Daro continue to be the UK’s leading name specialising in quality cane and rattan furniture for the home and all weather outdoor furniture for the garden. Founded back in 1974 this family firm continues to thrive. Paul Andrews visited them and spoke to Managing Director James Brown to find out more. The start of the Daro journey began with a leap of faith and an opportunity, something that the founder grabbed with both hands and now Daro is the UK’s leading name in their sector, a significant difference to the business that was founded selling sponges and other small wicker like products at the local markets by the father of the current MD James. As James explains, “Like many family business entrepreneurs Dad began doing the markets in his spare time whilst holding down a job as a sales rep but it soon became obvious that he was earning more through the markets and with a big leap of faith and the support of Mum he launched the business in the garage. The markets led to wholesale contracts and over time added new accounts and finally moved into the premises that we are in today in Northampton in 1989. I was just 11 years of age when it all started!” For James and his sister and co-director Hannah there are lots of memories of the family business such as the numerous agricultural shows that he went to where they would tow a caravan on the back of a van and he would get involved putting the tent up. Business education also started early as James explains. “I was set up in the middle of the stand and tasked with selling the wastepaper baskets and would sell out and at the end of the day as a reward was paid and then allowed to go around the show and buy something! I also remember that Dad had to travel a lot to the Far East and those were the days when telephones were not readily available and he would be gone and we would not speak to him for several days at a time.” James grew up and has now taken on the family business and to an extent is the first to admit that there was a plan, of sorts. “The business is in my DNA to an extent but Dad was keen for me not to come straight in to the business and encouraged us to make our own choices and follow our dreams. I played rugby at school and for Northampton at a Junior level and was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go and play in New Zealand in his gap year but the coaches were honest with me and told me that I was not going to make it in professional rugby.” For many, this would have been a significant blow but as one door closed, another opened. James turned to education and spent four years at university studying business and French, a dual degree that enabled him to spend a year in France where he managed to play rugby for La Rochelle during the time abroad. As James adds, “This was a great time for me as I not only played the sport I loved but became fluent in French as a result of the sport too. I returned to the UK for my final year and then graduated getting a job with Proctor & Gamble. I enjoyed the role and was promoted, became a team leader and then there were lots of changes and I became frustrated. My accounting stood me in good stead and I left to take up a role that had become available at Daro, the plan being to work to help with the growth that had happened due to the availability of credit.” Like many family firms there is a story behind the name. As the business started and grew, David, James’s father dragged in his Brother in Law, Roger, merged their names and Daro was born. Today, the business has grown to 45 staff and a sizeable turnover with core values of Trustworthy, Happy and Genuine at the core of the business. Like other sectors, there is a lot of challenge and disruption in the market place and Daro is having to respond to the challenges. Lifestyle changes, outdoor living, prevailing economic challenges, the internet and the weather all present the business with constant need to evaluate and evolve. As James explains, “margin is one of the biggest challenges we face as a business with the rapid increases in production costs. Much of the raw materials for production come from Indonesia where there has been welcomed reduction in deforestation causing significant increases in the prices of natural rattan materials which is a by-product, 25% in one year. The Indonesian government have introduced regulations to help control the plantations and this has also reduced supply and pushed prices up. The internet is also a challenge as people are looking to buy more and more online and we have been working on a strategic plan for the future of the business and planning to address the challenges we need to in order to survive.” Daro are also able to add differentiation through their customisation of their products, the soft furnishings and the fabrics that the furniture can be supplied in, and also have the national account for Laura Ashley that adds further innovative fabrics and products to the product portfolio. The family business is also supported by a great team of designers who look to introduce new pieces that help to make the business current and on trend, responding to the demands of an ever changing market place. Today the company continues to grow and flourish, driven by their position as market leaders but also a desire and commitment to the development of their furniture products, soft furnishings and cushions. As James concludes, “As a family business we have come a long way since Dad started the family journey and much has changed. The world has become a smaller place which helps with travels and sourcing of raw materials and products and we are embracing change and new technology such as the use of the latest polyethylene UV and water resistant materials and strive to really deliver a high quality and versatile range of patio, lounge and dining furniture. We have invested over the years and pride ourselves in our own British soft furnishings factory where we make all of our own upholstery. Products are supplied through a range of stockists who understand who we are and what we do with the right understanding and knowledge to help customers when choosing our products.” “We have come a long way and really do have a passion for our products and hope to be at the forefront of the sector for many years to come. When it comes to the next generation who knows what the future holds. I work with my sister and there are two in the next generation, aged five and two, so they are only just starting out on their journey and it may or may not result in a role in the family business. We’ll have to wait and see!” Find out more at www.daro-cane.co.uk

The circumstances behind Stalker’s entry into the haulage and logistics industry is certainly a unique one, as Paul Andrews found out when speaking to their Managing Director, Karen Stalker. “Strange as it sounds, the company as it exists today originally came about after Eddie Stalker was involved in an incident with a drunk driver in Jersey, using the compensation money from that to buy his first heavy goods vehicle, which was a T.K. tipper, in 1968. With this, he carried stones from the quarries throughout Cumbria for use in the construction of, what was then, the new M6 motorway, “ explains Karen. Together with his wife Rene, the pair ran the business under the name of E.T & I. Stalker, trading in that first tipper for a 17 foot Ford D2000 flat-bed and securing a significant contract with The Inveresk Paper Company, based at Denny in Stirlingshire, to haul paper. This contract helped kick-start a period of steady expansion for the business, which coincided with Eddie’s sons Hughie and Gerald joining the company, which soon rebranded as Stalkers Transport. The 1980’s was a decade of important change for the business. “By 1985, the family came to realise that they had outgrown their existing infrastructure, and this led to its relocation to its present site at Townfoot Industrial Estate in Brampton, Cumbria,” Karen continues. “It was around this time that the company officially became a limited one, continuing to be family-owned and now run by my father Hughie. Under him, Stalkers grew even stronger, becoming a founder member of the Pall-Ex palletised freight network in 1996, servicing a sizeable area covering the whole of Cumbria, The Borders and up into Edinburgh.” By the end of 2001, the company had purchased an additional 14 acres of adjacent agricultural land, much of which has since been developed to further expand and improve the site through the addition of extra warehousing, the increasing in size of its truck and trailer park, and so forth. Now a genuine third generation family business, Stalkers has made it of paramount importance that it maintains what it calls ‘good old-fashioned family values’, strongly emphasising the ideals of hard work and reliability. “We have always strived to do things a little bit differently from most other haulage companies,” Karen explains. “Any company can run up and down roads with full loads from point A to B, but Stalkers is unique in that we have come to be recognised as experts in groupage and multi-drop deliveries, offering a guaranteed next day delivery service between Scotland, the north west and south east of England.” “As well as groupage and multi-drop deliveries, we also specialise in national full load distribution, just-in-time deliveries, ex-works collection and part load services, and just-in-time warehousing. We enjoy working in partnership with like-minded, quality companies and these collaborations have also helped all of us reduce empty running, reduce turnaround times, and massively improve our carbon footprint, another issue close to Stalkers’ heart.” “The Brampton depot acts as an onward distribution hub for companies not wishing to travel in to Scotland. The third party hauliers drop their goods into Stalkers, can get their trucks serviced and maintained whilst their drivers have a break and then they are loaded back to an area of their choosing.” Going that extra mile for its customers is something that Stalkers takes great pride in, yet this would not be possible without the work of its valued employees. “The dedication and loyalty of our staff of almost 70 men and women over the years has undoubtedly been key to our success,” Karen enthuses. “Many of them have been with us through the tough times and the good, and it is because of that continuity that we have been able to come through periods of difficulty and move the business forward. We have worked very hard to make our employees feel like they are part of one big family, and I think this is reflected in the fact that we have individuals with us today who first started when they were 16 years old. Our six traffic planners alone have some 114 years of service with us between them, which is truly amazing and, I believe, speaks volumes for Stalkers.” In order to support the efforts of its employees, Karen and the rest of Stalkers management team have made it their priority to invest heavily in the company’s infrastructure and fleet of vehicles. “By putting back into the company, we have been able to give it a complete overhaul, modernising our site and maintaining a regular replacement programme for our trucks, which currently ranges between every three-to-five years,” she reveals. This programme has contributed to the quick adoption of technologies such as Euro 6 engines, which has helped achieve massive savings in fuel costs, and has allowed the company to provide their overnight drivers with a comfortable and accessible environment to operate from, which has no doubt aided in the retention of a workforce that is becoming ever-more few and far between. The newest additions to the company’s fleet, six new DAF trucks, also happen to represent an impressive milestone event for Stalkers, namely its 50th birthday which it is celebrating this year. The arrival of the new trucks also marks the re-emergence of the company’s original red, white and blue livery. “These new vehicles are incredibly eye catching, you can see them coming down the road a mile off, and follow a successful rebranding of the business a few years back,” Karen adds. “We understand the importance of brand recognition and our newest trucks and trailers will really help to advertise the Stalkers name to more people.” As Karen goes on to state, the celebration of 50 years of operations has also allowed herself and the rest of the family to reflect on just how far the business has come. It was this that led to Stalkers doing something it historically had not been known for, and that was applying for inclusion in several local industry awards. The outcome of this amazed even Karen. “The feedback we received, and the interest we had in our story was nothing short of incredible, and culminated in us winning the Transport and Logistics Category of the Cumbrian Family Business of the Year’ award at the Cumbria Family Business Awards 2018, and in early June we went on to win the same category in the National Final of the Family Business of the Year awards hosted by Family Business United in a glittering ceremony held in the prestigious London May Fair Hotel. As you can imagine, such an incredible accolade means everything to us and is particularly well received on this our 50th anniversary. It’s a huge pat on the back and massive thank you to our amazing people that all contribute to making this company as great as it is. We are so proud of them all.” “Cumbria is often regarded as a distant backwater but the county came away with no less than six awards across a variety of industries which made us very well represented and reconfirmed how fortunate we are to live and work in such a beautiful part of the country. ” When it comes to what the future holds, Karen is very optimistic about the company’s ability to grow steadily as it makes greater use of the assets that it has invested in. What she is concerned about, however, is about the need to raise the profile of the transport and logistics industry, particularly amongst students and young adults. “I myself have six children, and having spent time with some of them as they go about their adult education it soon becomes clear how little attention is given to logistics, and how few people have an understanding of what it is all about,” she states. “This is something that we, as an industry not just as a company, need to address and put right.” “Together we need to push for more effort to be made in developing awareness, training and apprenticeships, as this will be the best way of attracting the next generation of men and women into this incredibly rewarding and diverse industry.” Visit www.stalkers.co.uk to find out more

Vigne Marina Coppi was established in 2003 in the town of Castellania, the birthplace of Marina’s father Fausto Coppi, one of the greatest cyclists of the 20th century. Fausto was the first man ever to win the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in the same year! The family has taken the traditional heritage of the area and applied a modern approach in the winery to produce wines of excellent quality concentrating on the native varieties of Timorasso, Favorita, Barbera, Nebbiolo and Croatina. Timorasso has been cultivated in this area since the middle ages and is the hallmark of this corner of Piemonte whilst Barbera has always been cultivated in the Tortonese area. Marina Coppi is the daughter of the legendary cyclist and with her husband Giovanni works closely with son Francesco and his wife Anna, using sustainable methods in the vineyard and employing great expertise in the winery to produce their wine. Though vines have always been planted at Castellania, a small village in south eastern Piemonte, it was only when Marina’s son Francesco, along with his wife Anna, took over the property that they began bottling their own wine. They focus on the native varieties of grape; Barbera, Nebbiolo, Croatina, Freisa, Favorita and Timorasso to make wines that are vibrant and well defined. The vineyard is only a few hectares in size and allows the family to grow and harvest directly, thus focussing on quality throughout the process. Their wines are the result of modern, careful and respectful winemaking based on local knowledge of the peculiarities of the area. Productions is only about 25.000 bottles per year and can be called ‘artisanal’ allowing them to manage directly each step of the process and produce wines that reflect their ‘will and personality and the strength of the land.’ The human factor is the key to the philosophy of this winery and is only by understanding Francesco, a true viticulturist, that you can also understand the wines and their relationship with the market. His vineyard and ethical choices are essential to the production of high quality grapes and great wines. His wife Anna, mother of their three daughters, has been on his side since the first harvest in 2005 and contributes to the management of the property whilst Giovanni and Marina, Francesco’s parents contribute to the workload, adding the level of wisdom and input that you only achieve with age and experience. A great family of wines with a great story behind each one of them, the legacy of one of the greatest cyclists of the 20th century too. Fausto – This wine of character and a great personality, an expression of the land which is dedicated to their grandfather Fausto. It is `made from Timorasso grapes and highlights the natural qualities of this rare grape variety. complex, elegant aromas, red blood in the body of a white, minerality, flavor, warmth and freshness. It can grow over the years and likes to excite those who will have a little `patience’! Marine – This white wine is dedicated to the two Marinas in the family: Marina Coppi the grandmother and Marina Bellocchio, her grand-daughter, who was born on the eve of their first grape-harvest. It is made from Favorita grapes which are harvested late so as to attain high sugar content and a particularly intense aroma. Their structure and bouquet are highlighted by a prolonged contact with yeasts and manual batonnage. Its bouquet is fine and intense with distinctive hints of rennet apple, peaches and meadow grass. It is full on the palate, round and balanced and has traces of the sapidity of a sea breeze. I Grop – This name comes from the local dialect and is the name given to the calcareous and fossil-rich boulders which characterise a particular area of the vineyard. This important ‘Cru’, made from Barbera grapes embodies both structure and elegance. I Grop is aged in big barriques, according to Piedmontese traditions, so that it keeps its balance between the merits of refinement and its fruity bouquet. After two years in the cellar, it gets ready to emerge but we have to wait just a while longer before imbibing in this long-living wine. Sant’Andrea – This wine is named after the locality of Sant’Andrea in the village of Castellania. In fact, at number five via Sant’Andrea, which is close to the centre of the hamlet, you will find the Vigne Marina Coppi winery. This is predominately a Barbera with a harmoniously small percentage of Croatina. Its simplicity, the intensity of its bouquet and its pleasantness to the palate make this young red wine pleasant to drink, even when served at a low temperature. A legacy of one of the cycling greats that lives on through the generations on the family vineyard.

Broughton Removals, the Edinburgh family firm, are blowing out the celebratory candles on their 50th anniversary this year – with their passion and dedication to the industry as strong as ever. Having grown up with a simple love for drawing removal vans as a boy, it was in 1970 when Sonny Munro set up his dream business with two vehicles – both ‘old bangers’ – originally in the capital’s Broughton Street. From such humble beginnings, he set out to give Edinburgh a removal company that offered the highest quality service at the best possible price. Five decades later, Broughton’s vision remains the same, with outstanding customer service from experienced, dedicated removal crews at the heart of their work. Indeed, as their recent rebrand highlights, taking you from A-B with TLC is the ‘Broughton Way’ across their full service for packing, removals and storage. “The first van was bought for £80 and the second for £150,” recalls Sonny. “I was so proud of myself to have started but they were two old bangers!” “When I was very young, 8 to 10-years-old, I used to draw removal vans. I loved doing that. Very few people actually get to do the profession they want to do so it was a dream for me. It’s fantastic to still be going 50 years on and I love it to this day.” “You could have a brand new Jaguar or Mercedes and I’ll look at it and say ‘very nice’ but if I see a lovely removal van I’ll go ‘look at that one!’” Sonny father’s was a second-hand furniture dealer so he was well used to seeing items moved around back and forth. Pickford’s were the premier player in town in the 1970’s, with around 40 vehicles, but Sonny saw an opportunity. The Broughton owner adds: “I had a second-hand shop at the time, down in Rodney Street, and I felt physically strong. I was only doing some small removals at the time, but I checked the takings in the shop one day and we had more from removals than we did from the shop. It took a year or two to get going, but I felt there was a market as more people were looking for help to move rather than doing it themselves, which had traditionally been the case.” The business grew steadily, with repeat business helping bolster the books. Indeed, the longevity of Broughton Removals stems from customer satisfaction and a professional, friendly and efficient service. Since more than 80% of their trade comes from repeat business or by recommendation, the ‘Broughton Way’ has clearly succeeded. Still family run, with Sonny’s daughter Jo and son Kris now running day-to-day operations, some of Broughton’s team members have been with them for more than 20 years. It truly has been a family effort from the outset with Sonny’s wife, Joan, initially manning the phones from home whilst sons Colin and Simon also made a good contribution to building the business and the brand. Now they are reflecting on their journey since 1970, complete with a fresh take on their first ever logo, thanks to partnering with Edinburgh agency Brand Oath on their overall rebrand. “Our customers tell us that our dedication, expertise and TLC shines through,” notes Jo, the company director, who even had a van named ‘Golden Eagle’ in her honour from her loving father. “Whilst no one company is dominant in Edinburgh now, there are more competitors like smaller man-with-vans, so we have to differentiate ourselves as a quality removal and storage company.” The company’s move into social media within the last year has helped in that regard, appropriately using the #MovingWithTheTimes hashtag to highlight their services. Now based at a purpose-built facility in Leith at Carron Place, Jo and Kris oversee a team of 18 staff and 14 different sized vans. The ‘boss’ Sonny is on hand too, always keen to still be involved – even at the age of 76. “Very few people want to do removals, it’s a hard business to do it every day, moving from A to B,” admits Sonny. “To be the boss of a removal company, you also can’t be a desperate worrier. If you have four or five jobs on at the same time, you have to trust your men.” “We’ve got a really good, friendly team, handling the physical side – the men and the vans – as well as the estimates and everything required for the customer in the office.” “I like the awkward customer too! I enjoy calming them down, getting on with the job and leaving them happy. We always make a 100% effort to ensure jobs are done properly.” Broughton continue to complete successful moves on a daily basis across Edinburgh, as well as having the infrastructure to take on jobs in England and beyond. They work closely with charity partners to assist with moves, most recently with Maggie’s in the capital, while famous faces who have used their services include best-selling author Ian Rankin. “Moving home is as individual as you and your family are,” says Jo, steeped in the removals business given her upbringing. “Our services are tailor-made for you. Whether you’ve been in your home for a year or your whole life, our website outlines our ’10 commandments’ to getting your move right, along with what you can expect if you do things the ‘Broughton Way.’” “As professional movers and members of the British Association of Removers, we offer you peace of mind knowing that your packing and moving service is being carried out to the highest possible standards.” The storage side of the business has also opened up a new market for Broughton Removals, offering customers exactly the same quality when storing cherished items as when moving them. “Our Edinburgh depot is a secure, state-of-the-art, purpose-built storage facility,” continues Jo. “This is home to around 800 containers, protected by the latest security systems. If you have a wait between moving from your old home to your new one, or if you’re not moving and just need storage, we can give you peace of mind by storing your belongings safely and securely.” “When coming into store, your goods are inventoried and wrapped. After that they are carefully loaded into purpose-built storage containers, where they will remain until delivery, whether this is for just a few days or for several years.” So, how will Sonny and the team celebrate the big 50? Raise a glass and give Jo and Kris a rest? Sonny has the last word: “Aye, I’m away on a world cruise for a few months to enjoy myself. Think I have earned it!” For more information visit www.broughtonremovals.com

Whilst many new businesses are founded each year it is not often that you find one that has been created by a number of siblings. Check out the trio behind this fishing innovation. It is three brothers, Daniel, Harry and Kane, working together that are the team behind the recently launched business, Dangler. Paul Andrews spoke to them to find out more. The idea for Dangler originated back in 2017 when Daniel Hughes was rummaging through the garden shed looking for something and soon realised that he had loads of fishing tackle that he no longer used. He thought about selling it and uploading it to the current second hand sites such as eBay or Gumtree. At the same time, he was selling clothes on Depop, a marketplace app for clothing, where he was taking pictures from his phone and uploading straight to the app, which is full of people wanting to buy clothes. Depop was a simple but effective buying and selling community around clothes. But nothing like this existed in the fishing industry. As Daniel explains, “the birthchild of Dangler was created. The aim was to create a social marketplace to buy and sell fishing tackle, and with all 3 of us brothers being very passionate anglers it seemed the perfect fit!” Dangler is a social media marketplace app that provides a platform for the everyday angler, alongside retailers and manufacturers to buy and sell their second hand and new fishing tackle. Dangler will provide a social platform that includes lower costs, buying and selling protection and the opportunity to build a social profile and communicate with other fellow anglers. Dangler’s aim is to create an innovative community that enables anglers to share their passion for buying and selling fishing tackle. Dangler is founded by 3 brothers, who are dedicated to revolutionising the way that anglers buy and sell their fishing tackle, by creating an online marketplace in every angler’s pocket. Like most start-up businesses there was a lot of up-front commitment from the brothers to create their vision and start building the dream. As Daniel continues, “from the beginning of Dangler, we worked mostly on weeknights and weekends, fitting it around full-time jobs and studying, but when we began working with Shout About Suffolk (a Suffolk based incubator) it meant we had the freedom to allow Harry to work full time throughout the summer on the business.” This proved a turning point for the business as it allowed them the time to prepare to raise funds and when they successfully gained ‘seed funding’ for Dangler it allowed all three brothers to go full-time in the business. As Daniel continues, “this was a great time for us as momentum was gaining but of course, this meant having specific job roles. To be honest, it was fairly easy to decide. With Kane being an experienced chartered accountant and experiences of working with VCs, he walked straight into the CFO job title and focused on the numbers and technical operations. My role is the CEO and management of the companies marketing and general strategy. Harry is the COO and therefore handles the daily operations of the company such as legalities, recruitment, development etc, and this is done mostly in conjunction with Kane.” “For us, selecting these roles became relatively easy, Harry comes from an academic background and is research and ‘document’ focused, hence the suitable decision for him to become COO. I am very creative in my thinking, and so it made absolute sense for me to have the vision around the public persona of Dangler and the role for executing this too.” Setting out on a new venture is not always easy and as Daniel explains, there have been a few challenges along the way. “Even in our ‘short’ lived start-up life so far we have had to deal with finding a suitable partner to develop the app with us and then also finding someone who can work on Danglers’ behalf to ensure we are doing things right with the development and processes. This in itself was a challenge that we didn’t foresee, but we now have an amazing interim CTO, and we have often mentioned that we wouldn’t have half of the knowledge and correct processes in place without him, purely because of his experience,” continues Daniel. “I would also say our biggest current challenge and one that we are dealing with daily is recruitment. Being a tech company means we need to begin fleshing out our own internal development team, but the current market is massively in demand and lacking supply, and is something we are spending a lot of time trying to get right too,” he adds. Working closely with siblings is not always easy. As Daniel continues, “We were warned numerous times by people when we started out that family business is often a bad idea, and will turn toxic in the end. But we are stubborn individuals, and we are good at putting our emotions aside, so any decision or ‘formal’ conversation is always business first, and I think that is so key to keep a family business on its feet.” “We work with great synergy, and although we may operate in very different ways, our general thought processes and outcomes are very similar, and so we balance each other out really well and we all want the same outcome at the end of the day. It is a rare opportunity to work closely with your brothers or your family, and so I think we are all very fortunate to be embarking on this journey together,” he continues. Dangler is on a journey and the energy and drive of the brothers who are collectively working towards a shared vision is palpable. Clarity of vision is clearly helping them turn the idea into a reality and they have a clear goal in mind. As Daniel explains, “in 10 years’ time, Dangler will be the number 1 global marketplace for Anglers. Becoming a one-stop app that all Anglers will use to buy and sell any fishing tackle they have, and who knows what other features we may have by then.” “But our mission statement is to revolutionise the way anglers buy and sell their fishing tackle, by creating a direct anglers’ marketplace in your pocket, anywhere in the World. And that is where we expect to be in 10 years.” A bold aim, but one that is clearly within reach and these brothers have identified a niche, have passion for the end result and a collective skill set that is driving change and bringing innovation to the angling world. We look forward to seeing the continuing evolution of Danglers. To find out more please visit www.dangler.co.uk

RS Clare was founded in Liverpool in 1748 at the start of the Industrial Revolution and they are the longest established company manufacturing lubricants in the United Kingdom. Despite their age the company is innovative, dynamic and constantly pursuing new ways to improve the services and products they offer. Paul Andrews met the sixth generation of the current family owners, David Meadows, who is the Head of Customer Services and Marketing. Richard S Clare founded the business that started out as a chemist, druggist and dry-salter in 1748, during the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, an exciting time for the North West of England. It was the first time that wealth creation was generated from commerce rather than land ownership which presented plenty of opportunities and from small beginnings provisioning ships in the growing port of Liverpool, Clare began to distil raw turpentine imported from the Carolinas in North America. Fifty years later, tar distillation began along with rosin manufacture. Apart from trading tallow as a lubricant, the company focused on tar derivatives such as phenols for disinfectant, creosote for wood preservation, naphthalene and road tar. At the start of the twentieth century, Clare’s ‘Tarco’ became renowned as the most effective dust laying compound and was manufactured for local authorities under licence throughout the UK. This continued until 1947 when nationalisation of the gas works made the production of tar uneconomic so that it was superseded by bitumen. By this time, the first ‘Tarcoline’ road paint, followed by ‘Plastaline’ which was the world’s first thermoplastic road marking material became the major product lines of the business. Despite its invention back in 1933, thermoplastic road marking is still the predominant form of road marking toady across the UK and beyond. Lubricants were developed as a result of the first mineral oil being imported into the Mersey River in 1889, the year that the Meadows and Wilson families bought out the company from the remaining members of the Clare family. A whole range of oils and greases were developed with approvals gained from literally hundreds of engine and gear box manufacturers. The brand name ‘Clargine’ disappeared when the company refocused on own-brand grease manufacture from 1925. Since then, long term relationships have been established with a number of major oil companies to manufacture greases for them. RS Clare is an innovative business and continues to consider the future as it has done throughout the long lifespan of the business. 25 years ago it was decided to re-establish the Clare brand and focus on speciality greases that would solve operational problems, thereby delivering significant benefits and cost savings to clients operating in the Rail and Upstream Oil and Gas sectors. Conscious of their responsibilities, RS Clare has always been aware of the environment too. Today, more than ever before, the company take this seriously with water recovery, ground source heating and photovoltaic panels in place to generate renewable energy and biodegradability a feature of the advanced lubricant ranges. As Ian Meadows, the current company Chairman explains, “The ‘pursuit of excellence’ is as important today as when my chemist grandfather used it in our sales literature back in the 1900’s.” David Meadows is the sixth generation of the family to be involved in the business and is fully aware of the history, family involvement and the role of the generations that have gone before too. “I gained work experience in the business from a young age but unsure of what I wanted to do, went off to study. I am a chemical engineer and gained a masters in Chemical Engineering so my skill set and education has been aligned to the business,” he explains. “I have also always been close to Ian and the family business. I had always been interested and intrigued and it may well be that the nature of the business influenced my degree choice.” David continued, “I kept in touch with Ian during my studies and he was insistent that I followed what I wanted to do, gaining experience away from the business.” After graduating, David travelled and ended up in New Zealand where he worked in a number of roles including a food hamper business before returning to the UK to look for chemical engineering roles. “Shortly after I returned to the UK, I received a call from the CEO of the food hamper business I had worked for in NZ and was offered a position in Canada as National Logistics Manager. This presented a crossroads as to what I was going to do next, either stay in UK and look for Chemical Engineering graduate jobs, or take this exciting opportunity in Canada” continues David. “My wife was born in Canada and logistics was not the career I had thought I would pursue, but we took a risk and moved to Vancouver and I lived and worked for three years until the business was sold. I was then offered a position in Sydney and spoke to Ian about the opportunity and he encouraged me to get the right experience to develop personally so we moved to Australia and I took on a more senior and challenging role which included setting up an online retail operation from scratch,” he adds. Prior to returning to the UK in 2016 David and Ian spoke regularly about ‘opportunities’ within the family business and eventually agreed that returning to RS Clare would be good all round. “My wife and I hail from the Wirral and our parents live on the Wirral and with two young children and a good opportunity at RS Clare, we decided to move home after a decade living and working abroad,” he continues. “My role began as Head of Marketing and Customer Service which enabled me to apply skills learned elsewhere within the business, and to get a good understanding of the different aspects of what we do. With the retirement of the sales manager in 2017 I took on responsibility for sales to the Australian rail and oil & gas sectors and my role has continued to grow since then.” As for family involvement, David is the only next generation involved in the business as his older brother has moved and settled happily in New Zealand, an younger brother is a qualified medical surgeon. A non-family MD has been running the business with Ian, Paul Vann, and has played the role of mentor to David too. As David adds, “Paul has been a great mentor to me, helping and guiding me so that in time I am in a good position to take over the reigns and drive the business forward.” RS Clare continues to evolve over time and sets its mission to globalise, innovate and solve critical problems, thereby contributing to the success of their customers. This is a mission that David embraces each and every day with the core values that drive the development of a family firm that has been around for nearly three centuries. As he explains, “Back in 1998 for our 250th anniversary, we asked the staff for words that resonated with them about who we are as a business. ‘People, Partnership, Progress’ was their response. This truly resonates with us as a family firm as we have people at the heart of what we do, treat all our stakeholders as partners, and the whole raison d’etre for us is to continue to make mutual progress,” he adds. Awards have come to the long-standing business with one of their proudest moments being recipients of the Queens Award for International Trade in 2011. As David confirms, “This award really helped to put us on the map. It really means something to us and to our customers and is recognition for all that we have done, do, and will continue to do, in building a global business.” “We have prospered as a business since 1748 by adapting our company, products and services to best satisfy the evolving needs of our customers. We have built an enviable reputation based on our ability to align with the markets we serve, whether supporting major multinational oil companies or local users of speciality lubricants, service treatments or road markings,” concludes David and “it is a privilege to be the sixth generation of our family to be involved in shaping our future for generations to come too.” Growing from small beginnings to the global operator that it is today, RS Clare is one of Liverpool’s oldest manufacturers and although it has not always been plain sailing they have navigated the tricky times and are building for the future. This is a business that was founded during the Industrial Revolution and survived two World Wars, countless recessions, the birth of the internet and is now focusing on the future. Their pursuit of ‘excellence through innovation’ has certainly stood the test of time and they continue to put Liverpool firmly on the map, as we hope they will continue to do for many years to come. To find out more please visit www.rsclare.com

The dandi® patch is a thin, discreet underarm patch that adheres to the skin. It holds up to 2,000 times the average amount of underarm sweat, traps in armpit odour, prevents embarrassing sweat marks and stops horrible yellow staining. It is here to revolutionise the way that we all treat sweat. Theresa Pope, co-founder of the business explains more about life in the family business. What does your family business do? The business was established for the creation and manufacturer of the dandi® patch underarm sweat solution. How did you get involved? My sister Hayley and I identified a gap in the market for a discreet solution to embarrassing underarm sweat as we couldn’t find anything that we would be comfortable to use. After scouring the market and trying many inconspicuous and ineffective solutions, we decided to create something ourselves. What did you want to be when you grew up? My first memory was of wanting to be an actress when I was around 5 or 6. I had no idea what I wanted to do later when I left school and began working in an electronics factory soldering printed circuit boards! What are your first memories of your family business & how did it start? The first action I remember was myself, my sister and my brother in law, sitting around a kitchen table with a pencil and piece of paper, discussing and sketching out examples of what we each felt the perfect solution would look like. Once we had done this, we knew what we wanted and so our journey began. What values are important in your family/family business? Loyalty, honesty and hard work. We strive to ensure that everything we do is the absolute best that it can be. What is the best thing about being a family business? The closeness of the family. We see each other almost on a daily basis and feel very lucky to be in that situation. Also, the loyalty we have towards each other and the support network that is naturally there is so advantageous in business. And the worst? Probably finding it difficult to switch off from the business outside of work. Because we are all so passionate about what we do, it is difficult to maintain cut off points. Popping into Mum & Dad’s for a cuppa on a weekend more often than not turns into an impromptu meeting, debate or discussion about something work related. What is the best thing about your working day? That is a hard thing to pinpoint, but I would say the best thing about every day for me is the ‘friendly environment’. We all get along and work well together so don’t experience or have to deal with any hostilities or politics in the office. What is your proudest achievement? Wow, there is so much we have achieved that I am proud of but here are a couple of achievements which make me feel exceptionally proud. Firstly, getting the product to market in the first place, after experiencing dreadful manufacturing hurdles and hiccups; it took over 5 years to get our first version ready! Secondly, being awarded British Invention of the Year within 4 months of launching the patch, it was completely unexpected. Thirdly, being selected for inclusion in the Oscar goody bags for the Academy Award nominees for 3 years running and flying out to LA to be there and attend Sir Elton John’s world famous annual Oscar Viewing Party for the Aids Foundation Charity. All very memorable and make me feel so proud. Is there a next generation waiting in the wings to take over? Oh yes definitely. We have 4 generations who muck in to get things done and have often all got together to pack boxes, gift bags etc. It is a big part of our life. Even our youngest family member, who has recently turned 4, is very keen to help pack, label and stamp when we are under pressure. She is a great quality checker – you won’t get a damaged pack past her! It’s great experience for the younger members of the family, my 13 year old nephew loves to help out with the accounts as this is what he wants to do when he is older, anything he can learn now will be very valuable for him in the future. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing family businesses? I suppose the most difficult challenge when you first start out would be separating personal feelings from business. It is important to face any challenges in the same way you would if you worked with people you weren’t related to. To maintain that impartiality rather than be swayed into making decisions because of your emotional connection takes practice. What words do you associate with family businesses? Love, loyalty, support, success, fun. Words of wisdom – What piece of advice would you pass on to someone thinking about starting a family business? Firstly, to make sure that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined at the beginning, after all, not everyone can be a decision maker. It is essential to quickly understand each other strengths and weaknesses, to respect them and define roles in accordance. Let each member of the family work to their strengths and be supported in their weaker areas. Secondly, I would say to try as much as possible to have a cut off and make sure you maintain some family time without any consideration to business. Also, it’s not cool to be at a wider gatherings and totally hijack the event talking shop. Other people and family members will be interested in how things are going, but they won’t want to hear about it constantly. It’s important to maintain a good balance.

Established in Great Britain in 1998, Ribeye Boats has been committed to building luxurious performance RIBs and as a family business continues to build its brand. Ribeye was formed in 1998 and it changed the way the leisure user approached the sea. From humble beginnings in the beautiful seaside town of Dartmouth, Devon (UK), Ribeye was formed with the clear ambition to manufacture the best leisure RIBs in the world and are now a renowned global boat brand. Ribeye have engineered the best handling hulls in the market and are inspired to build luxury, high speed boats that are safe, dry and truly deliver for whatever their purpose. Ribeye embodies capability and exemplify performance challenging individuals to go beyond what they thought was possible. Ribeye combine the ride quality and safety of a commercial grade hull with the refinement of a luxury RIB. Every Ribeye is different and each one is instilled with iconic British design cues. Ribeye have become the pinnacle of refinement in the RIB world and are underpinned by British design and craftsmanship. The current generations of Ribeye build on its legacy and the new generation go beyond this.

Based in the heart of Stockport for almost two centuries, and owning around 260 tenanted and managed pubs, inns and hotels across the North West, ‘Robinsons’ is one of oldest and most respected names in British brewing history. A proud family of independent brewers, Robinsons is one of the most advanced and sophisticated breweries in the UK, with a worldwide reputation for real ale. It’s also home to the largest hopnik in the world. From here they apply decades of experience to create exciting new varieties and choices of flavour that will lead them towards our next award-winning beer. Combining original recipe heritage brews such as Old Tom (first brewed in 1899) and Unicorn (legendary since 1896) with innovative young ales such as Dizzy Blonde, Wizard and TROOPER (created with Iron Maiden) is what differentiates Robinsons… forward thinking with the very best traditions. It’s an award winning formula which has earned Robinsons real ale recognition for almost 180 years. To maintain their exceptional consistency and beer excellence, the brewing methods are a carefully controlled combination of temperature, timing and flow rates. This helps them reduce variation and save on time, materials and utilities. The end result is the unmistakable taste of Robinsons beer. Robinsons – brewing perfection since 1838.

Family businesses should trust in next generation leaders to thrive in digital age according to the latest research. Family business NextGens view themselves as agents of change for digital transformation but are looking for greater support and trust from current generation leaders, according to a new report by PwC. PwC’s Global NextGen Survey 2019 has found that a majority of NextGens are already deeply engaged in the family enterprise, with nearly half (48%) reporting that they already run significant internal operations. A quarter (26%) are already in an executive director position. This level of engagement is also matched by future ambitions to lead, with 41% seeking an executive director role within the next five years and nearly a third (29%) looking to be a majority shareholder. Confidence is also high amongst NextGens about the value they can bring in terms of skills. Over two-thirds of respondents see their strongest attributes (problem-solving and leadership) to be essential skills in the future business landscape. 64% say they can add value to ensure future business strategy is fit for the digital age. Peter Englisch, Global Family Business Leader, PwC Germany says, ‘The survey findings highlight the positive news that NextGens are ambitious and deeply committed to the family business. They see a clear role in securing the family legacy in an age of profound disruption and transformation. Yet they also see themselves as being held back and frustrated by a lack of opportunity.” ‘We should recognise, however, that these frustrations are realistic and pragmatic. What NextGens are looking for is support in terms of developing the expertise and experience they need to succeed. Their view can be summed up as: “Help me unlock my potential so I can gain the skills and experience I will need to take on the leadership roles I aspire to.” “They are a diverse group in terms of their needs and ambitions. NextGens require an approach that is built around understanding their needs and ambitions and this survey provides an important guide to the next steps they should take.” The survey identifies four key personas of NextGens, based on their views of their skills, contributions and career goals. These personas are: 1 - Transformers: Self-confident future leaders (46% of respondents) Transformers aim to lead change in the family business and are more likely to aspire to executive roles within five years (56% of transformers said this vs. 41% of all 956 respondents) 2 - Stewards: Keeping to tradition and existing networks (26% of respondents) Stewards are more likely to be over 35 than other NextGens (42% vs. 36% of all respondents) and to be in a management role (44% vs. 39% of all respondents). 3 - Intrapreneurs: Proving yourselves by running ventures under the family’s wing (20% of respondents) Intrapreneurs are more likely to feel the need to prove yourself before presenting ideas for change (27% vs. 21% of all respondents). 4 - Entrepreneurs: Following your own path outside the family business (8% of respondents) Entrepreneurs are less likely to see themselves as future leaders of the family business — though they want to lead their own business — and are more likely to aspire to a governance role in the family business (for example, on the family council). The survey provides specific guidance for each persona in how they should approach their professional development. Vicki Huff Eckert, US and global leader, PwC New Ventures says, “It’s vital to understand the importance of a cross-generational approach. In some family businesses, there may be up to five generations all working together in one company. Each generation tends to have characteristics that can clash with those around them — but they also have insights, experiences and skills that can benefit the business.” “Weaving in the best traits from each generation — knowing when to let the young take the lead and when to rein them in — can make the difference between simply surviving and passing on a thriving enterprise to the next generation.”

Jonathan Gallagher, the youngest of three Gallagher brothers, founded Easigrass more than three decades ago and the business continues to go from strength to strength. A former tennis coach, Jonathan played on a variety of different sporting surfaces throughout the 1980s. Jonathan’s experience on the grounds on which he taught and played led him to realise there was a gap in the market for providing maintenance of these surfaces. He soon went on to set up a maintenance company, which within no time had expanded to re-surfacing services for tennis courts in the UK. Business grew rapidly, and Jonathan soon established an excellent reputation of his business in the tennis court industry. There was major development within the sports surface industry at the time, with the introduction of artificial grass. Jonathan identified this as an opportunity to explore, and so passed on the reins of the maintenance side of the business to his eldest brother, Timothy, in order to focus his attention on artificial grass development. Timothy Gallagher has since built up one of the leading sports maintenance businesses in the UK, and continues to maintain surfaces for Jonathan’s old clients, as well as a growing customer base which includes local authorities, universities, colleges and schools. Jonathan moved on to work closely with all the leading European artificial grass manufacturers in order to learn all the techniques and installation processes of supplying and fitting this new product. He then spent ten years travelling across the UK and abroad, fitting installations to perfect this skill and gain invaluable experience. His work took him beyond the tennis market, with developments in other sports such as soccer, hockey and rugby. Easigrass now installs FIFA, IRB and FIH approved fields throughout the world. Jonathan seized the opportunity to add artificial grass to his expanding enterprise and worked very closely with all leading European fake grass manufacturers, learning all the techniques and installation processes. He focused on perfecting these installation procedures and gained huge experience working with all the leading manufacturers over the following ten years throughout the UK and abroad. Ten years ago Jonathan’s second-eldest brother, Anthony, joined the Easigrass team. Anthony Gallagher brought together many years of experience in sales, construction and marketing. This was at a time when the only grass available for domestic setting installation was the same type and style as that was being fitted on sports fields. Anthony saw the opportunity to introduce a product, which would closely resemble real grass. He was the first person in the UK to introduce dead grass infill into artificial grass to give the product a more authentic and natural look. Securing the TM on the brand, as well as European patent on the iconic grass-covered Smart car, Anthony also became the first to gain entry into judged garden competition with artificial grass at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2010. Easigrass was awarded Silver Guilt for its show garden in the first year. In 2012 a determined Anthony entered an Easigrass garden in the prestigious competition again and was rewarded with the highest accolade in the garden world by winning a Gold Medal. Easigrass is extremely proud to be the first and only artificial grass company to be awarded gold by the Royal Horticultural Society. “This is a measure of how perfect our craftsmanship is,” Anthony explained on winning the award in 2012. “We are delighted to be recognised as a quality company by independent assessors who are held in the highest regard within the horticultural world.” The mass exposure of Easigrass and its products as a result of its incredible success generated a vast number of enquiries from around the UK and abroad. The Easigrass National Franchise Network was established to meet demand, which became too great for the central London office to meet on its own. In the following five years, Anthony secured a 30-strong franchise network in Britain. This ensured customers received the same level of experience, knowledge, skill and professionalism as they had from the headquarters in London. As part of its franchise plan, Easigrass trains all partners in the latest techniques of quality synthetic grass installation where products are designed to last. As well as having a franchise network here in the UK, Easigrass is delighted to have established an International partner network with partners situated in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the Balearic Islands, Ireland and New Zealand. As part of a continued drive and commitment to quality, Easigrass fit sports installations internationally. The company has a specifically dedicated group of technicians who can be dispatched anywhere in the world to install domestic grass. Always looking to expand its network, Easigrass has firmly proven itself as one of world’s leading artificial landscape providers. Easigrass is the most recognised and trusted brand within the industry and like other successful family firms has innovation at its core. Add to the product the desire to establish Easigrass as a household name, a great network supported by the vision, drive and passion of the family, it is no wonder that Easigrass is going from strength to strength. Visit www.easigrass.com to find out more

Glossop Cartons is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of carton board packaging products. Paul Andrews met the sisters behind this successful family firm to find out more. As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of carton board packaging products, Glossop Cartons’ innovation, quality, service and investment in the latest technology has seen it grow from a humble start-up in 1982 to a thriving industry leader holding a strong customer base of leading household names. They recognise that service and flexibility are the essential pre-requisites in meeting the requirements of major multiple retailers, and as such, they have continuously invested in systems and processes that benefit their customer needs, such as quick lead times and the ability for their packaging to stand out from the crowd. Glossop Cartons differentiates in its industry by being very customer-focused, trying to understand the issues its customers face and coming up with effective packaging solutions to resolve those issues. Joint Managing Director, Jacky Sidebottom-Every has been involved with the business since it was established by her father back in 1982 along with Jacky’s then boyfriend, now husband Brian and one of her sisters, Jill. Fourteen months after the business was started her father died suddenly and they were very much thrown in at the deep end. Jacky’s other sister, Vicky was still at school at the time is Marketing and Commercial Manager for the business. As she explains, “It was a difficult time for us as Dad passed away unexpectedly and the business had not been going very long at all. We had some difficult decisions to make, not least Mum possibly having to leave the family home as it had been the security for the bank and we had to work fast. Friends introduced us to a manager at Barclays and that was essentially the starting point for our future. We had monthly meetings and he was a real asset to the business – a mentor to me as well as helping us to get to grips with actually running a business and helping us through those tricky times.” At the start they made some big decisions, not least the move into new premises with just £10,000 of working capital and learning as they went. “It was certainly not easy as the new building was old, cold and damp and the money was soon spent on introducing three phase electrical supply in order to run the machines and heat the business,” adds Jacky. However, like many successful family firms this was a family that was driven to succeed and were building something as a legacy to the father that had created it, looking to make it a success and continuing to invest in learning and development to ensure that not only could they compete commercially but offer clear solutions to customers in what is an incredibly competitive sector. As a family business the years have come and gone, some better than others, but as a business industry knowledge has continued to grow and they have continually invested in new technology to increase productivity. They have also become more ambitious as the years passed and in 2010 undertook their first acquisition which was an asset, goodwill and sales ledger purchase from the administrator, of another packaging company. This was followed in November 2015 by purchasing another business which this time included the purchase of the other companies’ buildings and retention of most staff which resulted in two businesses with different histories and cultures coming together. As Vicky explains, “Bringing together two businesses in terms of people and culture is a challenge but over time the workforce has become one and we now working to a set of core values and solid family foundations too which is certainly helping.” Glossop Cartons have grown to become a business that succeeds based on quality, service and value, responding to customer needs in an ever changing economic and ecological environment, not to mention the prevailing air of economic uncertainty, and providing real packaging solutions is what they do best. Award recognition is testament to their success too, winning major awards for packaging solutions that are world class and in part due to their investment in new, innovative equipment that enables bespoke packaging and cartons to be manufactured with intricate designs, cutting and folding too. Many of us live in a world surrounded by cartons and packaging on a daily basis but few of us will ever appreciate the time, effort and detail that goes into creating a carton unless they experience the opportunity to visit a carton manufacturer. It is a truly precise business with state-of-the-art equipment and machinery involved, folding and gluing cartons that can then be stored flat and transported on pallets to customers to pack as required. The family are involved too, making sure that they are visible to staff and customers alike, something that Jacky truly believes sets them apart from the competition. “We are a family business and do like to develop the “right” relationships with our clients and in many cases our customers want access to senior management, this helps with trust and some of our customers are also family owned, there is a real understanding of the importance of family values, a strong bond and being able to have clear lines of communication too,” adds Jacky. “And it is by bringing these family values, principles and morals to work that has enabled us to grow the business.” “Honesty, integrity and a desire to do the right thing are key, and we need our customers to trust us to deliver each and every time too,” she adds. As with all businesses there are some challenges and one of the biggest challenges for Glossop Cartons is attracting and retaining the staff they need. As Jacky continues, “It is a challenge to find the right skills that we need and our industry is compromised because skills have not been replaced over time, commitment and the need to want a long-term career is less common these days and people move on more frequently,” she adds. “We have five vacancies currently and it takes a lot of time and investment to search and find suitable applicants and then to induct and train them when they start too,” she continues. Being involved with the local community is important and the team regularly visit schools and colleges to talk about the business and the sector as a whole, highlighting some of the opportunities that are available to the next generation and hopefully creating interest in businesses like theirs too. “It is important to take the time out to talk about the packaging sector,” explains Jacky, “and the opportunities that it offers too. Community is important to us as a business and we like to be involved.” Jacky is on the board of the British Printing Industries Federation, and their schools initiative supports the BPIF’s goal of promoting careers in the sector. ”We believe educational partnerships are a great way of supporting our local community, keeping youngsters fully informed on all the opportunities available to them as they make their next steps after leaving school. Deciding on a career path can be a difficult task and we need to do our bit to help with the process too.” The family firm has been on a journey since those early days and despite the early hurdles has succeeded where many others have failed, the family ethos, strength and desire to succeed had created a great business that is now leading the way, a business that their father would surely be incredibly proud of. As Jacky concludes, “we have never taken major risks and our decisions are measured and well thought through, but this, together with our solid family footing has created a platform for us to grow. We have come a long way and the journey continues but we are still fresh and innovative, forward thinking, continually investing and looking at the future path and development that packaging needs and relishing the journey that lies ahead, whatever that bring in the way of new machines or further acquisitions.” To find out more please visit www.glossopcartons.co.uk