In 2020, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney revitalized Wrexham by acquiring the local football club, and they’ve recently expanded their influence by adding Wrexham Brewery to their portfolio.

However, for local businesses to thrive, they require more than just celebrity endorsements, asserts one local entrepreneur.

Caroline Platt, managing director of Platts Agriculture, a family-run business specializing in animal bedding for over three generations, highlights numerous “blockers and barriers to growth” in the Wrexham region, despite a robust business presence.

Wrexham houses companies like JCB, known for manufacturing transmissions and engine components at its local factory; Moneypenny, a prominent outsourced PA service; and Net World Sports, an online retailer of sports and garden goods, which recently established a £25 million office complex in the area.

All three firms are part of the Wrexham Leadership Alliance, chaired by Platt. She emphasized, “We are facing challenges with the Welsh government regarding infrastructure, and we are collaborating to highlight and tackle these concerns.” A significant issue is the lack of a sustainable energy supply. “The power provision to Wrexham Industrial Estate is expected to be insufficient until at least 2035, if not later. Furthermore, if we want to harness biofuel, we are unable to connect to the grid for its return,” she explained.

Public transport presents another significant hurdle. Despite the fact that most of Platts Agriculture’s 65 employees reside within a 15-mile radius, commuting can be a challenge. “The current public transport options are inadequate for young workers, and many cannot afford personal vehicles or insurance. Our research indicated that a four-mile journey for young people can take up to four hours,” noted Platt, 51. “It’s frustrating to observe double-decker buses operating with empty seats while everyone else is at work. There’s a lack of coordination.”

Platt mentioned that she and her colleagues have conveyed their proposals to the Welsh government, underlining the potential for growth should their recommendations be adopted. “We have provided compelling statistics on job creation, but the necessary infrastructure is crucial, or businesses will inevitably relocate,” she warned.

“There’s a limit to how long companies can postpone decisions. While we prefer to remain here, we’re faced with the possibility of moving if conditions don’t improve,” Platt stated, reflecting on her leadership of Platts Agriculture since 2005.

The business began in 1973 when her mother sourced wood shavings and sawdust from a local joiner for their farm animals. “She discovered that the amount was greater than we needed, so she began selling to neighboring farmers, thus launching our family business.”

After choosing not to join the family business post-college, Platt pursued a career in accounting, which still connected her to the agricultural community. “I would meet farmers who brought boxes of documents, and I’d prepare their financial statements. This is how I discovered my passion for business.” This experience led her to initiate her own venture selling bark and compost, which she delivered to her family’s farm, packaging it manually with outdated equipment.

In the early 2000s, her father proposed collaborating, resulting in their 2001 investment in a production facility on Llay Industrial Estate North, approximately six miles from Wrexham. The venture required “millions,” as Platt specified, but it proved worthwhile for the increased control it provided compared to leasing manufacturing and storage spaces.

After facing challenges with their former bank, they transitioned to NatWest and significantly automated their operations. “Typically, we reinvest around £500,000 annually back into the business,” she stated.

With a successful logistics and HGV division managed by her son, Chris, 27, Platts Agriculture now boasts annual sales of £10 million. Meanwhile, her younger daughter, Claudia, 24, is currently overseas as a yacht hand but may return next year to oversee a coffee shop and co-working space also owned by the family in Wrexham.

Like many family business leaders, Platt is grappling with recent changes to inheritance tax and broader business tax policies unveiled in the budget. With her parents as majority shareholders, she is now faced with a substantial tax liability to keep the family business intact.

“We’re encountering challenges from multiple directions. Our clientele comprises farmers, and as a family-run enterprise ourselves, the national insurance increases pose additional hurdles,” she noted. “We must remain adaptable and resilient, but the funds we typically allocate for growth and community support may have to be safeguarded, which could hinder our expansion. I am currently strategizing our next steps.”

Her father’s hope is to live for many more years; at 76, he contemplates transferring shares to his children to navigate the new inheritance tax implications, but must survive for at least seven years post-transfer. “He remarked, ‘Well, this gives me a renewed purpose — I must live for seven more years.’ So, he seems invigorated,” she shared.

Recently, Platt was honored as one of four individuals labeled “Ones to Watch” by Family Business UK, recognizing her potential during this year’s Family Business Week.

She showcases her diverse interests; Platt recently participated in a challenging five-day, 100-kilometer trek through the grueling terrain of Wadi Rum in Jordan to raise funds for the local charity Faith in Families. In February, she undertook a three-day, 65-kilometer trek in the Arctic Circle, enduring minus 20-degree temperatures.

“It was mostly shrouded in darkness. Only a distant light marked our campsite, which never seemed to draw nearer,” she recalled with a chuckle. “Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential as you never know what you will encounter. It’s a feeling that resonates in the business world as well.”