Celebrating 65 years at JS Wright & Sons

Nick Wright has been a mainstay of JS Wright & Sons for an incredible 65 years. At 85 years young and a company director, Nick continues to work four days a week and admits he has never thought of retiring. This is Nick’s story…

I have to admit… I sort of drifted into the family business

I had joined the Royal Air Force in 1958 and was stationed at Christmas Island in the Pacific for one year of my three years with the RAF. My father, Albert, and my uncles, Stanley and Carleton, were all involved in the business, so I decided to join them. I started as a labourer, but it was very different to how it is today. We had no tractor at that time so everything was done by hand. It would be a case of felling the trees, cutting them into 28-inch lengths and loading them on to the lorry by hand.

We would split the pieces of wood – with the clean wood used for cricket bats and the rough wood used for pulp, which we supplied around 200 tonnes a month to Bowaters at Sittingbourne. Even as we speak now, I can visualise the work in those early days. It was a very physically demanding job and we did it more or less all year round.

Tough times – and tractors!

I can remember when we got our first tractor. It was a grey Harry Ferguson and we had to be careful not to overload the grab otherwise its back wheels would be up in the air! In those days, we would also use six-wheel, ex-US Army lorries which were fantastic and could get through any kind of terrain or weather. They had a winch and certainly made our job a little easier. Even with the vehicles, it was hard work.

That said, it wasn’t always smooth for the business. We’ve had some tough times during the last 60-plus years, such as having to sell trees for competitors in the 1960s, or we not having many orders. Looking back, there was no particular reason for this downturn, but it has made us appreciate the busy times. I feel now we are reaping the benefits of all the great work we have done over the last 30 years.

In the early 1970s, I made the decision to leave the business for a few years and sell central heating equipment. I was then going to start my own building merchants when my father asked me to come back to JS Wright due to the business expanding.

Loyalty goes both ways

When I returned to the business, my main role was buying the willow trees – something my son, Oliver, and I still handle to this very day. This meant I was visiting and dealing with big estates all over the country as well as managing some smaller clients. The smaller growers have always been extremely valuable to us ever since the business started in 1894.

Looking back, around 90% of our customers began with us supplying them with young trees in the first place to get them going. And that loyalty, which works both ways, means we are still working with estates that we started with many years ago. Likewise, we are fortunate to have some staff members who have worked with us for a long, long time.

A personal touch sealed with a handshake

I am now meeting different generations of the same family – having started with grandfathers, fathers and now the sons. We have always treated them fairly and with a personal touch and I think that has been appreciated and meant we have had an extremely loyal customer base.

The best thing about the job has been meeting out customers in person and most of my work is sealed with a handshake and a gentleman’s agreement. You could say that’s a bit ‘old school’ but I wouldn’t have it any other way, even if things have slightly changed in recent years. I enjoy meeting people and we have been very successful in obtaining more business by simply showing this personal touch, and looking after our clients’ requirements.

My son Oliver has been with the business for about 20 years and he buys all over the country whereas I am now based closer to home. We are also supported by two other buyers. I enjoy my work immensely. Alongside that, we are planting more trees than ever which means the business has expanded and we are looking after the future of both the industry and the sport, as we have always done. We are proud of our history and also of the traditional way we continue to run our business. You are not dealing with a repetitive product as every piece of wood is different in some way.

There is now more people playing cricket than ever

I am amazed by how the business has expanded – and how cricket has expanded. Years ago, a club would have just three bats and everyone would use them. Now everyone has their own and they are all different, depending on the preference of the players. There are more and more youngsters playing. It has become a global sport with the likes of the World Cup in America and it is great to see the expansion of women’s cricket.

A typical day for Nick

I work for JS Wright four days a week, starting at about 7am. Our typical day would include going out and meeting clients for most of the day and then finishing back in the office. I have never thought about retiring as I enjoy my work too much. I have met some very interesting people and seen some amazing parts of the country as well as some beautiful estates and farms.

---