Pictured above: (l-r) Ray Grocott, David Grocott, Jack
Allman, Jack Evanson and Linda Grocott
Grocontinental has officially launched its 70th anniversary
celebrations at the company's Shropshire headquarters.
To open the year-long programme of events, the company bought
together the past and the present when 85-year-old former employee
Jack Evanson and the company's youngest employee, 17-year-old Jack
Allman, joined Directors to toast the success of the special
anniversary.
Jack Evanson, who joined the company in 1943, was one of the
company's first drivers transporting local livestock; while his
more junior namesake joined the company as a warehouse operative
last year.
The company was founded by Nellie Grocott, the mother of current
Grocontinental Chairman Ray Grocott. When Nellie, a young widow
with seven children, put her signature to the deeds to seal a land
purchase to start her cattle transport business in 1941, she would
have little concept of the business success story she was about to
create.
Seventy years on, Nellie Grocott's cattle business has grown
into one of the country's leading storage and distribution
companies with an annual turnover of £25 million. The third
generation of the Grocott family is now at the helm.
To mark the milestone, Grocontinental will be hosting an
official celebration at the company on 5th July - Nellie Grocott's
birthday. They are also planning to host a ball in July to raise
funds for local charities and will launch the Grocontinental
Sapphire Club to honour members of staff who have served 20 years
or more with the company.
Pictured above: Nellie Grocott with Ray Grocott (left) and
driver Frank Thomas in the 1950s
Nellie Grocott was an inspirational woman of her day, working
around-the-clock to establish her business while looking after her
young family. Her humility and kindness promoted huge loyalty from
the local farmers who used her transport service. She treated her
customers and staff as her extended family; values that Ray Grocott
has always endeavoured to continue:
'Although we are now one of Shropshire's largest employers, we
never forget that our success has been very much down to our
committed and loyal workforce. My mother greatly valued the
contribution of her staff and was very conscious of her commitment
to employing local people and looking after their families.
'This is a very special moment in our history and a real tribute
to Nellie who got things up and running all those years ago.
We are sure that she would have been immensely proud of where
we are today.'
Recalling his days working for Nellie Grocott, Jack Evanson
said:
'Nellie was a marvellous woman; she was just like my mother.
If I was late arriving for work, she would be there waiting
for me with a piece of toast!'
Today Grocontinental supports some of Europe's leading food
industry brands from the company's 24/7 purpose-built 30-acre site
in Whitchurch and employs almost 300 people.