co.uk Providing support and bespoke advice to family businesses requires specialist experience in the unique challenges that family businesses face. Gordon's background in private client tax means that he is ideally placed to advise on the tax aspects of structuring and succession planning for family businesses.

“If you gift your business to your children, the good news is that there may be no tax to pay.

The capital gain that arises qualifies for ‘holdover relief’, which means any gain is frozen and tax only has to be paid if the business is subsequently sold.”

GILES HUTCHINGS giles.hutchings@francisclark.co.uk Giles is a member of the International Centre for Families in Business (ICFIB). His work with ICFIB means that he has a deep understanding of the issues that family businesses face in passing the business to the next generation.

“Succession requires careful preparation.

Questions to ask will be when is the right time to pass on the business, what on-going role, if any, you intend to have and if you want to hang on to any shares, do the next generation have the skills to run the business and if not is recruiting a non-family member right for the future success of the business.”

Family matters

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14 Wednesday November 27, 2013

The Herald: Family Business Guide

GENERAL

■ The service sector appears buoyant at present. Public sector redundancies have led to an increased number of individuals and families pooling their skills and making a go of it themselves. This, coupled with a significant concentration on customer care, diversification and adding value means people are finding ways of running better businesses

People come first for top flight security specialist SECURI-GUARD

THE security business has evolved significantly in the 30plus years that Estover-based Securi-Guard has been operating in Plymouth.

Founded by former RAF Police Officer (SIB) Bill Boyd in 1982, the original focus was literally on guarding and ensuring the security of properties – at the outset, this was mainly Ministry of Defence premises.

Over the years, market demand and technology have changed and today the company is split into three areas of expertise, Security Services, Fire and Security Systems and 24/7 Monitoring Services including intruder/fire alarm, CCTV and lone worker alarm monitoring and vehicle tracking. It is now the South West’s largest independent fire and security specialist.

■ Kim Precious and Scott Boyd of Securi-Guard Se cu ri -G ua rd ’s local client base includes Devon County Council, Plymouth Argyle, South West Water, Interserve Defence, Vospers, Plymouth University and Imerys.

The business has also been awarded

a major fire and security contract by Plymouth City Council for over 100 properties and schools. The contract also encompass fire systems (including 2,500 portable fire extinguishers), intruder alarms, CCTV, access control

and emergency lighting at council buildings and those schools in the city that have signed up to the council’s framework agreement.

While Bill Boyd is still involved in the business as chairman, his son Scott is managing director of the Fire and Security Division while his daughter Kim Precious, is managing director of Securi-Guard Monitoring Services. Both joined in 1985, learning the business from the bottom up, Scott as a guard and Kim in administration and accounts.

Scott Boyd said: “For me, a family business is about more than family ownership and the family members who work in it. We have over 180 employees and we try to treat them all as part of an extended family.

“We don’t lose sight of the fact that each of them has a family who may be dependent on them. We respect them and this has benefited the business

down the years in terms of commitment and loyalty. They have all earned the right to be here and everyone has the right to be heard.

“With the main decisions, particularly on financial issues, being in the hands of the family, you’re not always going to agree on the way the company is going but you have to work it out.

“We manage this because we are supported by a great management team and we avoid any emotionally influenced decision-making by having quality systems and clearly defined roles for everyone.

“Both Kim and I are presently looking at ceasing to work within the business and focusing more on the task of working on it. We haven’t fully addressed the issue of succession to our children. They certainly won’t inherit by right. If they want to come into the business they will have to learn it and earn it.”

‘Customers appreciate our long heritage’

V H GRADDON

BEING a long-standing family business which h a s we a t h e r e d m a n y recessions is great for customer confidence.

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www.securi-guard.co.uk Securi-Guard, Dark Lake View, Estover, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 7TL

That’s the view of David Graddon, managing director of Plymouth vending company V H Graddon.

He’s the third generation of the Graddon family to head the flourishing firm, while his son Chris, 29, is the warehouse manager.

The company now employs 42 people and has a turnover of £4 million a year.

It has depots in Plymouth, Bristol and South Wales and covers a huge territory as far east as ■ David and Chris Graddon Swindon and as far north as Bath, making it one of the largest 1940 as a dairy business by privately-owned vending operat- Victor Harold Graddon, his sons John and Kenneth taking ors in the south West.

Although Graddon’s has 4,000 over when he died.

They were approached by the machines, David said the company was constantly thinking Milk Marketing Board with the “outside the box” for ways to idea of selling milk in cartons improve service and increase from vending machines.

The venture was successful profits.

Its latest coffee shop-style and the business added coffee Pour Moi machines serve lattes, and snack vending.

Today the range stretches cappucinos and espressos and from “coffee shop” coffee to full have touch-screen technology.

When not in use, they play meals and healthy vending adverts, creating another source options for schools. of revenue, and the £4,000 David said: “Ours is a family machines – made in Newton business in every sense: we Abbot – can also accept payment have husbands and wives workby credit or debit card or mobile ing for us, one employee has phone. been here 40 years and three V H Graddon was formed in others 25 years. They know if

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they have a problem they can knock on my door. I think there is more passion in a family business, and a lot of customers appreciate our heritage.

“They all have my personal email address and know they can get fast decisions and that problems will be sorted out there and then.

“Our g rowth has been organic rather than acquiring other businesses; we have ploughed our profits back into the business.

“We strive to pass the company on to future generations and it would be great if I was around to celebrate our centenary in 2040.”

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Yacht rigger sets sail to success

ALLSPARS

ESTABLISHED in 1997 by Andy Postle and joined by his wife Lisa two years later, Allspars Limited on Plymouth’s Queen Anne’s Battery has grown to be one of the biggest yacht riggers in Europe.

The business supplies the sailing community in the South West, nationally and internationally, with bespoke rigging solutions, masts, booms, furling gear, hydraulics, deck hardware and a wide range of other marine products. They also undertake repairs and refurbishments and have an inhouse machine shop enabling custommade designs to be manufactured.

Allspars’ reputation as a trusted supplier of technical products led them to branch out into the UK-wide distribution of quality marine brands and to supporting their trade customers with product knowledge training for their staff. More recently the technical expertise and experience of the

team has been recognised by the construction sector seeking advice and design solutions for architectural rigging including balustrading, structural braces and trusses, membrane and lightweight roofing.

Success is attributed to in-depth knowledge and hands-on sailing experience, personal service and responsiveness supported by high levels of stock and teamwork backed by the commitment of the owner managers.

Andy Postle said: “First and foremost we are sailors so customers have confidence in our technical knowledge and engineering ability. We have also built a reputation for taking care of our customers, paying attention to detail and responding quickly to their individual needs.

“We can do this because we have a very capable and committed team so even when pressures of business mean that my co-director David Barden or I are unavailable, enquiries will still be dealt with in the same professional manner. Being a family business makes us strong. Nothing is hidden,

■ The Allspars line-up of Sonia Venton, David Barden, Lisa Postle and Andy Postle we trust each other and there is a genuine commitment to get things done. We all naturally pull together in the same direction and you don’t have to ask to get things done.”

The business employs 15 people and, in addition to Andy at the helm, Lisa Postle is finance director and David Barden the production director. Lisa’s mother, Sonia Venton, who joined the company in 1997, manages the sales ledger department.

Over the last five years or so, Allspars has grown by around 25-30 per cent despite the challenges of the recession. “We continued to grow and invest in the business, but it was tough,” said Andy.

“It taught us to be better at all the things we do and the value of grafting.

We also saw that we must improve the way we communicate with customers – tomorrow isn’t soon enough.”

Plans for the future include devel-

oping a more effective web presence and rationalising the customer facing and distribution sides of the operation into distinct business entities.

Succession to the next generation is not currently on the agenda but Andy doesn’t rule it out. “There are children who could take on the business but they would not get it by right. They would have to work their way in and learn the industry somewhere else.”

We believe at V.H. Graddon that the secret of our longevity, Established 1940 having been established back in 1940, is our ability to continually innovate and be at the cutting edge of our market.

Have you noticed the rise in Coffee station units?

They're everywhere, from petrol stations to sports centres. We've noticed them too, and have taken the coffee shop concept that revolutionised vended coffee into the future. We already have in our stable the popular Pour Moi vending solution, which offers Coffee Shop quality drinks in a 12 oz paper cup with a lid, using Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance products. To extend our service to our customers new and old we now have the Pour Moi Express Coffee Station. We use specially selected coffee beans, leaf tea and real 'skinny milk' granulated to minimise maintenance whilst tasting as good as fresh.

Our units even have full LED media screens to allow selling videos and payment systems which accept card and mobile phone payments.

For more information please contact office@graddonvending.co.uk

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LEISURE & TOURISM

How to sort out cashflow problems Alastair Logan, Regional Director at Ultimate Finance Group PLC Q. Have you got any tips for achieving steady cashflow in a family business?

A. Sluggish cashflow is a regular headache experienced by every type of business. However, in a family business, where the directors are related to each other, cashflow challenges can be especially painful – discussions around a boardroom table are more difficult when you know you’ll be seeing each other around the kitchen table.

At Ultimate Finance we understand these challenges only too well. We work closely with a wide variety of family businesses in the South West and offer a broad range of flexible cashflow solutions to companies in all kinds of different industries and situations.

■ Your unpaid invoices are an asset you can use An increasingly popular option is Invoice Finance, where we provide a cash advance which releases up to 90% of the money you have tied up in your unpaid invoices. This can work in a number of different ways – we adapt the arrangement to your particular needs and situation. For instance, we can take over the management of your ledger and provide full credit control, or you may want to continue dealing with your clients yourself. We also offer specialist solutions to businesses in the transport, construction and recruitment industries which are specifically tailored to the needs of companies working in those sectors.

■ Asset and Trade Finance options If you need to finance the purchase of new machinery or equipment our Asset Finance product is ideal. We also assist companies that buy products from abroad – Ultimate Trade Finance can provide the working capital you need and also pay the import duty, import VAT and freight charges.

■ A p r o v i d e r t h a t ’s l o c a l , f r i e n d l y a n d accommodating Unlike the traditional sources of business finance, such as the banks and larger institutions, we understand the needs of smaller businesses. Our head office is in the South West so we’re in tune with the local economy. What’s more, we have ample funds to lend, so you’ll find us very helpful and accommodating – we’re actively looking for businesses that want to grow and prosper.

We realise that when you need funding you need it fast, so we make the application process simple and speedy. We also get to know your business and develop close working relationships with you and your clients – our business has grown rapidly because we’re very good at keeping everyone happy and making sure the cash flows smoothly.

Our online system gives you 24/7 real time access to your account information – so you always know exactly what funds you have available. And if you want to discuss anything, or change the arrangement, you can quickly reach people who are not only familiar with you and your business but also have the power to make things happen.

Alastair Logan is Regional Director at Ultimate Finance Group PLC, a leading provider of financial and cashflow solutions to SMEs across the UK from its headquarters in Bristol. Contact him at alogan@ ultimatefinanace.co.uk or call 07912 248706

■ Hotel occupancy levels rose by up to seven per cent between July and August, an unprecedented figure matched only by falls of a similar magnitude in July and August 2008. Investment in the industry has also seen some increase, with spending on repairs and capital projects starting to increase

Entrepreneurial spirit has paid off for hotel owners Sonia and Brian

■ Chef Michael Caines with his partner Zoe Szypillo and Brian and Sonia Meaden of the Moorland Garden Hotel

MOORLAND GARDEN HOTEL self a successful businessman,

MOORLAND Garden Hotel owners Sonia and Brian Meaden are ingrained in the concept of family business and have seen their daughters build up successful enterprises of their own.

And for Sonia, it’s all down to being given encouragement without a safety net.

“I’ve always been in a family business,” she said, explaining that her business acumen was honed as a youngster.

Her father owned seaside businesses, shops and amusement arcades and encouraged her get involved – from the age of 10.

B u t h e i n s i s t e d s h e t a ke responsibility for the enterprise.

After she married Brian, him-

they bought her father’s empire and ran profitable holiday parks.

A n d t h e n t h e y s e t ab o u t instilling the same entrepreneurial spirit in their own daughters.

“We gave them small concessions and they had to run it as if it was their own business,” Sonia said.

It paid off. Eldest daughter Gail Massey built a chain of holiday parks.

Youngest daughter Cass Staint o n h a s a L o n d o n P R c o nsultancy.

And second born, Deborah Meaden, has found fame on TV’s Dragons’ Den, after becoming a powerful entrepreneur herself.

Sonia stressed the girls’ successes were not down to nepotism, something she abhors, but in impressing on them that if they want to maintain a comfortable lifestyle it has to be worked for.

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“You get rewarded for the effort you put in,” she said. “We never gave the girls the same role, so there was no competition between them.

“And if you are a good teacher, your pupils will be better than you are.

“Each had a different role and had to excel at that.”

After selling their business, Sonia and Brian bought the Moorland Garden Hotel, just off the A386 between Plymouth and Yelverton, in 2011 and immediately started ploughing cash into it.

They have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds refreshing and improving the venue, including its Wildflower Restaurant.

“We are really please with the hotel, it’s going from strength to strength,” said Sonia. “Weddings, functions and corporate business

is growing, and we are working on leisure visitors.

“We’ve invested in the ballroom and restaurant and have a very good chef.

“With our experience we know how to put together a great team.

“And they run it as if it’s their own business.”

Sonia said the success of family businesses is that ability to remain close to customers – and staff.

“Don’t have too many layers of management,” she said. “Plan succession and be transparent about it.

“We also find it extremely useful to have non-exec directors, which puts a balance on the board, so it’s not just family members.

“And have a sense of humour.

Otherwise you haven’t got a happy workforce.”

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Hotel owners have a commitment to quality LANGDON COURT

LANGDON Court is an imposing but elegant country house hotel that has been re-invented over the last six years into a unique boutique hotel boasting a 4 Star rating with the AA and Visit England and a popular 2 Rosette restaurant.

The owners, a husband and wife team, have a vision of the future and an unflinching commitment to quality.

The property, parts of which date back to the reign of Henry VIII, is located at Down Thomas near Wembury in acres of beautiful rolling hills and woodland. The property was purchased in 2007 by Geoffrey Ede, a senior shipping executive with multinational Sea Containers Ltd, and his wife Emma.

In addition to leased cargo containers, Sea Containers owned luxury hotels and railways, including the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, so the Edes brought considerable experience of the high end hospitality market with them. Geoffrey controls the accounts, marketing, building restoration and

■ Langdon Court and, top left, Emma and Geoffrey Ede with their two sons repairs and oversees the hotel’s staff while Emma specialises in the significant wedding trade and other events.

Second generation run Plants Galore PLANTS GALORE

JOYNERS Plants Limited, trading as Plants Galore, is a second generation family business with three retail garden centres in Exeter, Newton Abbot and Plymouth and three nurseries across Devon and Somerset.

The business was started in 1965 by Ricky and Maureen Joyner after the couple began to make more money selling produce outside their front door than Ricky could from his fruit and vegetables round even when he supplemented it by delivering milk as well.

The business grew and after acquiring some land near the family’s home town of Totnes, they began a market garden.

Today Plants Galore is a thriving business run by Ricky and Maureen’s sons, Tony and Mark as joint managing directors. Tony manages the retail business with Mark overseeing the horticultural side. Tony’s wife Ksenia looks after buying and busi-

ness administration while Mark’s wife Catherine does the accounts.

Plants Galore employs up to 70 people during its busiest time between March and June and styles itself at the “value end of the market”. Plans for a new, visually exciting catalogue-style website next year do not extend to online retailing because the family believe that buying and selling plants is an intensely personal activity and requires touch, feel and smell.

Tony Joyner said “There are a lot of decisions to be made when buying plants and it’s cheaper and easier for people to come in and choose exactly what they want. That’s why the personal touch is important.”

The tricky question of succession was addressed at a very early stage with Tony and Mark being made partners on leaving school.

“My father considered it wise to include us at a very early stage and we were given real responsibility,” said Tony.

“We became young entrepreneurs and grew with the business. The family model works for us especially as we are able to take decisions quickly and decisively although perhaps at times

Since arriving the Edes have reinstated lakes, planted a vineyard, completely refurbished the whole hotel, installed a state of the art commercial

kitchen, rescued two garden follies for use as further guest accommodation, establishing a two rosette restaurant and undertaken painstaking repairs

and restoration that a building of the quality of Langdon Court deserves.

They have also engaged Graham Titchmarsh, cousin of celebrity gardener Alan, to begin a long term overhaul of the gardens and grounds.

“We are hands on, down to earth working owners who know what we want to achieve for our guests today and long into the future,” said Geoffrey Ede. “A second-to-none guest experience starts at the front door when they arrive and finishes with a chef prepared breakfast. It’s about good food, style, ambience, cleanliness, attention to detail and attentiveness, service and respect.

“Our difficulty has been sourcing adequately trained staff that not only understand these requirements but are capable of implementing them, and more, on their own initiative.

“The catering colleges and local recruitment are failing to provide trained people capable of the level of hospitality to 4 Star standards we expect, so there is a lot of in-house training.”

Although they have two sons at grammar school in Plymouth, Geoffrey avows that they are not really interested in grooming them for succession despite starting them in the pot wash at a young age to equip them for life in the real world.

He said: “This is a family business inasmuch as it’s a husband and wife team running it, but we see it more as a project than something to hand down.

“Getting your children into the business only teaches them the way you do it; they need to gain wider experience in life sticking within a family business with limited and only local experience is a recipe for disaster.”

■ Mark Joyner, left, with wife Catherine, and Tony Joyner, right, with wife Ksenia we don’t treat each other as professionally as we might.”

The question is open as to whether there will be a third generation with the family opting for a wait and see policy about the future of Mark’s children Courtney (16), Magenta (15) and

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Ben (12), and Tony’s children Tabitha (11), Dylan (5) and Fabian (2).

Tony said: “It wouldn’t be quite as easy today for one of our children to take over as it was for us when we started as we had no employees and a very small turnover 30 years ago.

“We could make mistakes then and still survive but now with so many staff and with the company being much larger it would not be fair to hand over responsibility unless our children had more experience than we did when we began.”

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AUTOMOTIVE

■ There is growth from main dealers, sole traders and repair garages diversifying into car sales to meet customer demand. The need from the market for greener, cleaner and cheaper motoring has led to more demand for low emission vehicles. After sales care and customer incentives have become commonplace in what is a very competitive market which is great for the consumer, but equally reduces margins for the vendors

One man’s passion shines through VOSPERS

ONE of the most recognised brands in the Westcountry is Vospers, a family business that has grown from one man’s passion for motoring to a business now employing over 670 staff across 17 sites in Devon and Cornwall. It is now a top 50 new and used car dealership in the UK.

Founded by Frank Vosper after the Second World War, the business blos- ■ Peter Vosper somed after the acquisition of the Ford franchise in the 1950s. When Frank’s with a firm industry grounding. This father’s business, Vospers Radio, was training was fur ther enhanced compulsorily purchased, he joined the through his successful completion of business and remained until his death his MBA at the University of Exeter in 1966. Peter, after completing his and being mentored by his father until accountancy training, joined the com- he became managing director in late pany in 1966. Following the death of his 2010, with Peter moving to the role of father in 1974 Peter Vosper took the chair man.

Nick Vosper said: “We continued to helm and continued to expand the business which included the acquis- grow and invest throughout the recesition of the Mazda franchise in the mid sion, however as any successful business must do, the company has 1990s.

The company truly became a multi- continued to adapt to changing cusfranchise business when leading tomer needs by expanding its footprint brands such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, in the southwest with new franchises Abarth, Peugeot, Renault and Nissan, and placing a large emphasis on meetand more recently Chrysler Jeep and ing local customers’ motoring needs.

“This has been underpinned by a Dacia, became part of the Vospers committed senior management team brand portfolio.

Following the successful completion who have an average 25 years service of his business degree, a year spent with the company.

“Being a family owned business has working with Ford Credit in Paris, an induction programme with Ford many advantages. We are quick to Motor Company which included work- respond to the needs of our customers ing for a dealership in London, saw and we encourage the empowerment Peter’s son Nick joining the business of our staff to make decisions in the

■ Peter Vosper (right) with his son Nick and his brother-in-law Eric Goss interest of the customers and the business. Decision-making at a Board level is not protracted and in our case does not need to consider the needs of shareholders who may have no involvement in the day to day running of the business.

“Many of our staff have told us they like working for a family business which has a responsibility to its customers, employees and the community in which it resides. Family members tend to be more open about problems and discuss them freely and some-

times emotionally. I would much prefer to work in this environment as in many large companies views are not always aired for fear of recrimination.

“There is always a period of transition in a family business when considering a succession plan.

“However in a company the size of Vospers, roles must be clearly defined in order for the successful operation of the business and for decisions to be taken ef fectively. Vospers have planned for succession in their stra-

tegic objectives for the business and I have been mentored by my father to take over the role as managing director and provisions have been made to ensure a smooth transition in the future.

When considering the future development of the organisation the family is founded in its Westcountry roots and Nick added: “While we would like to expand further in the Westcountry, we have no aspiration to be a national organisation, preferring to meet the needs of local customers.”

Teamwork and trust is the key, say brothers BORINGDON MANOR GARAGE

A GAP in the market for specialist and prestige vehicle repair prompted brothers Andrew and Patrick Blackmore to set up their own business in 1998.

■ Andrew and Patrick Blackmore

Fifteen years on and Boringdon Manor Garage (BMG) is a thriving family business with a loyal customer base and a reputation as independent specialists for BMW, Jaguar, SAAB, Volkswagen, Audi and Mini.

In addition to repairs, servicing, MoTs, parts and accessories, BMG also offers vehicles for sale and a car locating service.

BMG relocated last year to the former workshop premises of Mumford Renault on Valley Road, Plympton, a move that will accommodate plans for further growth including expanding the current nine strong workforce and employing more local people, a key driver for the Plymouth born and bred brothers.

Reputation and team work are the key to BMG’s success. Director Andrew Blackmore said: “I feel our success is down to teamwork

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and trust. We have a fantastic team here, everyone has strong qualities which enable us to offer services to a very high standard and achieve very high levels of customer loyalty.

“Family values of trust and mutual support run right through the business and ensure we work hard to produce the right conclusion for every customer. This rubs off on our customers and produces loyalty and repeat business.”

Constant investment is also a crucial factor in growing the business. New premises, highly trained technicians and dealer level diagnostic equipment maintain standards and provide a competitive edge.

Co directors Andrew and Patrick are joined in the business by Patrick’s wife Carly, who looks after the admin side, but not by older brothers Paul, who is retired from the dockyard, and Alan who runs a boatyard business.

Andrew said: “Family ties are a positive influence on the business and it’s really satisfying that my brother and I have built a business from scratch which is continuing to grow but we have no plans right now for succession to a second generation.”

Family matters

19

Peter and Nick Vosper, 2013

New Cars

Used Cars

Motability

Vans

Business Fleet

Servicing & Bodyshop

Rental

Parts & Accessories

VOSPERS MEANS MOTORING IN THE SOUTHWEST

Vospers Marsh Mills Motor Park, Longbridge Road, Plymouth PL6 8AY

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AUTOMOTIVE

It’s ‘hands on’ style for Roger Young ROGER YOUNG

ROGER YOUNG began trading from his father’s far m at Bolventor, repairing Land Rovers and farm machinery.

In 1984, he was given the Land Rover franchise for the rugged Defender model, and in June that year his first vehicle was sold.

Trading on his reputation, the business began to grow rapidly and moved to larger premises at Saltash.

The current Land Rover showroom was opened in May 1992 by Captain Mark Phillips and Roger Young subsequently becoming a main dealer for the full Land Rover line-up.

The dealership has continued to grow to become one of the most successful businesses in the Land Rover network, collecting multiple awards for customer satisfaction and vehicle sales, and today employing about 100 people. In 2001, a body shop with stateof-the-art spray booths was added.

Increasing demand led to the expansion of workshop and showroom facil-

ities five years later. February 2011 saw the introduction of the Isuzu franchise, with Roger’s son Matthew taking on the role of dealer principal.

In 2012 Roger Young was awarded Isuzu Dealer of the Year following their first full year of trading.

This increased demand for working trucks increased demand for bespoke canopies and saw investment in advanced aluminium cutting equipment within the on-site fabrication centre.

Construction is currently under way for the company’s new Jaguar franchise, which is currently sharing its Land Rover facilities since its launch in April.

The Jaguar showroom is expected to open next month and will be the first showroom built to Jaguar’s 21st century specification in the UK and in Europe.

Roger Young still plays a fully active role in the day-to-day running of the business alongside his wife Erica, son Matthew and daughter-in-law Sarah, maintaining the values synonymous with a family run business.

■ Roger Young and his son Matthew “Being a family business we are able to adapt and make quick decisions in response to changes in the market place,” Roger said.

“We are also able to offer a more personal approach to our customers as we are very much ‘hands on’ within the business. Having my wife, son and daughter-in-law working in the busi-

ness allows us to run the business as we want. I’m hopeful my son Matthew and his wife Sarah will continue with the business and ensure its success for years to come.”

Roger Young was recently awarded the Land Rover Sales Dealer of the Year title and third place in the Dealer of the Year contest.

The company sends Land Rovers all over the country and abroad.

“This year we are on target to sell around 1,400 vehicles, including new and used, across the Land Rover, Jaguar and Isuzu franchises,” Roger said.

“We would service in the region of 1,600 vehicles a year.”

APPROVING LOOKS ARE ALSO GUARANTEED. Visit Roger Young Jaguar for a uniquely personal experience. We have over 30 Approved Used Jaguars in stock with something to suit every lifestyle.

You can be confident that your new vehicle has been thoroughly checked by Jaguar Approved Technicians and comes to you complete with a 12 Month Warranty.

Jaguar XJ 2.7 D Sovereign Saloon Grey, Dove Leather, Cruise Control, Sat Nav, Park Assist, Electric Seats 51,698 Miles...................................£15,995

Jaguar XJ Saloon 3.0 D Portfolio Indigo Blue, Ivory Leather, Sat Nav, Heated/Cooled Seats, Parking Aid Only 3,807 Miles......................... £51,995

Jaguar XF Saloon 2.2 D Luxury Silver, Charcoal Leather, Climate Control, Cruise Control, Parking Aid 18,076 Miles.................................£22,995

Jaguar XF 2.2 D Premium Luxury Grey, Charcoal Leather, Rear View Camera, Intelligent Stop/Start 3,518 Miles.....................................£30,995

Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 S Prem Luxury Grey, Charcoal Leather, DAB Radio, Electric Seats, Jaguar Sport Interior 14,858 Miles................................. £28,995

Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible 3.0 V6 White, Jet Leather, CD/DAB Radio, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, 2,171 Miles.......................................£62,995

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Jaguar XF 2.2 D Premium Luxury Polaris White, Charcoal Leather, Sat Nav, Cruise Control, Rear Camera 8,471 Miles.................................... £27,495

Jaguar XF 2.2 D Luxury Vapour Grey, Leather, Parking Aid, Rear Camera, Cruise Control, FSH 70,051 Miles..................................£18,995

Jaguar XJ 3.0 D Portfolio SWB Black, Tan Leather, Parking Aid, Dual View Screen, 4 Zone Air Con 13,304 Miles..................................£35,995

ROGER YOUNG JAGUAR Wood Acre, Saltash Parkway, Saltash, Cornwall PL12 6LF ROGERYOUNG..CO.UK 01752 849999

HOW ALIVE ARE YOU?

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Wednesday November 27, 2013 21

TRAVEL & TRANSPORT ■ With fuel prices across the UK and worldwide so volatile in recent years, margins have been squeezed across the board. The promising signs are that despite our geographical location businesses which have made tough decisions about their operations are coming through the other side and set to grow again. There are also clear signs that people are starting to spend again, which is great for the UK travel industry

Travel company offers something a little different PETER GOORD TRAVEL

WORKING with his brother is great because they have complementary skills and trust each other completely.

So says Anthony Goord, a partner in Plymouth’s Peter Goord Travel with his older brother Victor.

Anthony said: “We are quite different: he’s very good with the back office, while I’m on the front-of-house side, but I trust him 100 per cent.”

The company was founded in 1976 by their father Peter Goord, who retired 14 years ago.

In 2011, the brothers sold their insurance brokerage to concentrate on expanding their travel agency in partnership with niche travel firm Kuoni.

The move has paid off, with the company increasing its turnover year-on-year and now claiming to be the largest independent agency of its kind in the South West.

Anthony said: “The standard package holiday is now done online, but we have gone over to specialist, tailor-made holidays, including lots of honeymoons “There is still space in the market for people

who want something a bit different and are prepared to pay a little extra for expert service.

“We are becoming more niche as time goes on.”

The brothers employ nine staff, who all work both in the agency in West Park and in its call centre at the same premises.

And the brothers know their stuff.

Anthony went to travel college and worked in London, Wales and Exeter before joining the family firm.

He said: “Dad made us find our own way and come in when we had seen different sides of the business, so we were not insular.

“Like all Plymothians, we wanted to come back home, but we needed to see the world.

“My favourite place is the Maldives, I have just come back from South Africa, and I love Las Vegas, which is completely crazy.

“You have got to keep up with the industry.”

Despite being a family firm in an industry dominated by giant companies, Peter Goord Travel is more than holding its own.

In 2012, it won the nationwide award Kuoni Agent of the Year and in March this year was awarded the country’s highest score of 95 per cent by Travel Weekly, following a mystery shopper visit.

■ Anthony and Victor Goord

Forty years on Hackworthy is a moving force for good

HACKWORTHY AND SONS

HACKWORTHY & Sons have been moving the people of Plymouth for over four decades and are celebrating the milestone by attempting to undertake 40 good deeds for the community in 2013 from supporting the Pelican Children Centre’s garden project to thanking customers with free removal insurance throughout the year.

The family business was created by Ron Hackworthy in 1973 and taken on by his son Reginald and his wife Ruth. They bought The Depository, their Cattedown headquarters, soon after the business started. From there they have undertaken house and office moves, as well as parcel and white goods deliveries. Long term removal contracts with the University of Exeter and HM Naval Dockyard, as well as delivering appliances for Indesit for over 20 years, have provided stability for the business.

The family was quick to respond to the growing demand for self-storage, establishing Plymouth Self Storage as part

■ Kevin, Ruth and Vicky Hackworthy of the group some 15 years ago and basing its facilities at Cattedown and Plympton.

It also acquired St Austell based SP Cocks, Cornwall’s oldest removal and storage business.

Third generation directors include 37-year-old Kevin Hackworthy who oversees the distribution operation and Vicky Hackworthy, 35, who looks after the administrative side of the business.

Vicky said: “House moving can be very stressful and is an

intensely personal affair and I think our customers like the fact that we are a family business who can empathise with them and support them.

“They understand we are protecting our name through the quality of service we are providing. They know we care and we get much of our business through referrals and repeat orders.

“The fact that the family works together and we have a strong team ethos with our 23 staff certainly filters down and has a positive impact on our customers.

“The downside for us is that we work too much and discuss business issues all the time. We make a big effort to differentiate between work and home but it doesn’t always work.

“We understood that to ensure our business continues for another 40 years we had to make sure no one was indispensable so we also consulted advisors about succession issues and how to prepare for it.”

As a family business, Hackworthy is very comfortable with its role in the community and believe that having made a living from local people, the company should give something back to it.

Sponsorships and good deeds show they mean it.

40 years in business, 40 ways to thank you

We have been moving people for over forty years and the support of the local community and businesses has been fundamental to our success.

That success is built on family values. As a family run business we set our standards by those we'd only expect ourselves, the very best. We take every removal personally, meeting your expectations is as important to us as it is to you. You can trust us, we're family.

www.hackworthy.co.uk I 01752 228815

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Family matters

THX-E01-S4

22 Wednesday November 27, 2013

The Herald: Family Business Guide

FOOD & DRINK

■ As the number of visitors to Plymouth increases so does the demand for quality local produce. There are continued pressures on price for this quality but margins reducing rather than volume declining. The options for customers are vast and we are truly spoilt for choice

Fresh food is a winner for Friary Mill

‘

The emphasis is on fresh food to go, locally prepared or baked off every day by local people.

The business employs around 114 staff but with a small family ethos.

’

■ Philip Gardner, Karen Milner, Tamsin Seymour, Katie Rogers and Justin Johnson

FRIARY Mill started as a single shop and bakery on Gasking Street, Plymouth, in 1988.

Opened by Karen Milner and Philip Gardner, the business quickly developed a strong reputation for its high-quality fresh, handmade products, using the very best Westcountry ingredients.

Over the years the business grew eventually relocating to a 12,500 sq ft retail outlet, bakery and production facility at Cattedown in 1998.

Today in its 25th year, there are 11 Friary Mill retail outlets across Plymouth and three mobile retail vans servicing the city’s industrial estates and retail parks.

The emphasis is on fresh food to go, locally prepared or baked off every day by local people.

The business employs around 114 staff but with a small family ethos. “We try and keep a close working relationship with the staff,” said Karen Milner. “I know everybody and everybody knows me.” Currently, there are no immediate plans for expansion in the city as this would begin to “cannibalise” current retail operations but the wholesale side of the business, which supplies major customers such as Plymouth University and Babcocks International, can be rolled out beyond the city’s boundaries and across Devon and Cornwall.

Karen learned the bakery trade working her summer holidays for her father Brian Williams who owned Keyham based Kenneth Bakeries, a business that Karen was to acquire after she established her own independent bakery.

Her grandfather, Stafford Williams was a well-known figure in Plymouth being the founder of the legendary Magnet Restaurant on Cornwall Street and, like his son Brian, a director of Plymouth Argyle.

Karen said: “Having worked for my father since I was 14 years old, I knew what working life and the bakery business was all about by the time I came to set up for myself. My 15 year-old daughter Charlotte has expressed an interest to join the business but, at this moment in time, I’m not convinced it’s the right thing to do for her.”

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Family matters

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The Herald: Family Business Guide

Wednesday November 27, 2013 23

Mark uses local knowledge to source produce

‘

We are extremely proud to have achieved our successes and it has been a whole Gribble’s team effort in doing so.

’ usiness INCLUDING JOBS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

plymouthherald.co.uk/business

GRIBBLE’S BUTCHERS

achieve and how we want to serve our customers. We aim to grow and move into new territory including further developing our online shop as well as developing our service to local businesses.

“Alongside our Taste of the West Awards, we have achieved a five-star food hygiene rating by each of the three local authorities in which we are based.

All these awards are a result of the hard work and commitment my wife and I have shown in setting the high standards which we aim to maintain and i m p r ove o n c o n s t a n t l y. We a r e extremely proud to have achieved our successes and it has been a whole Gribble’s team effort in doing so.

“Being a family unit, we have been able to take decisions quickly and move forward with a united vision and a clear plan of action.”

To discuss commercial opportunities please contact: Andrew Sewell, Head of Business and Sponsorships Direct Line: 01752 293092 Mobile: 077300 18974 email: andrew.sewell@swmg.co.uk

SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2013 In association with

Nominate your favourite plymouthherald.co.uk/spoty • Sports Personality of the Year • Amateur Sports Personality of the Year • Coach of the Year • Team of the Year • Young Sports Personality of the Year • Community Sports Club of the Year • Sports Teacher of the Year • Sports Official of the Year

• Administrator of the Year • Champagne Moment of the Year • Good Sport / Fair Play / Respect Award • Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award • The Rob Daley Award Award Ceremony to take place on the 15th January 2014

To sponsor these awards please contact Terri Reeves on 01752 293174 or email terri.reeves@swmg.co.uk

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Our Sponsors

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Family matters

Ian Wood

KNOWING where the meat you buy comes from has become a key question for consumers and one that was recognised early on by business owner Mark Gribble, who founded Gribble’s Butchers with his wife Helen in 1998.

Mark, a Devonian, not only knows all the local farms who supply Gribble’s Butchers, he knows all the farmers personally as well.

Local produce from local farms are the watchwords and their philosophy of delivering quality meats, farm produce and delicatessen delights at affordable prices has seen steady growth in the intervening years.

Beginning with a butchers shop in Ivybridge, followed by one in the Plympton Ridgeway and then Occombe Farmshop in Torbay, the Gribble’s

brand has developed a loyal following with customers and suppliers alike.

The business has significant online trade and will make up weekly meat boxes to suit specific needs with doorstep delivery to homes or the workplace or by the “click & collect” service from one of their three shops.

In addition to the retail shops, Gribble’s also offers a six days per week refrigerated delivery service to over 60 of Devon’s finest pubs, restaurants, schools, hotels and care homes.

Personal service and quality assurance are at the heart of the business, an ethos which has underpinned the business’ successful entry to the Taste of the West Awards which achieved gold awards in all four of its entries in 2013 including Online Retailer of the Year.

Mark Gribble said: “We have a very definite vision of what we want to

The Herald is the voice of Plymouth’s vibrant business community.

We provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date news, comment and analysis through our coverage in print and online to support and celebrate success

24 THX-E01-S4

Starting with the family Finding the balance between the family and the business is key to its success.

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We work with the family to identify their long term needs and aspirations. Understanding the balance between the business and the people involved ensures we can help them form a plan for the longer term.

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