James Coles is preparing Coles Nurseries for the fifth generation

James Coles is preparing Coles Nurseries for the fifth generation

Coles Nurseries is bucking the trend when it comes to family businesses. Less than a third are said to make it through the second generation, and that drops to just a tenth through the next. By the time they reach the fourth generation, there’s just a 3% chance the owner will be able to hand the business over to the next family member. But managing director James Coles is in the process of succession planning, and by the time he hands it over to his two children, the fourth generation owner will be leaving the business in an even better position than when he first took it over from his father.

“Well, I say ‘took over’ – when I was given the job,” he laughs, recalling the moment in 1999 he was called into the office one day to sign a piece of paper that turned him into the managing director all of a sudden. “That’s a dramatic way of looking at it, but that’s what happened. And I could have done exactly the same thing, but that’s not the right way to do it.”

Instead, Coles has brought in an advisor to help guide them through ‘the change plan’ as he considers retirement in a few years, after his father passed away last April, as does the company’s operations director Mark Cade, who has been with Coles for over 40 years and has overseen, with James, the recent development of the wholesale and retail business.

When we speak to Coles at the end of April, not even he knows yet what the outcome of that plan will be for his daughter, Isabelle – who joined from the hospitality industry to work in sales and marketing – and his son, Edward, who is Coles’ dispatch assistant manager. “Ed made it quite clear that he wasn’t an office person; he wanted to be hands on, so to speak. He’d rather be outdoors, whereas Isabelle is better suited for the office environment. So, in that sense, it worked out quite well without planning it.”

Up until a few months go, Coles thought they would probably become joint managing directors. But with Isabelle getting married in a few weeks and considering family planning, that might not be the best solution for the time being. “So, we need to come up with the best scenario – and if that means that neither of them are MDs, then that’s okay; we’ll have a find someone else to take on that role. I want them to be happy with the position that they’re in – at the end of the day, it’s a family business, and there are always going to be trials and tribulations.”

Both children have joined the company of their own volition, though. “I always wanted them to come into the business, but I didn’t push them into it. I didn’t make them work weekends on the retail side or anything – it was up to them. Yes, I dropped the odd hint,” he laughs. “But it’s been their decision and on their terms, which is great.”

Isabelle had been working her way up in hospitality until that point. But the “cut-throat” industry was making her ill, so her dad offered her a role in the admin team to see if it’s something she’d enjoy. “It went from there,” she says. “I’ve since also taken on the marketing and the social media. Ed took a year out after he finished school and then started here working outside and loved it.”

Coles’ goal now is to hand over the business in as strong a position as possible. Since stepping into his father’s shoes over two decades ago, he’s grown Coles Nurseries from a £1.5m turnover to close to £15m. It now has around 550 acres of land, growing trees and shrubs for the commercial landscaping market, and more than 120 staff. At any one time, it has just over a million trees in the ground and two and a half million containers on the ground. There’s also a new purpose-built plant centre and cafe under construction at its head office in Thurnby – which has been five years in the making – and it recently scooped Trade Nursery of the Year at the Pro Landscaper Business Awards. The nursery boasts Plant Healthy certification, which it has done since the initiative was founded, and is now a member of Family Business UK – all of which would suggest that Coles is achieving his ambitions, and then some.

Coles Nurseries was first started in 1913 by Coles’ great grandfather of the same name, who saw Leicester as a budding opportunity. It was becoming an affluent city, thanks to its booming textile and hosiery industry that eventually led to the slogan, ‘Leicester clothes the world.’ Using a match funding grant, he purchased an eight-acre site in Evington, initially growing fruit and vegetables to support wartime needs, before transitioning to trees, topiary, roses, rhododendrons and the like.

In the 30s, he bought a second field, and another in the 50s. Coles Nurseries’ largest site, Gaddesby, was purchased in the 70s, followed by another in the 90s. In the last 20 years, it has added two more. The last four generations have all continued to build on what Coles’ great grandfather created.

“My dad got us through the third generation, and we started to grow while he was there,” says Coles. “I’m the fourth, and I’m pleased to say it’s carried on growing, and I’ve got the fifth lined up as well.”

It’s now gearing up for its next chapter, which focuses on more than how Isabelle and Edward fit within the senior management team. “I’m proud of the family aspects – and that’s not just Coles family. That’s the vast majority of people who have bought into it and feel part of it.” The nursery has members of staff who have been working there as long as Coles, and generations of other families who have joined the business over the years. Sales manager Andy Garner, for instance, had worked there since he was 16 before retiring earlier this year.

Recognising that there are others such as Garner nearing retirement age with a vast amount of knowledge to share, Coles has introduced a three-level training scheme for staff which allows them to work towards becoming a supervisor. On top of this, it is also on its second cohort of an internal management training scheme, which gives those on it all the necessary tools to become a manager.

Isabelle and Edward are two of five people on this latest round, and to bring them all closer together, they’re embarking on a series of fundraising efforts throughout the year. The ‘Fantastic Five’ – which also includes Laura Dakin, Tom Tyler and Luke Hopper – will be trekking across the Sahara Desert to raise money for the Matt Hampson Foundation, which supports young people with life-changing injuries from sport, and Perennial, which supports those in the horticulture industry. Edward will also be embarking on a 24-hour running challenge around his local village.

It’s another step towards building an even stronger future for Coles Nurseries, with a team that feels passionate about the industry, the company and the people within it. This is a family business, after all – and not just for those with Coles as their surname, but for all those taking it into the next generation.

For the latest industry news visit landscapingmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Landscaping Matters