A veterinary group that launched last year in the North West, with an innovative business model that gives head vets at each practice a stake in the business, has opened two new sites in Cheshire, as part of major investment totalling almost £1 million.
North Star Vets has opened Westbrook Vets in Warrington and Sandymoor Vets in Runcorn. Clinic directors, Dr Rhys Peters, and Dr Becky Crossfield have joined the business to head up and become directors in Westbrook Vets and Sandymoor Vets respectively. The pair are supported by a team of 18 vets, nurses and receptionists that have been recruited locally at each practice.
North Star Vets was launched by Dr Sean Cleary, Dr Richard Thomas and chartered accountant, Jane Platt.
These latest openings follow North Star opening its first practice, known as Burford Lane Vets, at Lymm in Cheshire less than 12 months ago. All three practices benefit from separate cat and dog wards, digital x-ray facilities, ultrasound machines, operating theatres and on-site laboratories. North Star is aiming to grow to 10 practices in the North West over the next ten years.
Dr Sean Cleary, from North Star Vets, said: “The ethos of North Star Vets is about giving the next generation of ambitious vets an opportunity to own a share of their own practice and to run it the way they want, without the risk and substantial capital investment that would usually be required to open their own site.
“The fact that our practices are locally owned and managed, gives our teams even more impetus to make these practices the best in the area and an integral part of their local community. Ultimately this translates into the high standards of care, service levels and continuity that our clients and their pets enjoy.
“Burford Lane Vets has been a welcome addition to the local community providing free care for all school pets and teaching children about responsible pet ownership and we’re very pleased to follow this with the opening of Westbrook Vets and Sandymoor Vets. Both practices are in great locations and have undergone high quality fit outs that incorporate all the latest equipment and facilities. When this is combined with the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of Becky and Rhys, it’s easy to see why both practices are proving popular, with almost 700 clients already registered at Westbrook Vets and more than 400 at Sandymoor Vets.
“We’re already planning to open two more sites next year, and are currently looking for high-calibre vets who want to be masters of their own destiny by becoming part of our unique co-ownership model. Anyone interested should contact us now.”
Becky said: “For the past few years I’ve been thinking about opening my own practice, but the expense, complexities, risk and lack of experience were all holding me back. All this made North Star’s proposition very attractive. Having the support and knowledge of Sean, Richard and Jane has been invaluable and has created a superb, team centric practice that is proving an immediate hit with local pet owners.
“Even before we opened, we had more than 200 clients pre-registered and this has snowballed since, with members of the local community keen to come in, tour the practice and meet the team. This level of support from the local community has been overwhelming and we couldn’t be happier with how the first few weeks have gone.”
For more information visit Westbrook Vets www.westbrookvets.co.uk and Sandymoor Vets www.sandymoorvets.co.uk.
