From manufacturers and engineering firms, to retailers, hospitality businesses and specialist contractors, family businesses are the bedrock of the North West’s economy. They make up a huge proportion of the region’s commercial landscape and often carry decades of history, expertise and local connection with them. That’s why Gorvins Solicitors provides specialised support and advice to them through our dedicated family business team.
As well as these tailored services, we also throw ourselves into industry campaigns and events that celebrate family businesses. In May, there are two huge events in the North West family business calendar that we’ve been keeping busy with.
The first, the North West Family Business Awards, and the second, Family Business United’s annual “Family Business Road Trip”.
Celebrating the region’s family businesses
It was a privilege to support this year’s North West Family Business Awards, hosted and organised by the Family Business Community.
Held annually, the awards celebrate the brightest and best family businesses across the North West. As part of our support for the event, we sponsored the drinks reception at the awards ceremony and also took part in the judging process for the Property, Construction and Engineering categories.
Christian Mancier and Mike Smoult, alongside fellow judge Annette Ritson of Net*, visited shortlisted businesses across the region to meet the teams behind the entries and better understand the people, values and standards driving them forward.
This was a great opportunity to see these businesses operating firsthand, to understand the challenges they face and hear the stories behind their success.
Held at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, the ceremony showcased the sheer breadth of talent in the North West family business community brilliantly. It really was an honour to be a part of the event and to celebrate with all the winners.
In the category judged by Christian, Michael and Annette, the winners were NL Williams, a St Helens-based engineering business carrying out major infrastructure work such as shot blasting and painting for major projects across the UK, and Harrison Contract Tiling, a husband, wife and son business recognised not only for the quality of its work but also for its commitment to training the next generation of tilers to the highest of standards through its own in-house training facilities.
Taking to the road with Family Business United
Alongside the awards, Gorvins also supported the North West leg of the annual Family Business Road Trip in partnership with Paul Andrews of Family Business United. We’ve been supporting Paul on the North West leg of the roadshow since 2018 with the six-week nationwide tour shining a spotlight on family businesses across the UK. It’s a fantastic way of testing the mood of, and challenges affecting, the family business sector. We love being a part of the move to showcase the stories, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit behind many of these institutions.
At Big Bear Plastics, the conversation focused on the varied and wonderful journeys the next generation often make to arrive in the family business and how Emma the current Managing Director transitioned from a career in luxury high end retail into the manufacturing world after taking over the family business.
At Butler’s Farmhouse Cheeses, the conversation centred around resilience and reinvention following a devastating warehouse fire shortly before Christmas 2023, which destroyed both a warehouse, packing facility and years of maturing stock. The business has since rebuilt with a new state-of-the-art production and maturation facility on the farm itself, blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge automation fit for decades to come.
The roadshow also included visits to businesses such as Alan Howard hair and beauty products, Grantham’s Fine Food and Wine, https://www.carrspasties.co.uk/Dunsters Farm, fifth generation Pimlott’s Butchers, Mercury Lifts, and Holdsworth Foods, each with its own unique story about succession, growth, innovation and long-term ambition.
The week concluded with a panel event at the Alderley Edge Hotel, bringing together family business leaders from across different sectors to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing owner-managed businesses today. Panellists including Helen Tonks from Hydraulics Online, Hannah Barlow from Dunsters Farm, Matt Carr from Carrs Pasties and our very own Christian Mancier. For us, the week reinforced how Family businesses are so often built on deep relationships, long-term thinking and a strong sense of responsibility to employees, customers and communities alike.
Those qualities are exactly why they continue to play such an important role in the North West economy and why we’ll continue to be their champion.
Supporting family businesses at every stage
Whether it’s supporting succession planning, resolving disputes, managing commercial property matters, advising on growth strategies or helping businesses navigate changing legislation, family-run businesses often face unique legal and commercial challenges.
At Gorvins, we work closely with owner-managed and family businesses across a wide range of sectors, providing practical, commercially focused legal advice tailored to their long-term goals. Importantly, we fully appreciate the dynamics behind the scenes that play out in every family business.
If you’d like to speak to our team about how we can support your business, get in touch today.
Call us on 0161 930 5151, email us at enquiries@gorvins.com or fill in the online form.