We are delighted to announce that Roger Smith of Thomas Graham & Sons has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Family Business Steward Thomas Graham changed his family’s future for generations to come when he set up his own business – a small ironmongers shop and steel warehouse on Lowther Street in Carlisle back in 1892. Today, the business is run by Roger Smith, an inspirational leader that continues to follow a journey that started out over 130 years ago. Roger continues to bring an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to the business and a leadership style that fully embraces the history and heritage associated with the family business yet focuses on the future too. He is well respected and continues to lead in response to their vision, a vision that has evolved over the years, however, still holds true to the original aim of ensuring they offer their customers a first-class level of service at all times. Roger is fully deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Kate Gibson of Gibsons has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Next Generation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Champion of Change & Innovation 2019 marked 100 years since Harry Percy Gibson formed H. P. Gibson & Sons Limited. Now into the fourth generation with Harry’s great-granddaughter at the helm, Gibsons are proud of their British heritage and are still providing fun family pastimes for all ages so many years later. The team and product offering have grown a lot over the last ten decades, however their values remain the same. ‘Bringing people together’ underpins everything they do: from encouraging people to play games, and creating a happy working culture, to supporting a local children’s charity and valuing the relationships with their suppliers and customers. "Kate is the Managing Director and an inspirational leader, developing a culture that embraces the past and at the same time looks to the future. She cares passionately about the people around her and encourages everyone to be the best they can be. Her pride and passion for what they do is tangible and she is fully deserving of her place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that George Vestey of Vestey Holdings has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Champion of Change & Innovation Vestey Holdings are a fourth generation, family-owned business, with origins stretching back to the 1890’s when brothers William and Edmund Vestey established the Union Cold Storage Company in Liverpool. Pioneering and visionary, the entrepreneurial spirit of their forefathers continues to influence the way they run the business today. Today, they primarily invest in food companies operating in various segments of the industry. As custodians of these companies, they’re not about the short term – their core aim is to build and improve them for future. "George leads the business with family values, heritage and history at the core and a sense of real family business stewardship as the business continues to drive change and innovate, focusing on the long-term. He thoroughly deserves recognition within the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Karen Somerville of Angels’ Share Glass has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Next Generation Champion of Change & Innovation Tom Young MBE and daughter Karen produce beautiful glassware, creating the very best in innovative and creative concepts. Together they have supplied some of the world’s leading distillers with products used for the distilling process. The idea for the business was born out of the Legend of The Angels’ Share After watching a Film of the same name. Karen & Tom designed the Whisky Angel. This is now the signature product and the glassware range has evolved around whisky and spirits ever since. Tom worked throughout industrial and chemical glass laboratories until his creative side took over and he made designs in glass. Karen has a passion for glass and whisky and as Director of Angels’ Share Glass ® Karen is also a former winner of “Entrepreneur of the Year,” champions Women in Business and sits on the Committee of The Association of British Entrepreneurs Scotland. Karen is also Director of The Fife Whisky Festival, a vibrant celebration of whisky in the Kingdom of Fife. "Designing and adapting glassmaking techniques helps affirm this company’s glassmaking heritage and love of Scotch Whisky and Karen is and has been instrumental in driving the family business forward. Her passion, tenacity and desire to continue creating beautiful glassware is second to none and she thoroughly deserves her place in the inaugural Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Matthew Barker of Barker Group has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Entrepreneurship Champion of Change & Innovation Barker have a heritage that spans decades with the Barker family having been involved in dry cleaning for three generations. Ken Barker started up in the 1940s and it’s fair to say that without him, the industry would be very different today. Ken started work for an acquaintance in the business called Walter Knight. Over the years Ken and Walter built up the ‘Collins Cleaners’ business until in 1947 Ken decided to buy the company outright. He continued to grow the business and by 1958 Collins Cleaners had over forty shops and three factories. In 1959 Ken became president of the National Federation of Dyers and Cleaners. In 1960 Ken sold the business and became Deputy Chairman of Quality Cleaners of Worcester. He was responsible for the merger of this company with Sketchley’s making it the biggest dry cleaning company in the country. At that time more than half Sketchley’s branches had been set up by Ken Barker. Ken’s son Anthony followed in his father’s footsteps and, with three friends, opened Harlequin Cleaners and later Commodore Cleaners. In 1972 Anthony took on three shops: Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, founding Anthony A. Barker Ltd. Anthony and his wife Valerie decided the future of the business lay in the provision of high quality domestic laundry services, both to the public and dry cleaners themselves. The business thrived and Anthony’s son, Matthew entered the business. Matthew’s tenacity, vision and hard work over the past fifteen years, has been the driving force behind the growth of the barker brand, which has gone from strength to strength. In 2000 Matthew bought the company from his father, re-branding to become Barker Group. Today, it’s simply barker – a company providing a consistently high quality service with an unrivalled reputation for excellence. As for Matthew Barker, he is still dedicated to building and improving on the skills and traditions passed down through the family. His vision is to make barker’s a byword in quality laundry throughout the world. "Matthew is a visionary and entrepreneurial leader and continues to drive the business forward each and every day. His leadership and approach to business stands him apart and he is thoroughly deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Paul Hendy of the Hendy Group has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Family Business Steward Multi-Generational Family Business Leader With a heritage spanning over 160 years, Hendy Group are proud to represent 21 automotive brands across the South Coast. From Ford to Land Rover, whichever brand best suits your taste, you’ll benefit from the same great customer service at all of their dealerships – along with a warm ‘Hendy welcome’! The Hendy story began with Frederick Adolphus Hendy, who opened a bicycle shop in Whitchurch in 1859. At the turn of the century, the company made a tentative step towards selling motor vehicles, linking up with Benz and Bolle. In fact, they still have the 1898 two-cylinder Benz owned by Frederick Adolphus although it is not for sale! Over the course of the following century, they enjoyed a number of milestones, including becoming Britain’s first Ford dealer in 1910 – a relationship that’s spanned over 100 years. During the Second World War, their Vincent’s Walk and Chandler’s Ford premises were used to build Spitfire planes, following damage to the original Ministry of Aircraft Production’s factory. Today, they’re proud to be one of the UK’s largest multi-franchise dealership networks, covering eight counties across the South Coast of England and over 1,600 colleagues. As they continue to evolve as a group, they’re proud to remain a close-knit family-run business, with the fifth generation of the Hendy family, Paul Hendy at the helm, and the next generation are also part of the company. Although they’ve grown a lot since 1859, their core values of honesty, quality, care and customer service are still at the heart of the company. "Paul is an inspirational leader and continues to uphold the family values which permeate throughout this business. He thoroughly deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Rick Willmott of Willmott Dixon has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Family Business Steward Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Rick is the Group Chief Executive of Willmott Dixon and represents the fifth generation of the Willmott family to lead the company since it was established in 1852. Rick joined in 1982 as a project management trainee where he gained experienced working at operational level on a series of projects. In 1993 he was seconded on the government’s Construction Sponsorship Directorate with the remit of promoting UK Construction and consultancy within the wider European community in a joint initiative with the DTI. Rick was appointed Chief Executive in 2008 and leads a company employing nearly 2,200 people with a turnover approaching £1.2 billion in 2020. An issue of personal importance, Rick wanted the company to lead by example in being a sustainable business and as a result, they have been carbon neutral since 2012. In fact, Rick has overseen a reduction in carbon emissions relative to turnover by 57% compared with 2010 emissions. In 2020, their Now or Never strategy set a target for Willmott Dixon to be a net zero carbon business by 2030. Rick is passionate that Willmott Dixon has a ‘purpose beyond profit’ and set up the Willmott Dixon Foundation over ten years ago to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their potential. Trying to make a difference has seen the company invest over £10m in community projects and help nearly 10,000 people improve their life chances – something that led to Willmott Dixon winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity in 2018. Initiatives include Ready for the Gate, working with offenders at HM Prison Elmley (they opened a new dry lining academy there) and their Building Lives Academies – a ‘pop up’ academy concept that can move from site to site as projects complete. "Rick has been a driving force of the business for many years and continues to champion the construction sector, make a difference and inspire others. He is well deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Maria Whitehead MBE from Hawkshead Relish has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Family Business Steward Champion of Change & Innovation Mark and Maria Whitehead MBE set up the Hawkshead Relish Company over 20 years ago. Having had plenty of peaks and troughs along the way the business is now better placed than ever before. An artisan producer of award-winning preserves based in the historic village of Hawkshead in the heart of the English Lake District, this is a family business looking to the future. Maria has been a driving force behind the business and its evolution, creating a brand that is well known and respected for the quality of products that they manufacture in the heart of Cumbria. Family values and a real sense of purpose define this family business, something that Maria has been instrumental in creating. This is a family business transitioning into the next generation with an eye on the future and Maria and Mark have created something truly special. "Maria is an incredible individual and a great ambassador for the broader family business sector and is truly deserving of her place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Lord Bamford of JCB has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Champion of Innovation & Change Family Business Ambassador Champion of Manufacturing Excellence Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Lord Bamford is best known for his position at JCB, one of Britain’s most successful family-owned businesses. As Chairman of the iconic construction equipment manufacturer since 1975, he has presided over the prolific global expansion of a brand that stands for strength, durability and reliability in products ranging from 46 tonne tracked excavators to children’s toys and DIY equipment. Born in 1945 on the day his father, Joseph Cyril Bamford CBE set up JCB, Anthony Bamford’s path into the family business after leaving Ampleforth College started with an engineering apprenticeship at Massey Ferguson in France. The three years spent on the Continent were to prove invaluable in preparing him for a JCB career that started on the shopfloor in 1964 before he moved into management to lead the company’s early export drive into Europe in the late 1960s and early 1970s. When his father retired in 1975 after 30 years at the helm to allow “younger management to show its strengths”, he set about transforming JCB into a world leader in construction equipment technology. An early move was to start producing major components in-house by opening an axle factory in Wales in 1978. This was the first of many decisions taken over four decades to vertically integrate the company’s operations. Today, JCB makes its own transmission systems in Wales, hydraulic cylinders and cabs in Staffordshire and off-highway engines in Derbyshire. All part of Lord Bamford’s determination to have complete technological control over JCB’s product range. Arguably, his most inspired decision was to set up JCB’s first overseas operation in India. That was in 1979 when few companies would have contemplated setting up business in India. His love for the country and its people, and an absolute conviction in its long-term market potential have paid dividends as JCB now employs over 5,000 people in India, which has become the company’s single largest market. The move was to become a template for the company’s subsequent moves into Brazil, USA and China. Since becoming Chairman, he has taken JCB from a one-factory operation in Staffordshire with a turnover of £43 million to a global business with 22 plants around the world employing over 15,000 people making over 300 different products. Recent results speak for themselves – JCB reported a record turnover of £4.1 billion in 2018 and earnings of £447 million. A new £63m factory was opened in Brazil in 2012 and two new factories costing £62 million were opened in Jaipur, India during 2014. A sixth factory is under construction in the coastal state of Gujarat. JCB may be the world’s third largest construction equipment manufacturer by volume, but its Chairman remains firmly committed to manufacturing in Britain. With 7,500 employees in its 11 factories in the UK exporting over 75% of production, JCB generates export revenues of £1.35bn and makes a positive contribution to the nation’s trade balance. In fact, an independent analysis by Oxford Economics has calculated that JCB contributes £1.4 billion to national GDP, £555 million to the Exchequer and 24,000 jobs overall to the UK economy. JCB is due to open a new £50 million factory in Uttoxeter in late 2019 to manafacture cabs for its UK – Manufactured machines. Lord Bamford has held some key positions in British society over the years but it is for his many business achievements that he has achieved the most recognition, including National Westminster Young Exporter of the Year (1972), The Guardian Young Businessman of the Year (1979) and Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (1989). He was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 1990 and awarded the Commendatore al merito della Repubblica Italiana in 1995. An award by the UK India Business Council for his significant contribution to Anglo-Indian business relations was bestowed in 2008 and he was appointed a UKTI Business Ambassador in 2010 to promote UK excellence in overseas markets. He has also been inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers‘ Hall of Fame USA and received a number of honorary degrees and doctorates from leading British universities. He has also presided over JCB winning 30 Queen’s Awards for Innovation and Enterprise since the company’s first award in 1969 and in 2013, Her Majesty The Queen conferred the honour of a Life Peerage upon the JCB Chairman with Lord Bamford taking the formal title of Baron Bamford of Daylesford in the County of Gloucestershire and of Wootton in the County of Staffordshire. Lord Bamford was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014 and appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 2015. Lord Bamford and his wife, Carole, Lady Bamford OBE make sure JCB becomes an integral part of every community in which the company operates. JCB supports the NSPCC in the UK and its employees are active fundraisers for the charity’s campaigns to end cruelty to children. There are also many projects at JCB’s overseas locations to support local communities, including the Lady Bamford Charitable Trust in India to assist villages near its factories and the Lady Bamford Center for Early Childhood Development in Savannah, USA. Lord Bamford has also donated machinery to support disaster relief efforts across the globe, for example after the Asian tsunami, earthquakes in Ecuador, Haiti, Indonesia, China and Turkey and after Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. His interests include gardening and farming. He also enjoys motorsports and although he wasn’t at the steering wheel at the time, he was the inspiration and driving force behind JCB achieving a world land speed record for a diesel-powered car in 2006. The JCB Dieselmax, powered by two JCB engines, reached a speed of 350.092mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a record the company still holds today. Over 400,000 JCB engines have been made since then, powering the company’s distinctive yellow diggers and loaders in over 150 countries around the world. "Lord Bamford undoubtedly deserves his place within the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Steven Oxford of Oxfords Bakery has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Entrepreneurship Champion of Change & Innovation Oxford’s are a 4th generation, traditional, artisan English bakery which is run by Steven Oxford. They are the original artisan bakery, a place where you can get a beautiful sourdough made using stoneground organic flour, at the same time as choosing which Dorset Lardy Cake you’d like to take home! They’ve been baking since 1911, during world wars, supermarket dominance and through times where baking was, well, just not fashionable. They have harnessed the skills and techniques that other bakeries crave, to give you a premium quality product, from a bakery with real heritage. The bakery itself has been standing for well over 200 years. Frank and Olive Oxford bought the village bakehouse in Alweston, near Sherborne, and they began the family journey in September of 1911. The ovens used today were installed in 1921 and their largest dough mixer, the last working one of its kind anywhere in the world, is 75 years old. The terracotta tiled floors and whitewashed walls are a step back in time, but the dedicated bakers and skills learnt from generations past, within the bakery walls, are what carry them into the future. "Steven is the Managing Director and the driving force behind the business, a young man with a vision and passion to continue to grow the business and build on the past. His entrepreneurship, determination and innovative approach has been instrumental in the evolution of the business over the past couple of years and he is well deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Niki Fuchs of Office Space in Town has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Champion of Change & Innovation Inspirational Leadership Office Space In Town offers flexible space for businesses in towns and cities around the UK including London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Northampton. Each of their centres is managed by a General Manager who can make the instant decisions that are needed to ensure that every business is looked after with the same instancy that they would like to look after their clients, staff and suppliers with. "Niki is the Group CEO and recognised as an inspirational leader that has helped to build a company that generates happiness and success for everyone that they interact with. They have a fantastic culture and that is created from the top and together with her brother Giles they truly care about their staff. Niki is well deserving of a place in the Family Business Top 100."

We are delighted to announce that Alan Lowry of Environmental Street Furniture (‘ESF’) has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership ESF is a family owned business established in 1998, and under current ownership since 2012. ESF are a global designer and supplier offering beautifully designed furniture for outdoor spaces. ESF delivers exceptional products and quality, offering excellence in design integrating technology, innovation and modern materials. The design solutions set ESF aside from the competition. ESF currently export to over 27 countries worldwide. Alan is the CEO at ESF Ltd who are based in Northern Ireland. He is an enthusiastic, driven, focussed, motivated individual, very organised and keen to succeed at all tasks. His inspirational leadership has seen the business move into new areas and continue to win new contracts around the world. "Alan is a family business leader that truly cares and is well deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100."