INTERVIEW WITH

The right place

An unusual meeting led to Sion Pritchard becoming managing director of Petplace. He tells Kate Hamilton his unusual recruitment story…

If you are working in security and you happen to catch somebody who has forgotten to pay for an item, then you are unlikely to think that the following awkward conversation is going to result in a life changing opportunity. Yet that is exactly what happened to Sion Pritchard, Managing Director of Petplace. e

“20 years ago, I had a job in Spar as a manager,” explains Sion. “I’d left school with no qualifications, but I had a knack of spotting shoplifters! I was working late one night when I spotted a gentleman who had forgotten to pay for an item – but when I let him go, I got offered a job by a customer!”

The customer in question was Gwyn Lewis, the founder of Farm and Pet Place – the go-to shop in North Wales for all agricultural supplies.

This was in 2000, and it wasn’t long before Sion moved up the ranks in his new firm – firstly to Store Manager and then to Area Manager. Ten years later and the company asked Sion to become a director and sit on the board. “It was very flattering but I felt as though I wasn’t qualified enough,” he explains. “So, I agreed to the position on the basis that I could study for a degree in business management. They agreed and I became Sales Director. It took me four years to get the degree, going to college one evening a week, working fulltime and completing all of the necessary coursework. But I did it, and was proud to have completed the course while still being so hands on in the business.”

And it paid dividends, because Sion shortly became Operations Director in order to allow Gwyn to take semi retirement. At this point the company was still focussing on its agricultural customers, and Sion saw an opportunity to focus more on the pet side of the business.

“I presented the idea to the board that we should move more into pet supplies. It was a huge gamble as the majority of our business came from our farming customers but, luckily, it is a gamble that has paid off.”

How much of a gamble it really was is debatable of course, for Sion isn’t the sort of chap to jump in without thinking.

“All of my research showed that people’s spending has increased as they have become ‘pet parents’ – in fact, they are spending more than they ever have before on their pets.”

And it was this philosophy that led to the company rebranding to simply Petplace – and creating a flagship store in Abergele to match their new customer base.

“We started off doing the self-service dog wash,” explains Sion, who is now Managing Director – a role he took up when Gwyn fully retired in 2015. “Then it was the self serve rug wash for horse blankets. Our products moved away from agricultural feed and into pet food, toys and accessories. And then, of course, we launched the dog park.”

Inspired by how the American’s socialise their dogs across the pond, Sion was keen to create a place where North Wales dog owners could socialise their dogs in a safe environment.

“It’s really taken off. We don’t charge for the facility which gives something back, but we do host timed openings for breed specific events, as well as experiences for different life stages including senior dogs and puppies. There is a café next to the park where owners can relax too, as we want this experience to be as much for them as it is for their dogs. We believe that socialising your dog and keeping them healthy is crucial to pet parenting.”

And it is a philosophy that has worked. Sion and his team are currently going through the planning process in a bid to rebrand the Llangefni branch to Petplace and update the store to match Abergele.

“We will roll the other three stores out over the next couple of years,” says Sion. “And, in the meantime, we will also continue to grow our website. Many items purchased online leave North

There are now 80 members of staff across PetPlace’s five branches and head office – and their wellbeing is Sion’s top priority

Wales which has been a great way to grow the business. We are looking to improve our eco, natural, healthy and recycled ranges both in store and online, and we will continue to grow our own brand – Dr Green.”

And it is growing the business that is Sion’s priority.

“We reinvest all profits into growing the company,” he explains. “And once we have converted all of our North Wales branches in line with our new brand, then we will look at possible expansions. Meanwhile, in Abergele, we have lots of plans for the dog park – there are lots of new experiences to come, including education sessions. We opened the park to give something back to local pet owners.”

Petplace has been true to its word too, as the company hasn’t raised its prices at all in order to pay for these huge refurbishments.

“We have had to put prices up a little in order to reflect our supplier’s cost increases, but we haven’t added any mark up to pay for the renovations. What we have seen is a change in our clientele – now the pet parents come in and the families come in, and they both love it.”

loyal supporters of the Ty Gobaith and Hope House children’s hospices along with Paws Off Duty, a charity providing funds for retired police dogs of North Wales.

“Charity is so important to us at Petplace,” explains Sion. “We get involved in as many things as we can every year to raise vital funds. There are so many deserving charities, but we have chosen two as our main charities to support. This year, we are the headline sponsors for the Snowdon Sunrise Trek taking place in July with a team of our own getting involved on the day.”

Sion goes on to explain, “We are all about the community and giving back to others. We open up the dog park for fundraising days in support of the charities and the team are always keen to get involved in any way they can.”

So what has been Sion’s secret to success during his 20 years with the company?

“It has to be my team,” he says. “I believe in the person, not their qualifications. It’s about the individual. It’s about their work ethic and their ability – we don’t recruit on qualifications, we recruit on what they can bring to the Petplace family.”

branches and Head Office – and their wellbeing is Sion’s top priority.

“I have rolled out lots of new policies and procedures that ensure staff wellbeing. We have plenty of social events, free fruit and give staff their birthday off.”

It is perhaps no surprise then that Petplace has been recognised with a Silver award by Investors in People, and that many of their staff are long serving members of the team.

“Without my team I couldn’t grow the business how I want,” explains Sion, who has a complete open door policy. “We also encourage staff retention by increasing holiday allowance after the first two years, by an extra day for every year that a team member has been with us.”

So, an exciting 20 years indeed. But what does the next 20 hold in store for Petplace?

“We will still cover small holdings, but our focus will be on investing in pets and their health,” concludes Sion. “When somebody needs something for their pet, both in North Wales and beyond, then we want to be the first place that springs to mind.” n

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