Made In Essex

What does it really take to hand a family business from one generation to the next - and make it stronger? In this episode, Co-Founder of Attract & Engage, Jill Willis sits down with Wes Crawford, Managing Director of Crawford’s Group, the Writtle-based agricultural and commercial vehicle business founded by his father back in the 1980s. Wes shares the realities of succession planning, a major health scare that changed everything, and how he’s building a business designed to outlast him - with his wife and sons now part of the journey. Expect honest reflections on leadership, resilience and legacy. Hit play and join the conversation. 

Jill Willis meets Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloud - the Colchester-based FM disruptor that grew from a garden shed to a £70m turnover business. A story of bold mindset shifts, bouncing back from rock bottom, and building a culture-first company by doing the opposite. 

Jill Willis meets Paul Kelly, MD of KellyBronze Turkeys, the family-run farm that turned the humble turkey into a festive icon. From surviving market crashes and fires to building a global premium brand, it’s a story of resilience, reinvention and staying true to your values.

In this episode of Stories of Essex Limited, we’re joined by Doug Bentley and Adam Jones to reflect on the 2025 Essex Ltd Report and uncover what’s driving growth across the county’s Top 100 businesses.With turnover up 12.3% to £16bn, EBITDA up 16%, and 23 new entrants added to the list, Doug and Adam unpack the stories behind the stats, from the rise of private equity and employee ownership to how Essex firms are borrowing big to invest in future growth.We explore the biggest challenges on the horizon, including the ongoing battle for talent, and why culture, values and leadership succession are fast becoming key differentiators. Plus, we revisit standout guests from the series and examine what they reveal about Essex’s entrepreneurial edge.This episode is part of a collaborative mini-series created by Grant Thornton UK LLP, Birketts LLP, and Attract & Engage Ltd to amplify the voices of Essex’s privately owned businesses.

Jill Willis meets Paul Bleck, MD of Bartech Marine, the family firm that grew from a Mersea Island garage to a £10m engineering powerhouse. A story of legacy, leadership and scaling with purpose.

In this episode of Stories of Essex Limited, we sit down with Darren Locker, Managing Director of BEW Electrical Distributors, to explore how a second-generation family firm climbed to No. 41 in the Essex Top 100 and No. 17 in the Fastest Growth list. From leading an eight-figure management buyout to expanding into solar, site lighting, and heat pumps, Darren shares how people-first leadership and steady diversification have powered BEW’s transformation into one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent electrical wholesalers.This episode is part of a collaborative mini-series created by Grant Thornton UK LLP, Birketts LLP, and Attract & Engage Ltd to amplify the voices of Essex’s privately owned businesses.

Colin Horton went from earning £14k in a bank call centre to running a multi-million-pound surveying firm and starring on Channel 4. In this episode, Jill Willis lifts the bonnet on Colin’s journey, from bootstrapping Project & Co with just £3k, to becoming one of the property industry’s most outspoken and recognisable voices. Honest, gritty, and full of Essex charm, this one’s for anyone building a business from the ground up.

Jill Willis meets Pod Crowther, co-founder of Tuffon Hall Vineyard, the family-run business putting Essex wine on the map with creativity, courage and diversification baked in from day one.

Jill Willis meets Rebecca Rickwood, founder of Gement, the start-up reshaping construction with purpose, culture and kindness.  

In this episode of Stories of Essex Limited, we sit down with Martin Series, Director of Global Services at Foxway UK, to explore how a circular tech business scaled to £103 million by rethinking how we use, reuse, and retire our devices. From the early days of Global Resale to joining the Scandinavian-owned Foxway Group, Martin shares how intentional growth, team values, and a focus on sustainability have helped create one of Essex’s most forward-thinking tech businesses. This episode is part of a collaborative mini-series created by Grant Thornton UK LLP, Birketts LLP, and Attract & Engage Ltd to amplify the voices of Essex’s privately owned businesses.

Jill Willis speaks to Joe Denham, Co-founder of VegTrug, the business that turned a simple gardening idea into a global success.

In this episode of Stories of Essex Limited, we sit down with Sam Malins, CEO of Dunmow Group, to explore the mindset, decisions, and values behind one of the South East’s fastest-growing waste management businesses. From doubling turnover year after year to navigating the pressures of rapid growth, Sam shares an honest account of what it takes to scale — and stay grounded.This episode is part of a collaborative mini-series created by Grant Thornton UK LLP, Birketts LLP, and Attract & Engage Ltd to amplify the voices of Essex’s privately owned businesses.

Welcome to Stories of Essex – the podcast series that gives a voice to Essex’s most inspiring privately owned businesses.In this premiere episode, we sit down with Stefan Payne, CFO of Titan Airways, to explore the mindset, decisions and values that have helped him build one of the UK’s most respected charter airlines.This episode is part of a collaborative mini-series created by Grant Thornton UK LLP, Birketts LLP and Attract & Engage Ltd to amplify the voices of Essex’s privately owned businesses.

Jill Willis speaks to Lee Cowen, Managing Director of Milbank Concrete, the UK's leading manufacturer of precast concrete products.

Jill Willis speaks to Graham Broughton, A.K.A Mr King's Award who's been helping winning businesses for the past 8 years.

Jill is back with Andy Thorne, CEO of Stansted HQ'd Kestrel Group, the King's favourite international shipping agency!

Jill Willis talks to Dr Nicola Thorn, CEO of AND Technology, a world renowned business for creating pioneering tech for the medical and agriculture sectors. 

Jill Willis talks to Ryan Bell, CEO of Tech Balance, the world's most student-centric wellbeing app.

Jill Willis talks to Miles Adcock, CEO of Concurrent Technologies, a leading tech firm that designs and manufactures computing products for some of the world’s most rugged environments.  

Jill talks to Will Polston, one of the UK's leading business performance coaches and author of the remarkable book North Star Thinking - Master Your Mindset and Live A Life You Love.

Jill talks to Andy Thorne, CEO of Stansted HQ'd Kestrel Group, the King's favourite international shipping agency!

Jill Willis talks to John Gladman, Managing Director of AVRT Training, a tech business that’s making the way emergency services and military personnel train for difficult scenarios safer and more realistic. 

Jill Willis talks to Marc Jones, Business Director of Antobot which is an award-winning start-up providing affordable robotics for sustainable agriculture.

Jill Willis talks to Joe Tighe, CEO of KleanDrive which is repowering buses, light commercial and heavy-duty vehicles, and marine vessels across the globe, by switching out internal combustion engines for its clean powertrain solution.

Jill Willis talks to Martin Series, Director of Global Services at Foxway UK which is transforming the global tech industry, extending the lifecycle of mobile phones and computers and preventing millions of devices from going to landfill.

Jill Willis talks to Graham Higgins, Managing Director of ACS Aviation Industries which maintains, repairs and overhauls all of the crucial structural components that keep Boeing and Airbus planes flying safely. 

Jill Willis talks to Kim Morrish, experienced entrepreneur, social impact investor and owner and director of the country's leading external maintenance business Ground Control.

For our launch episode, Jill Willis talks to Brigette Bard, health campaigner, founder and CEO of health diagnostics company BioSure

An introduction to a new business podcast coming very soon