18
Ram Gupta
By Rob Kelly
Rich Dyer
Colin Mustoe
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BUILT ON COURAGE LANCASHIRE’S LEADERS
SHARE LESSONS IN GROWTH, RESILIENCE AND VISION
Lancashire businesses showing courage and vision to grow and scale were two of the main themes at the recent MHA and Napthens entrepreneurs event at Mytton Fold Hotel and Spa.
Speakers delivered impressive stories of bootstrapped beginnings, bold decisions and business leadership rooted in Lancashire ambition.
COURAGE TO START
Colin Mustoe, founder of the global office furniture company Senator, set the tone for the event with a story of youthful ambition and self-belief.
He said: “I was earning good money in my 20s but I didn’t want to get to retirement and wonder if I could have done it. I was young enough to have a crack at it. If it didn’t work out, fair enough.”
Senator Group is now a £200m company with 1,500 employees and showrooms across the globe including Chicago, New York and Kuala Lumpur.
Colin also spoke about buying Mytton Fold Hotel and the addition of new padel courts on site. He told guests about the importance of long-term thinking with a portfolio of business interests.
He said: “Owning things is such a benefit. If you go through a tough spell, you’re going to come out the other side. You don’t have to worry, you don’t have to cut back too much.”
Colin likened business to his love of a Monday night poker game. “Business is a bit of a gamble,” he said. “We’ve got to be prepared to take chances but know when you’ve got it wrong – and work really hard.”
COURAGE TO GROW AND SUSTAIN
One of two panel discussions brought together leaders of heritage and family-run firms who have built success over decades, adapting through challenge and change.
Elizabeth Porter, shared her journey at Chorley-based Brysdales, from taking on a part-time admin role to owning the business and spoke of the challenges of pushing for growth.
mha.co.uk
Gill Hall
She said: “We took a £10m order – up from £150,000. That was quite frightening to manage, but we did it successfully. It helped springboard us into a different arena.”
Elizabeth also talked about the emotional weight of entrepreneurship. “There are times when it’s scary,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve done a lot of it on my own. I’m trying to self-invest rather than get outward investment. But now we own our building. It just feels like it’s ours.”
Gill Hall of Butler Farmhouse Cheeses in Longridge, which suffered a devastating fire at its operation in November 2023, spoke of vision, resilience and community.
She said: “We’re nearly 100 years old, so we thought what will make us sustainable for the next 100.
“Let’s make our cheese the best it can be, and our systems, and make our supply chain resilient.
“You have to have a network and I’ve leant on that in times of crisis.”
David Berry of Leyland-based C&W Berry, has been managing director in the family business for 35 years and also chairs a group of 44 building merchants.
He said: “It is lonely running a business when you’re the one making the decisions.
“If you can check with other people in the same position it gives you confidence that you’re not making all the wrong decisions.”
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