Left to right receptionist Donna Robson and veterinary surgeon Dr Becky Crossfield from Sandymoor Vets
North Star Shines Over Two More Practice Openings
2 years ago 
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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 Sandymoor and Warrington, as part of major investment totalling almost £1 million.
North Star Vets has opened Westbrook Vets in Warrington andSandymoor 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, as well as a six strong head office support team providing finance, marketing, property and HR expertise.
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. North Star is aiming to grow to 10 practices over the next four 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.
“Our practices also have the added benefit of our central resources spanning clinical, financial, HR, marketing, procurement and property expertise, which are all required to create a successful business. In addition, clients enjoy the service levels and continuity that owner managed businesses are renowned for.”
He added: “We knew our offering would be attractive to high quality vets who have the ambition and drive to go beyond heading up a corporate practice, and want to take their career, experience and earning potential to the next level.
“Burford Lane Vets has been very successful achieving a monthly turnover of £100,000 within its first 12 months 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 in the North West, 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.”
All North Star’s practices benefit from separate cat and dog wards, digital x-ray facilities, ultrasound machines, operating theatres, on-site laboratories, and extensive marketing campaigns from specialist veterinary practice marketing experts, Practice Made Purrfect. The company has overseen all aspects of the practice launches spanning pet health plans, websites, social media, signage, PR and business strategy.
For more information on North Star Vets and its practices, visitwww.northstarvets.co.uk.
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