The Family Business Road Trip 2018: Putting great British family businesses on the map
13 April 2018
On 17 April 2018 we begin our tour of some of the UK’s most successful family businesses with the launch of The Family Business Road Trip 2018 at JCB headquarters.
The Family Business Road Trip is an innovative event that celebrates the essential contribution family firms make to national GDP and regional economies.
In the UK, the family business sector accounts for more than 5 million firms, £1.4 trillion in turnover (almost a quarter of UK GDP) and employs more than twelve million people. In addition, the top 20 family owned firms in the UK generate turnover in excess of £49 billion.
Family firm Sturgess Jaguar are providing the car for the trip and the event is being sponsored by PwC, Seven Investment Management, Western Pension Solutions, Gorvins and Birketts. The Family Business Road Trip 2018 runs for six weeks covering Yorkshire to the Lake District and the Midlands to London, East Anglia, Sussex and a whole host of counties in between!
Sturgess Jaguar has been a family firm for over 120 years and we are delighted to be able to underake the trip in a super Jaguar that is supplied by this Royal Warrant holding family firm.
Over the six weeks, the tour will meet with families behind some of the UK’s most noteworthy businesses, including JCB, Robinsons Brewery, Francis Kirk, Sheppys Cider, Harrison Spinks, The Linseed Farm and many more besides. During the visits we will be doing the most to dispel some of the myths surrounding the family business sector, promoting family firms as the engine room of the UK economy and celebrating the diversity of sectors that they are represent too.
As Stewart Sanderson, Head of Relationship Management at Seven Investment Management who are sponsoring the event said,
“Family businesses are significant influencers of the economy, employ millions of people and are clearly the engine room of the UK economy. We look forward to meeting some of the UK’s most successful firms.”
Sian Steele, Head of Family Business at PwC in the UK added
"Events such as this enable us to see first-hand the real diversity of the family business sector and the great contribution they make to the local, national and international economy. The passion that families have for their business is second to none and is apparent for all to see and it is a real privilege to get to see the businesses in action too."
As Paul Andrews, Founder and Managing Director of Family Business United adds,
"It is a real pleasure to meet family business owners in their own environments, to see the passion they have for what they do, and in many cases, have been doing for generations. It reinforces our understanding of the sector and is a real insight into the family business world."
"We spend our days championing the family business sector and the road trip really does help us to put UK family businesses on the map and over the course of the trip we will be meeting with some of the best known family businesses in the UK, as well as some lesser-known hidden gems. We want to celebrate the businesses that do so much for the country, by helping them to link up and share the knowledge and experience of other family businesses, as well as having access to advice from who are committed to helping family businesses shine. The Family Business Road Trip is a great way for us to champion the sector and to help put some great British family businesses on the map.”
Some of the visits are open to the public to join us and get a behind the scenes tour of the businesses and to meet the owners too. All of the visits will be covered with pictures and quotes throughout the trip on social media.
As Paul concludes,
"This is the fifth year that we are undertaking the trip around the UK and we are undoubtedly going to meet some great businesses, some inspirational family business and their leaders and we are really looking forward to putting the family business sector on the map too."
Get involved
JCB Family Business Insight, Tour of the Backhall Production Line and Lunch - 17 April - Find out more and book tickets here
Meet the family business at Robinsons Brewery with a Tour and Tasting - 19 April - Find out more and book tickets here
Meet the family business at Sheppys Cider with a Tour and Tasting - 22 May - Find out more and book tickets here
The Family Business Road Trip 2018 can be followed on twitter by using #FBRoadtrip2018 and the account @familybizpaul and you can track the activity on social media with our twitter moment here
Explore the PwC Family Business website to find out how we can help your family business.
Comments