Meet Nathan Winch, the Barnsley born investor, who looks to support children's charities whenever he can

“I spent a lot of time in the hospital with nurses and doctors,” Mr Winch says. “That’s what led me to wanting to become a doctor. It was a big part of my life.”

While he didn’t quite make the grade, it was this path that would ultimately lead to him running his own successful investment company.

Missing out marginally on the A-Level grades that he needed to pursue a career as a doctor was “probably the best thing to ever happen” to him.

Instead, Mr Winch pursued a degree in molecular biology and ended up starting medical supplies company WinchPharma while he was still at university.

In 2010, at the same time he also launched Winch & Co as an investment vehicle but it didn’t really take off until 2017 when Mr Winch sold the medical supplies business to a chemical supplier.

He said: “It was a group of us investing. It was following on from the sale that we became what we are today, using the proceeds of that sale as well as subsequent sales to reinvest and grow quite quickly.”

Today, Leeds-based Winch & Co has around 110 employees and its investment portfolio is growing rapidly.

Two years ago, the business deliberately targeted the transport, warehousing and distribution industry. It’s a move that has been vindicated especially with the industry’s importance becoming clear during the pandemic.

Mr Winch said: “Everybody still needs the food, goods and all the rest of it. We saw it as quite a recession -proof sector to be in.

“There are lots of small companies. It’s a very fragmented industry. There’s not a lot of very big companies but there are a lot of small companies that we can buy up and roll up essentially.”

Winch & Co recently completed the acquisition of North East freight operator Dedicated Transport Solutions (DTS) and its 250,000 sq ft industrial estate as the Leeds-based investment firm looks to add five logistics businesses to its portfolio.

While the firm does look to make businesses more efficient, Mr Winch says his business is not about asset stripping.

He added: “It’s just not a business model that we use because we like to preserve jobs. We like to grow companies. We’re not in the market to make money quickly, we’re more long-term investors.

“We take the view that if we buy a company, no matter what state it is in, we can grow it and we can expand and improve.

“We make cost savings but we never reduce any workforces. That’s something that we’re quite proud of. We’ve always expanded workforces when we’ve bought companies.

“It’s not just about it being the right thing to do, it’s much more profitable in the long-term than this short-term view of stripping and restructuring.”

The business also invests in other sectors and has funded several start-ups over the years.

“I’ve tried to give back in that sense I suppose,” the 31-year-old says. “It’s nice to be able to see that growth. What I’ve realised is that it’s the growth that is the exciting bit.”

It’s the entrepreneurial streak in him, according to Mr Winch. Investing allows him to get involved with a variety of businesses.

He adds: “The lovely thing about investing is that you can get involved in lots of different things and business is business at the end of the day.

“It doesn’t matter what the sector is, we’re in the business of business – the transactions, the people based element of it. We love relationship building.”

Winch & Co currently has a turnover of £16m but the Barnsley born entrepreneur has big ambitions and is targeting a turnover of £100m in the next two years.

Mr Winch says: “We believe we can do that based on the trajectory so far. We just want to grow and build a business that we are proud of. We employ lots of people. We’re opening sites across the country.

“We’ll probably open more branches because obviously the businesses we buy, we can’t dictate where they are in the country.

“When a deal comes along we take it. We have stuff dotted all over the country so it helps for us to be local where we can be.”

Invariably there will be bumps on the road. The business has already found Brexit to be “disruptive” given its focus on logistics but Winch & Co is “dealing with it”.

The rising cost of fuel has had a “huge impact” with the investment firm spending around £2m a year at the moment.

Mr Winch said: “We’re managing that. It’s something we work with our customers and suppliers on.

“One of the things that we do well and is part of our investment strategy is consolidation exercises. As we buy more logistics companies, we get greater and greater economies of scale.”

This allows the business to negotiate more favourable agreements with suppliers, including fuel.

While Mr Winch recovered from the kidney condition that he suffered from as a child, it left an impression on him.

He has dedicated himself to supporting children’s charities whenever he can. Recently, Mr Winch donated £18,000 to Hey!, a Barnsley-based mental health charity that works with young people.

“I was quite ill as a child with a kidney condition,” Mr Winch says. “I spent a lot of time in the hospital with a support network so I know how important that is.”

Winch & Co has got its eyes on a few other sectors and the investment firm believes there is scope for it to capitalise with its growth agenda.

“We’re looking at the waste recycling and renewables sectors,” Mr Winch says. “We’re also looking at electrical components manufacturing.”

This is driven by UK’s carbon targets and also the increasing number of electric vehicles and the need for charging points to keep those running.

Mr Winch may have not made it as a doctor but he has found his calling as an entrepreneur.

“We’re doing well and enjoying what we are doing,” he said.

Curriculum Vitae

Title: Managing partner at Winch & Co

Date of birth: 27/12/1990

Lives: Yorkshire

Favourite holiday destination: Santorini

Last book read: Killing Giants

Favourite film: Ocean’s 13

Favourite song: Knights of Cydonia by Muse

Car driven: Tesla Model 3

Most proud of: My colleagues and what we have achieved together, as well as, of course, my friends and family.