Illuminate - the magazine from The Wilson Organisation

The magazine from The Wilson Organisation

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx p1

An enlightened approach to independent insurance and fi nancial advice

a E

BEc

KET

T &

So

NS:

Th

E m

Idla

Nd

S fa

mIl

y Bu

SIN

ESS

of

ThE

yEa

R SP

oN

SoRE

d B

y Sm

ITh

co

oPE

R

WE ToaST ThE WINNERS of ThE mIdlaNdS famIly

BuSINESS aWaRdS

Winter 2012/13 Beckett’s Farm ● O’Keeffe ● 2012 Awards ● Tim Storer ● Pensions reform



what’s inside

WINTER/SPRING 2013Welcome to illuminate, the magazine for clients, friends and associates of The Wilson Organisation. In this Midlands Family Business Awards special issue we introduce you to some of the finalists from 2012 and showcase just what makes family businesses - and the Midlands - so special. In addition, Wilsons’ CEO Annabel Prow shares some top tips on preparing for pensions auto-enrolment and we give you some dates for your diary in 2013. I hope you enjoy the read and look forward to your feedback. Hilary Campton, [email protected]

2012 aWaRdS REvIEW

04 The champagne was rightly flowing for the winners at

the Midlands Family Business Awards

oN aN uPWaRd cuRvE

09 PwC’s Family Business

Survey 2012 found family business owners in the region confident

for the future

SPREadING ThEIR TalENTS

10 Clever diversification has helped O’Keeffe

Building Services avoid the worst of

the recession

a RuNWay SuccESS

13 Bruntingthorpe Proving

Ground proves that charitable work

doesn’t have to be just a tick in a box

aT homE oN ThE faRm

06 The 2012 Midlands

Family Business of the Year in profile

p2


foreword

Welcome to the latest issue of our magazine, illuminate. As we catch our breath after the third Midlands Family Business Awards we’re delighted to share with you the stories of some of our winners and finalists. With almost 30 entries in some of the categories, just to make the final stage was a huge achievement. We congratulate you all.My sister Charlotte and I are very proud of the Awards and the momentum they have gathered; we have met some fascinating and inspirational family businesses over the past year and it was so exciting to see how much winning one of our coveted trophies meant to those who took part. You can see some of their reactions - including a few tears - in the video on the Awards website.Our sponsors and supporters, especially our lead sponsor Smith Cooper, ensure we can run the Awards as a not for profit initiative. We are committed to raising funds to help young people not as fortunate as those of us reading this magazine, and all proceeds from the 2012 Awards go to our chosen charity, The Prince’s Trust. We are already looking ahead to the 2013 Awards and encourage you to put April 25 in your diaries for the launch events in Nottingham and Birmingham. We will also be unveiling two new award categories.A little closer to home we had some exciting news in our family as we celebrated the birth of Charlotte and Jon’s first child. Ellie was born on October 29 and as the fourth generation of our family we already have big plans for her to take the helm at Wilsons one day! We are all looking forward to welcoming Charlotte back to work in January.Away from the Awards we have been busy helping our clients with their commercial insurance requirements and with planning for auto-enrolment for pensions. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if ever you need advice or a second opinion on any aspect of insurance or financial advice.In the meantime, enjoy illuminate and I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Annabel Prow, Chief [email protected]

FOR WILSONS

Editor: Hilary [email protected]

Enquiries:Ped [email protected]

FOR BOWLESASSOCIATES

Editor: Simon [email protected]

Editorial team:Terry BowlesMatt Halfpenny

PHOTOGRAPHY The Portrait Collective

illuminate is produced for Wilsons by BowlesAssociates. However, the views expressed may not be those of either company, their partners or employees.

Harold Wilson (Insurances) Ltd and Harold Wilson Financial Services Ltd are authorised and regulated by The Financial Services Authority. The information provided in this magazine is for information purposes only and should not be construed as advice.

chairman: John Prow

managing director:Charlotte Perkins

chief Executive:Annabel Prow

The Wilson OrganisationWilson House1/3 Waverley StreetNottingham NG7 4HGTel: 0115 942 0111Fax: 0115 942 0459www.wilorg.com

twitter.com/TheWilsonOrg

twitter.com/FamilyBizAwards

p3


p4 Midlands Family Business AwardsCOMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

SPONSORED BY:

TOMMIES INTEGRATED SERVICES

Fine food, fine company and 46 fantastic finalists … a ‘full house’ saw the 2012 Midlands Family Business Awards draw to a glamorous conclusion at Leicester’s iconic Curve Theatre. www.familybusinessawards.co.uk

The 75-year-old fourth generation family business, A E Beckett & Sons from Wythall, Birmingham, was crowned ‘Family Business of

the Year’ for 2012 at Leicester’s iconic Curve Theatre as finalists, sponsors and supporters gathered in November for the third Midlands Family Business Awards.Taking the Highly Commended spots behind Beckett’s Farm were Leicester’s The City Rooms and Northamptonshire’s Triplar. Sponsored by accountants Smith Cooper, the headline Midlands Family Business of the Year category is for established family businesses, as Annabel Prow explained: “Beckett’s Farm impressed the panel of independent judges, led by Mark Samworth of Leicestershire family business Samworth Brothers, with evidence of its sound financial measures, good governance, service excellence, innovative processes and a commitment to its community, along with exemplary family

values and a clear vision for the future.”Chris Taylor, Managing Director of Smith Cooper, added: “The Awards play a vital role in both recognising and celebrating the work of those who have excelled in difficult times, and yet again some truly outstanding businesses came forward for the Family Business of The Year Award, making the judging process more difficult than ever.”The hotly contested ‘Best Small Family Business’, for those with an annual turnover of up to £5million, was won by Nottinghamshire family business O’Keeffe Building Services, which won praise for its solid performance and excellent governance.New for 2012 was the Manufacturing Excellence category, won by Belton Massey, Europe’s largest independent manufacturer of after-market catalytic converters. Another new award was for Environmental Sustainability, which recognised family businesses that have

2012 AWARDS NIGHT VOTED THE BEST YET


ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

SPONSORED BY:

THE ALUMET GROUP

taken steps to improve their green credentials. The winner was Warwickshire-based Alumet Group, which launched its sustainability drive in 2009 and is today considered the most sustainable façade company in the UK.Commenting on the evening, Awards Creative Director Hilary Campton said:“It was exciting to bring the Awards to Leicester and to Curve. We felt we had set the bar high at Birmingham Town Hall last year but 2012 proved to be our best year yet. Guests sat at beautifully lit tables on the theatre’s stage and we’ve had lovely feedback on the food, the ambience and the smooth-running of the event. Mass catering is never easy but the team from nearby Athena did a superb job for us.“Reading through the thank you letters and emails after the event was a real joy for the hardworking Awards team. We expect winners to be euphoric but we also had some heartfelt messages from many

finalists, who enjoyed being part of an independent and ethical Awards process.“We were sorry that Charlotte couldn’t join us for the Awards evening - she was at home with newborn baby Ellie - but Annabel did a superb job of presenting the Awards and we are looking forward to their double act in 2013.”Organised and hosted by Nottinghamshire family business Wilsons, the Awards is run on a charitable basis, thanks to some very generous category sponsors, who provide valuable time as well as the all-important financial support. Alongside headline sponsor Smith Cooper, the category sponsors in 2012 were Aviva, Barclays, Family Business Futures, First Actuarial, Geldards, Harvey Ingram Shakespeares, PwC, RSA, Thomas Miller Investment, and Unum. The drinks reception at the Awards was supported by Gateley and the media partner was Insider. Annabel said: “On behalf of the Awards

team I’d like to say a huge thank you not only to our incredible sponsors but also to our suppliers who have worked so closely with us - and to very tight budgets - throughout the year. BowlesAssociates, Affari Media, DWPR and V Formation have again pulled out all the stops. “Additionally, our panel of independent judges gave freely of their time, wisdom and insights and we’re very grateful for their support, which ensures we can maintain the Awards’ independence. My thanks would not be complete without a mention for Wilsons’ Marketing manager Ped Briggs for ensuring everything ran smoothly, from entries to trophies.”

The Midlands Family Business Awards is the only initiative of its kind - independent, not for profit and run by a family business for other family businesses. For those of you that didn’t enter in 2012, perhaps we will see you next year?

Awards night review

FOR THE DIARY The date for the

launch of the 2013 Midlands Family Business Awards has been set for

April 25

p5


p6 feature: Beckett’s Farm

Simon Beckett is quick to pinpoint the reason for the sustained success of A E Beckett & Sons, despite a tough economic climate.

As the Managing Director of the third generation family business, Simon has overseen growth to the point of reaching an annual turnover of around £4.5m and, in his words, it’s all about ‘evolution, not revolution - adding benchmarks year on year.’

Walking around Heath Farm near Wythall, just off the M42 - the location of the present day Beckett’s Farm Shop and Restaurant, as well as the company’s base - it’s easy to see how the evolution has taken place.

The site is enormous, with the farm shop offering everything you could ask for of a supermarket - fine locally-sourced products with friendly, attentive staff - and the restaurant is a popular site for visitors, with an impressive range of freshly-made dishes. Look around and you also notice the signs for the meeting and conference facilities, see old chicken houses that have been converted into industrial lets, and adverts for courses at the cookery school.

The sheer scale of the place could come across as impersonal in the

wrong hands, but whether you’re talking to a cashier at the café or the boss, the same attitude comes across - friendly people who enjoy going about their work and are determined to do it in the right way.

Seeing it up front, it’s easy to understand why the company was named as Midland Family Business of the Year for 2012 - and also highly commended in the Business Innovation category.

Explained Simon: “To us, innovation is not a department, but an allowable behaviour. You have to allow people to change and innovate. Sometimes it can be small little benchmarks - you step it, step it, step it - and all of a sudden you find yourself having made a big overall move. That doesn’t mean change for the sake of it, but encouraging open minds and identifying opportunities.”

In some ways, he’s underselling the evolution of the business, which

SOrTinG The wheAT FrOM The ChAFFAgriculture doesn’t have a reputation for moving swiftly with the times, but A E Beckett & Sons has bucked the trend for 75 years. Simon Cleaves put on his wellies and headed to Wythall to find out more.

“Agriculture is traditionally very conservative - ‘steady to change’ would be a kind way of putting it.”Simon Beckett


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx p7

md Simon Beckett with daughter holly, the fourth generation of the family business


p82012 FAMILY BUSINESS

OF THE YEAR

A E BECKETT & SONS

has gone through three distinct phases. A E Beckett & Sons was formed in 1937 by Albert Edward Beckett, who moved to Wythall from Shropshire to take up the tenancy of a small farm at Forhill. He built up a dairy farm with 100 cows before his son Alan - Simon’s father - persuaded him to move into large-scale egg production.

The business expanded rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s but had plateaued by the time Simon was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 1987, spending six months in the USA studying. He returned certain in his mind that the time had come for the business to move on once more, turning the focus to retail and allowing consumers to buy food direct from the farm.

“The Nuffield Scholarship is designed to allow those in agriculture to travel anywhere in the world, studying the subject of their choice, with the aim of returning to impart their knowledge on agriculture,” he said. “My father received a Scholarship in 1957, and that provided the impetus for him to ask Albert to move away from dairy farming.

“I think I must have had a similar moment to my old man when I was doing my own Scholarship - the realisation that we needed to change.

As a family business, you can find yourself right at the coalface all the time. It’s incredibly difficult to stand back and look at things from a distance. The Scholarship gave me that opportunity and when I came back, I knew it was time to change - it was just not possible to continue down the same road.

“We had had a farm shop on site from 1980, selling a few eggs - but the staff spent the morning selling eggs and the afternoon on a tractor. Once we made the decision to sell all the chickens, the farm shop expanded. In stages, we added a bakery, meat department and a deli, rebuilt the whole shop and introduced a restaurant.”

Retail represents the vast majority of the company’s turnover these days, but the business also includes industrial lets, with the former chicken houses all converted. More than 1,000 acres of cereals are still farmed as well and they also pursue some more unusual venture capital ideas... including owning the largest bouncy castle slide in the UK.

With the two previous generational handovers coinciding with a major shift in the company focus, Simon’s daughter Holly - the Marketing and Events Co-ordinator, who joined Becketts in 2008 - admits there is a lot of pressure on her shoulders, but is also adamant that a family

business doesn’t have to keep on following the

same route. That attitude is obviously ingrained in the family and Simon is

fully prepared for the day she knocks on the door.

He said: “Agriculture is traditionally very

conservative - ‘steady to change’ would be a

kind way of putting it. But I think the Nuffield Trust are at the forefront of encouraging change and they certainly opened the eyes of my father and myself to what needed to be done.

“When I said to my dad that we needed to sell the chickens, he was very, very supportive - as his father had been. There were some lessons to be learned there - and when Holly comes in with her big idea, hopefully I will have the same enthusiasm that my father showed to me.”

From humble beginnings,

the retail arm of A E Beckett & Sons

now records an annual turnover

of £3.5m

SPONSORED BY:


p9professional opinion p9

Family business owners in the Midlands are confi dent about future growth but feel undervalued and lacking in suffi cient government support, according to PwC’s latest Global Family Business Survey.

Interviewers spoke with senior executives in 1,952 family businesses between June and September 2012 and found that 69 per cent of businesses in the UK are aiming to grow steadily in the year ahead - with 91 per cent being confi dent of achieving this steady growth.However, the majority of respondents believe the government could offer more support, and are looking for more incentives to encourage start-ups and greater recognition of their importance to the UK economy.Chris Romans, Partner and private business expert at PwC in the Midlands, said: “Family businesses play a vital role in the Midlands economy. These are businesses that are in it for the long term and are helping to bring stability to the local economy by creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurial spirit. “However, the fi ndings of our survey clearly demonstrate that they don’t feel as valued

as other businesses and are looking to the government to provide them with more support, to listen to them and to help them achieve their growth goals. There were also calls for better access to fi nance and the removal of tax barriers, together with the provision of real incentives to start-up family businesses.”The survey found that fi nding and retaining skilled staff is the biggest internal issue, with nearly half of all respondents listing recruitment as a key concern in the next 12 months. Mr Romans continued: “Family businesses are proud of the fact they are excellent places to work with a real respect for their staff. This has never been more evident than throughout the recent economic downturn, with 89 per cent of UK respondents saying they have battled hard to retain staff, even in the bad times. “Our survey results show that family businesses in the region, like those elsewhere, are looking outside of the family for input on matters such as these with 49 per cent of the businesses surveyed in the UK having non-family members on the board and 25 per cent having non-family staff with shares in the company.”The survey also found that family businesses believe they have stronger values than other businesses, and that this grows as the business passes through the generations. Annabel Prow, CEO of Wilsons commented: “PwC’s Family Business Survey contains fascinating results. It underlines the strong values, commitment to growth and responsibility towards staff and communities that were demonstrated by many of our Family Business Awards entrants.”

Access the full fi ndings of the Family Business Survey 2012 at www.pwc.co.uk/familybusinesssurvey

According to a PwC survey, family businesses are ‘robust, vigorous and successful’ - but in need of government support. Chris romans, Partner at PwC reports on the key fi ndings...

Do family businesses have stronger values?

The UK cut of the survey is compiled of responses from 100 companies - 80% of those with a turnover of more than $21m. The PwC Family Business Survey 2012 covers family companies with a sales turnover of more than US$5m in over 30 countries/regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Mexico, the Middle East (several countries), Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK and the US. Interviews with top executives in 1,952 companies took place between 7 June and 18 September 2012.

famIly BuSINESSES ThRIvING GloBally accoRdING To

ThE 2012 SuRvEy:

65% have grown sales in the past year (compared to only less

than half in 2010); particularly strong growth in eastern

europe, Latin America and Middle east

19% saw a reduction in their sales

in the last year, compared with 34 per cent in 2010.

UK family businesses have good ambitions for growth and are confi dent of their

prospects

uK famIly BuSINESSES havE Good amBITIoNS foR GRoWTh:

69% anticipate steady growth in

the next fi ve years

91% of those surveyed ‘confi dent’ about achieving this growth

“Family businesses are proud of the fact they are excellent places to work with a real respect for their staff. This has never been more evident than throughout the recent economic downturn, with 89 per cent of UK respondents saying they have battled hard to retain staff, even in the bad times”chris Romans


p10 case study: O’Keeffe

Branching out hoists O’Keeffe to ‘cloud nine’

Since Russell’s father Michael O’Keeffe started out on his own as ‘a guy in a van’ in 1981, O’Keeffe Building Services and their sister companies

have come a mighty long way. In the early days the focus was on developing the building portfolio, but in more recent years the business has branched out into other sectors, including electrical and property development arms.

It is a strategy Operations Director Russell feels has served them well since he joined his father, the Managing Director, and brother Matthew, the Systems Director, in 2006, with sister Jessica subsequently coming on board as Associate Director. By diversifying, O’Keeffe has negotiated the recession that has hit some businesses hard - something Russell believes impressed the Award judges.

“We have always had a strong emphasis on new homes and extensions, but we felt it was a little bit too narrow and have always been for sustainability in our working environment,” he said. “It works well now we have the three elements to offer – there’s a good balance.

“In the last five years we have known that if work dries up in one sector, we can look to the alternative avenues, which means you don’t have to rely on one or two big orders in our book. In winning the award, it was suggested that the way we had grown the businesses in a sustainable way, so that there is a future for the next generations of the family, was well appreciated.”

Almost a third of Nottingham-based O’Keeffe’s employees - 40 when including sub-contractors - are family members, with some having been with the business more than 25 years and many for a decade or more. Although working with some well-known national names in the shape of BT, Interserve, Sure Start and Lidl, Russell recognises there has always been a strong team ethic that builds upon the family togetherness.

He said: “Without doubt the business wouldn’t be where it is now without the approach we take - we consider every individual as a key member of the organisation. It’s massively important that we are all family at the top end of the business because you have that extra openness that you might not otherwise have.

“We like to give responsibility to all and make them feel part of O’Keeffe, rather than just working for us, and there is a mutual respect. If people don’t want that responsibility then they don’t stay long, but it means that there is a strong sense of trust in those that do.”

O’Keeffe saw off the challenge of almost 30 rivals - more than in any other category - to take the title of Best Small Family Business, which ‘was the icing on the cake in an excellent year.’

“It was great just to make the final shortlist and be at the awards in the first place,” added Russell. “It was a very enjoyable night where we picked up some very useful contacts. To go home as winners was amazing and we were still on cloud nine a week afterwards.”

Family values are at the very core of O’Keeffe Building Services, according to Russell O’Keeffe. He believes those close relationships have been critical to the ongoing success of the Best Small Family Business winners at the Midlands Family Business Awards.

BEST SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS

SPONSORED BY:

O’KEEFFE BUILDING SERVICES


SERVICE ExCELLENCESPONSORED BY:

DAVID MANNERS GROUP

p11


business profi le

Join Family Business Futures and PwC for a special event for family businesses to help you defi ne the steps towards a successful transition.Designed with the current and future owners of your family businesses in mind, this interactive half day event, in conjunction with PwC, will help you to explore your aims for the future of your family business and the options available to you. It will allow you to consider the steps that you can take to

refl ect the differing desires, needs and skills of family members, helping to establish the future structure of your business and to start planning for a successful exit or succession.This ‘not to be missed’ event will bring you guest speakers, facilitated discussions and peer-to-peer debate to help you take the next steps in your family business journey.For more information or to reserve a place, please contact Ped Briggs at Wilsons on 0115 942 7506 or by email at [email protected]

daTE 26 February 2013 TImES 1pm - 6pm, including a buffet lunch and post-event drinks & canapés vENuE Swinfen Hall Hotel, Lichfi eld, Staffs coST £150+VAT per person

STEPS TO SUCCESSION

From the moment the concept of the Deaf Alerter was born, the company of the same name has been driven

by a desire to improve their product, as well as design new ones. The Derby-based business boasts fi ve dedicated research and development staff who are tasked to this end, ensuring the brand remains a fi rm market leader.The innovative ethos stems from Steve Haseldine, who co-founded parent company Evets Communications Limited (ECL) along with his wife Karen in 1980 before setting up Deaf Alerter in 2001. According to son Chris, who has stepped up to take on the role of Sales and Marketing Director, his father has always been a keen radio ‘ham’ - an amateur enthusiast - as well as a talented inventor.

“Radio is my dad’s passion and, with his technical expertise, it was always likely it would develop into something more than a hobby,” said Chris. “For a while the Deaf Alerter came under the ECL banner, but it quickly became apparent it needed its own company devoted to it. Innovation was the key to that product - it was the fi rst of its kind - and is still very much the key today. Customers like that we often take their ideas and move forward with them.”The Deaf Alerter informs deaf people in private and public buildings when the fi re alarm has been tripped, working by sending a signal to a portable, hand-held unit. Later developments have included a night cradle that wakes those sleeping, a simple clip-on device that detects a knock on

the door and the ability to send messages from PCs. All models also meet British Standards for fi re alarms and are incorporated into a national roaming system.“What has served us well is the quality of the product because people don’t want to waste money at a time when it is tight,” added Chris. “Even so, it was a big shock to win at the awards. We were intent on enjoying what was a great night, but to get this recognition in our fi rst year of entering topped it off.”

Very few businesses can claim to have ‘invented their market’, as Deaf Alerter were praised for doing by category sponsors PwC upon winning the Midlands Family Business Award for Business Innovation.

“Customers like that we often take their ideas and move forward with them”chris haseldine

Ground control to Major Tom

BUSINESS INNOVATION SPONSORED BY:

DEAF ALERTER

p12


business profile

Highly commended for their Commitment to the

Community, Leicestershire-based Bruntingthorpe

Proving Ground raises in excess of £100,000 a year for worthy causes using its

unique facilities.

A DRIVING FORCE

FOR LOCAL CHARITIES

iT’s not every day that your average person can climb behind the wheel of a double decker bus, tractor or

combine harvester, but it’s a popular attraction at Bruntingthorpe’s annual Ladies’ Driving Challenge held every summer - and all in aid of the British Red Cross and Fire Service Benevolent Fund. “It’s not your average day’s driving, but each lady has a sponsor sheet and we raised something like £20,000 this summer, which is terrific,” said Managing Director David Walton.That’s not the only fundraising success story either. ‘On Your Marks’, run in conjunction with Asda to benefit various cancer and children’s charities, raised more than £40,000 in 2012. There are a host of other smaller events each year too and, in almost all cases, the site is made available free of charge. “We support as many as possible because it’s nice to give something back,” added Walton. “It’s also really good that residents in the surrounding villages get involved and you get a real sense of community spirit.”The family business was started by Cecil Walton in 1950 and is now in its second generation with three other siblings - John, Peter and Elizabeth - assisting David in its running. They purchased the 700-acre Bruntingthorpe site in 1983, which includes several asphalt and off-road tracks as well as a climate chamber and workshops. “The business is growing year on year even though many in our sector have been particularly hard-hit by the recession,”

said Walton. “I think the main reason is because we are flexible and always willing to consider new opportunities.”This is the first year that Bruntingthorpe have entered the Midlands Family Business Awards, but it is unlikely to be their last. David said: “It provided some great networking opportunities and we didn’t realise how many successful family businesses there were because they often don’t carry the family name.”

The scale of the unique 700-acre Bruntingthorpe site becomes apparent from the air.

Thank you all for a fantastic evening - really enjoyed it and looking forward to next year”Kirsty davies-chinnock, Professional Polishing Services

p13


business profi le

You don’t survive as a family business since 1897 without successfully negotiating a way through the odd crisis, and

being shortlisted in two categories speaks volumes for the way Central Wheel Components has achieved that.Based at Coleshill, having relocated from central Birmingham in the early Sixties, the family fi rm that is now on its fourth generation was up for the awards as Best Small Family Business and also for Manufacturing Excellence and despite missing out on both counts, there is good reason to celebrate.Central Wheel Components is the largest motorcycle spoke manufacturer in Europe, building many of the off-road wheels used in Britain today by motocross, enduro, trials and speedway riders, and company Director Richard Hoyland believes the ability to respond well to a crisis is crucial to their success.He said: “It was a real crisis in 1981 when Geoff Harding – the third generation of the business - suffered

a major stroke. It meant that Warren, his 18-year-old son who was at college studying accountancy, had to come in and take over the reins without any previous experience to call upon and he deserves a massive pat on the back for steering the company through it.“It was a similar situation in 2007 when Triumph announced it would be closing its ‘Cruiser’ factory in Hinckley eight weeks later and moving the operation to Thailand. At the time, we were producing 1,000 wheels a week for them and that represented nearly one-third of our annual turnover.“It was a massive blow. We had to make 12 people redundant - something Central Wheels had never previously done - and needless to say, it was a real challenge to keep the company going.”Diversifi cation was the answer as a number of new ‘arms’ were introduced. Powder Coating was brought in-house, and Wheelhouse tyres were moved to larger premises with motorcycle MOT’s and servicing being added to

Freewheelin’ in Coleshill

for central Wheel components, just being shortlisted in two categories in the midlands family Business awards represents a great success.

their revenue stream. The main core of the business is just as it always has been... restoration of bespoke wheels to suit classic motorcycles of all types and ages.“We’re very proud of our history and our reputation as a market leader,” added Richard. “We may be a small business but we’re an important local employer with 45 people on the payroll - plus a couple of apprentices we have recently taken on because we’re looking to the future. Many of our staff have been with us for a long time and because our business is so specialised, we felt it was important to train people up. The apprentices are good lads who seem to be enjoying themselves - and hopefully they’ll be with us for many years to come.”

“we may be a small business but we’re an important local employer”Richard hoyland

we really enjoyed taking part in the Awards and the dinner was fabulous. we met some really interesting people”Philip Stewardson, Stewardson Developments

p14

Q&A


YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED AS A jUDGE SINCE 2010. COULD YOU TELL US HOW YOU FIRST GOT INVOLVED WITH THE MIDLANDS FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS?“Wilsons approached me before the first Awards and asked if I would like to be a judge. I have some experience of judging through De Montfort University, Leicester, and enjoyed that process, so I was happy to take part.”

WHAT PART OF THE jUDGING DO YOU ENjOY?“Working with people you may never have met before in assessing the entrants, collecting our thoughts and discussing their strengths and weaknesses. It’s engaging and you do find yourself looking at what those companies in front of you are doing and seeing if there’s anything you can learn from them.”

HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY COMMON THEMES AMONG THE ENTRANTS?“That’s a little difficult to say as I have judged across different categories, but

I would say that family businesses often place a greater emphasis on their work within their community than other companies - their charitable giving and investment in people - and particularly in comparison to larger corporations.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST

IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE AWARDS?“Giving family businesses a platform from which to promote themselves. Certainly those who are shortlisted have a marketing tool for a 12-month period and winners for longer than that - and they all richly deserve that opportunity. There’s also the networking element available as well.”

AS A FAMILY BUSINESS YOURSELVES, HOW MUCH CAN YOU RELATE TO THE PROBLEMS ENTRANTS HAVE FACED - AND HOW THEY HAVE OVERCOME THEM?“It’s interesting how often you find that the issues you tackle in your own industry are by no means unique, and other businesses also face them. That has been the case on a number of occasions.”

WHAT’S THE BEST BIT OF ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED DURING THE jUDGING?I wouldn’t say there’s been one overall ‘snippet’, but as a judge you try and keep an overall perspective when assessing the entrants. Generally we come together to spend a day judging the entrants and I do come away with some thoughts - I have always found them to be stimulating. You’ve had the opportunity to spend a day outside of your normal environment and see the wood from the trees.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS?“We have a strong, determined focus on providing quality, value for money and good customer service, and that’s crucial in our industry. We go for gold day in, day out, year after year, and stick to our principles. It has remained at the heart of the business since the company was founded in 1963.”

As Joint Managing Director of Pukka Pies, Tim Storer knows the secret of growing a business in the Midlands. He explains why he has been delighted to be a judge of the Midlands Family Business Awards from the start.

JUDGEMENT DAY:fINdING ThE x facToR

Tim Storer has been a valued member of the judging panel and seen the Midlands Family Business Awards grow from its inception in 2010.

LEADING ADVISER

SPONSORED BY:

COOPER PARRY

p15


p16 business profilesFASTEST GROWING FAMILY BUSINESS

SPONSORED BY:

HALLMARK CONSUMER SERVICES

It capped another remarkable year for Belton Massey when the Mansfield-based company scooped the Manufacturing Excellence award at the Midlands Family Business Awards.Established in 1966, the third-generation firm continues to buck the economic trend and after reporting strong increases in sales and exports throughout 2012, it launched a new premium product range in September at Automechanika Frankfurt, the world’s largest automotive trade show.Managing Director Toby Massey commented: “To win any award is a great boost for business, but one that celebrates our family

values and recognises how that has directly led to our success is hugely satisfying.”The judges were impressed with Belton Massey’s strong family credentials. Eric Massey, the current MD’s grandfather founded the company in 1966 and current chairman and former MD John Massey then grew it from a local fast-fit operation into Europe’s largest independent manufacturer of after-market catalytic converters. In April 2012 control passed to his son, Toby, who had spent the previous 10 years as Commercial Director.The company now employs around 300 people and Mr Massey added: “I would

particularly like to thank all of our staff, many of whom have been part of our Belton Massey-family for a very long time, for their contribution to our on-going success.”The Nottinghamshire-based manufacturer beat stiff competition from five other businesses to take the award and Commercial Director Mark Blinston commented: “It’s rewarding to see how a family-run UK manufacturing business can thrive, despite the economic conditions that we constantly see reported in the media. “We are bucking the trend and a large part of that is due to our strong heritage and a determination to invest in our people and

facilities to become a leader in the EU after-market.”Belton Massey, started out as tyre and exhaust fitting stations in the Midlands, and began custom building catalytic converters in 1998 for the local area. That side of the business grew rapidly, and the BM Catalysts brand was formed in 2004. Today the company operates from two hugely impressive manufacturing plants, using only the latest in high-tech machinery, and manufactures over 2,000 parts a day.Mr Blinston added: “We boast a superb part development team, who have the technology, software and capabilities to identify future popular parts. That ensures parts can be bought in for development and added to our ever-increasing range, before demand from the market. “

FORWARD THINKING INSPIRES EXCELLENCE

Belton Massey’s impressive base in Mansfield, north Nottinghamshire

Adding 20 per cent to your bottom-line for three consecutive years is no

mean feat in the current climate, particularly when your clients are predominantly retailers and charities. But this is exactly what Melton Mowbray fulfilment company Hallmark has achieved, and its growth was recognised by the Fast Growth judging panel, with 99p Stores’ boss Hussein Lalani at its helm.MD Chris Hall said: “Perhaps we have been lucky, but we have

reached 20 years of trading in a very good position thanks, in large part, to the successes of our clients. We’ve secured major new contracts with UNICEF and CD retailer Zestify, and existing clients such as The Leisure Pass Group and BBC Children in Need have gone from strength to strength.“Our biggest growth area is in e-fulfilment, where we take care of the online ordering and despatch services for our clients, right through to customer service and returns. We’ve invested heavily over the

Uplifting results for Hallmarkpast four years to ensure we can compete with the big boys on efficiency, price and technology whilst retaining the service and friendliness that you’d expect from a family run and owned business.“2013 is shaping up to be another good year for Hallmark; we’re hoping to secure larger warehousing facilities in the Melton Mowbray area and are also launching a gift-wrapping and personalisation service for our growing clutch of luxury goods clients.”


business profile

Since taking over Birchover in 2010, husband and wife team Carl and Lisa Bridge have taken the company

from strength to strength, securing top spot on leading travel site TripAdvisor as well as reaching the national finals of the British Chamber of Commerce awards. Carl explained their story: “The hotel apartments were in a bit of a sorry state when we took them over so we’ve had a really intensive focus on cleaniness and service - as well as adding in the little luxuries that make staying away from home more comfortable - and fun!“It isn’t an easy market for hoteliers but we believe our offer works for business travellers, tourists and families alike; we’ve taken ideas from some of the best hotels around

the world and then added in the freedom that comes with having your own apartment.“Lisa and I have always had a commitment to giving something back to our local community and it was fantastic to be recognised by the Family Business Awards for our efforts. In our newest initiative we’re working with Derby Telegraph to give charities the chance to win a free apartment, which they can then use in their own fund-raising or perhaps as a reward for one of their team.”The company’s newest venue is a boutique apartment hotel in the centre of Derby, with nine luxury apartments. But anyone thinking of making a booking will need to be patient; this new hotel is fully booked until March 2013!

Taking the no.1 spot in the centre of DerbyHighly commended gongs in the Service Excellence and Commitment to the Community categories are just two of the recent accolades picked up by Birchover Hotel Apartments.

BIRchovER IN NumBERS


3 hotels

79 apartments

40 saunas

20 housekeepers

5 family members

no.1 top spot on

tripadvisor.com

“Adding in the little luxuries that make staying away from home more comfortable - and fun”carl Bridge

MANUFACTURING ExCELLENCESPONSORED BY:

BELTON MASSEY

p17

ask Wilsons’ expertsWe’ll answer your topical queries...

Your marketing plan is your route-map to achieving your strategic objectives. It needs to identify your audience, the messages you need to communicate, the channels you will use and how you will measure success, together with a resource plan to keep budgets on track. A good marketing plan also includes situational analysis, such as the trusty SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and PEST (political, economic, social and technological) tools. Break your planning into manageable chunks:

Agree your strategic goals / objectives / themes.

Identify and research your target audience – include existing and potential customers, influencers, employees, associates and so forth. These stakeholders might be different for each theme. What does each stakeholder group need to know? Define your messages.

Choose your channels. From social media and digital to sponsorship and advertising, plan your communications so they reach your target audiences effectively.

Set measures of success so you can check that your plan is on track.

Involve as many people as possible in the planning process; it might seem like hard work but you’ll get better information and it will pay dividends at implementation stage as they will feel more ownership of the process. But keep the plan short and keep it simple. And when you communicate the finished plan to the team, ensure everyone understands exactly what they need to do to help you deliver it and achieve your strategic goals.

For a more detailed discussion contact Hilary on 0115 822 6364 or email [email protected]

WIlSoNS’ maRKETING coNSulTaNT hIlaRy camPToN haS SomE PRacTIcal advIcE

P ension auto enrolment is a government initiative to encourage employers and

employees to take more responsibility for saving for retirement. It will ultimately require every company to automatically enrol all eligible employees into a pension scheme, with a minimum contribution of three per cent per person. While it will affect most businesses by the end of 2014, employers can expect very limited support from the regulators in preparing for its arrival. We identify five key steps to help you prepare:

Put together a project team for the implementation, including HR.

Consider your payroll facilities – a paper-based system might struggle to cope.

Decide what contribution you want to make. What can you afford?

Put in place processes for staff that opt out or opt back in, and also for new staff.

How will you communicate your scheme to staff so that they understand – and appreciate - the benefits?

There’s no getting away from the fact that it will cost you money but there are definite steps you can take to both plan for, and minimise, the financial impact. We recommend that employers use 2013 to get ready for auto enrolment and use it as a positive tool to drive employee engagement.

For help with any aspect of pension auto enrolment call either Annabel or Paul Rodgers on 0115 942 0111 or email Paul at [email protected]

WIlSoNS’ aNNaBEl PRoW offERS SomE GuIdaNcE

How do I prepare my business for the new pension legislation?

We know we need a marketing plan, but where do we start?


“Many clients are taking quite a proactive approach to the new pension regulations and using it as a good opportunity to communicate with staff – as well as a powerful recruitment and retention tool”annabel Prow

12

54

3

wilsons, at your servicep18

1

2

3

4

5


profile

File under ‘W’ for winner

Little did Lucy Shipley know what a life-changing experience it would be when the Nottingham marketing agency

where she worked announced it was moving to London - and she was to be made redundant.It opened the way for her to join Shredall, her father’s business that does what it says, and having worked her way around the operation, carrying out a variety of jobs, it was time to branch out in 2005.She explained: “Customers were ringing to ask whether we offered a storage service and I said to my dad: ‘I think there could be an opportunity in this’. He encouraged me to give it a go, and we set up SDS, a Document Storage company, as a separate branch of the business.”The client-base was growing rapidly by that stage and since making the decision to take on someone to work

in the warehouse and free up Lucy to concentrate on other areas - like marketing - the result has been remarkable.She has grown the business from its infancy, producing a 61 per cent increase in turnover last year alone and winning significant contracts along the way, and that achievement earned her the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award at the Midlands Family Business Awards.Incredibly enthusiastic - and ambitious - Lucy is very clear on where SDS is heading. “We’re on target to turnover £720,000 this year and I’m aiming to top £1million next year,” she said. “When I started, with just me and a Portakabin… the thought of achieving that was an absolute dream.“Now though, we’re actively looking for new premises because our current ones are full and the 10-year plan we drafted initially needs to be re-

written. We’re also investing heavily in new software because we have to stay ahead of the game and keep improving our offering to customers.”SDS clients are now able to access information quicker through a new online system which allows them to view files in an electronic format, manage retentions and produce management reports at the touch of a button.Lucy added: “Although primarily I wanted the business to operate as close to Nottingham as possible, that hasn’t worked. Opportunities keep coming along that we don’t want to turn down and it is has led to us expanding our operation into Glasgow, London and Birmingham.” Lucy’s father Lloyd, who set up the company in 1997, added: “Lucy has created a culture of compliance within the business and that has been a major turning-point for SDS.”

Lucy Shipley was a fitting choice for the Outstanding Contribution award at the Midlands Family Business Awards because her impact on the Shredall Group’s expanding operation has been incredible.

“I’m aiming to top £1m next year. When I started, with just me and a Portakabin… the thought of achieving that was an absolute dream.”lucy Shipley

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

SPONSORED BY:

LUCY SHIPLEY

p19

Prepare for pensions auto enrolment

www.wilorg.com

If you employ 250 people or more, you will need to automatically enrol all eligible employees into a pension scheme from 1st February 2014.

Wilsons’ specialist pensions team can help you prepare for auto-enrolment and put in place the processes that will satisfy the Pensions Regulator

and help you deliver a valuable benefit to your employees.

Contact Paul Rodgers on 0115 942 0111 or email [email protected]

Wilsons is proud to have created the Midlands Family Business Awards

Illuminate - the magazine from The Wilson Organisation

Documents

Transcript of Illuminate - the magazine from The Wilson Organisation