What's it like being fourth generation in the family business? - James Kempley, Troy Foods (Salads)

Leeds Business Podcast

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This week we speak to James Kempley, Managing Director of Troy Foods (Salads) Ltd.

James tells us about the stresses and strains of being 4th generation in a family firm, the perfect storm that forced part of the business into administration and how automation makes such a huge difference.

INTRODUCING JAMES KEMPLEY

James Kempley is the Manging Director of Troy Foods (Salads) Ltd. He came into the family business at 18 years old, as fourth generation, learning the business through the ranks. He is fascinated by the food manufacturing industry, especially trying to generate new talent in the industry that is badly lacking. In his spare time, he is an avid cricketer and a life long, long suffering Leeds United fan.

The Business Surgery question is "When should a company consider bringing in external advisors and/or NEDs?"

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

[00:01:00] The history of Troy Foods

[00:04:30] Joining the family business and the pressures involved

[00:11:00] James’ career progression through the business

[00:17:00] The expansion of Troy Foods

[00:22:00] Business going into administration

[00:29:00] The key lessons learnt

[00:32:00] The re-structured business and expanding into new markets

[00:41:00] How to build a family-like culture

[00:45:00] BUSINESS SURGERY

[00:50:00] Future plans for the business

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS & BUSINESS LEARNINGS

• Sometimes you have to go through the bad times to make a business successful

• Relationships are king

• You have to be laser controlled on costs

4 BEST MOMENTS

“You had to buy and trade well to be profitable”

“I learnt more in 18 months than I did the rest of my life”

“we can produce a million bottles of mayonnaise a week”

“We have 10 people in the business who’ve been with us for 30 years”

VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Website: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/

Website: http://www.troyfoods.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kempley-56702484/

Shout out tags: https://interpath.com/

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Other multi-generational business episodes;

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/jamie-bentley/

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/michael-michaelson/

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/howard-moss/

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/chris-black/

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Phil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.

As well as hosting the Leeds Business Podcast, Phil now works with ambitious SME-owners as a Business Sounding Board (think somewhere between Business Coach and Business Mentor). In simple terms, he’s ‘a pair of ears and an extra pair eyes’ for SME Owners helping them to be better at what they do. Phil’s mantra is It doesn’t need to be ‘lonely at the top’. He helps Business Owners to be better business owners, by helping with their clarity and focus.

As a Business Sounding Board, he gives SME Owners the time & space to regularly discuss their challenges and opportunities, with no sense of judgement or bias, and in complete confidence. This allows them to explore their options in full, culminating with a list of issues to address/clarify, a clear target in mind, a roadmap to success, and a renewed enthusiasm and confidence for the challenges ahead.

Phil has appeared as a guest on over 60 podcasts, webinars and interviews, from around the whole globe, talking on a variety of business subjects. You can view them all at https://philfraser.co.uk/watch-hear-phil/.

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