It was no fault of his own and he persevered and succeeded. He once told me ‘you chase money and it runs away’ and that holds true.”
The concept for Pall-EX came to Devey when working at package delivery company as a sales clerk. Hilary heard a client explain how long it would take delivery pallets to be transported
Her first job was pulling pints at the age of seven in her parent’s pub; “I was so young that I could barely reach the beer taps”
from one city to another and saw an opportunity to drive efficiency. She hit the road to speak to haulier members
(something she was used to - she moved school 13 times in her parent’s pub pursuit.) Hilary proposed the idea that hauliers could now share the delivery of goods to destinations on the same route rather than allowing empty trucks to travel miles to one stop. Hilary had revolutionised British distribution and created a new framework. Today, the company celebrates fourteen years of supply chain excellence and is ranked amongst the UK’s leading logistics providers. Furthermore, sales are now over £100m, receiving 17,000 pallets of goods per day and filling 350 lorries, with regional depots across the country.
Ahead of Hilary’s phenomenal success within her own business, I ask Devey if she is willing to divulge any information on external projects. She mentions Gary Martin, Founder
of Table Art - a unique business which provides high quality illuminated art pieces as table decoration at major events, weddings and award ceremonies. Hilary is now Chairman for the company, as well as investing just under half a million pounds. Perhaps Gary’s similar humble beginnings as a DJ for his Father’s company enticed Devey, or was it Martin’s ambition to take the company to a worldwide market? “I
met
Gary in 2010 during the filming of The Business Inspector. His enthusiasm and commitment to the business was infectious, and beyond this attractive quality, a closer study of the Table Art model revealed it to be sound and I could
40 entrepreneurcountry
see the potential for it’s expansion within the UK and overseas. The fact that the firm was based in the Midlands was another appealing factor, as Pall-Ex’s HQ is within this part of the
country.” Convenience
aside, Hilary considered the talents that she could bring to the company that would be genuinely useful. “I don’t make whimsical, vanity investments and realised that the transport and organisational experience that I had accrued at Pall-Ex could be of real use to Table Art.” What were Hilary’s plans for Gary’s concept in terms of getting the product exposure across a feasible market? “We have re-launched the website, and Gary has just opened a London showroom that allows the company’s products to be brought directly to London-based events industry professionals and decision- makers.” I also ask Hilary whether she has any of her own personal projects in the pipeline outside of Table Art and Pall-EX. “In terms of my professional career, I am soon to film a new series of Dragons Den, and my biography is due for publication in May.”
Moving on to the magazine’s theme of technology, I ask Hilary where she see’s the future of business with the constant advancement of companies into the inevitable arena of online. Where are the biggest opportunities for companies to take advantage of the digital turn? “I think that all businesses need to accept, adapt, and most importantly, engage with customers online. Ten years ago, for a company to have an internet profile was almost considered optional, whereas now it is essential. That’s not to say that niche or specialist businesses will not continue to operate from traditional physical points-of-sale, but we are in an age where consumer decisions are made online. So whether your business is a dedicated digital entity, or just makes clever use of digital channels to reach consumers, you can draw comfort that you are on the winning team – at least for the foreseeable future.” What advice would Hilary give to a start-up technology business? “Know your market. It’s essential. Research and prepare, and be certain that your idea fulfils a need. You can follow the
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