It all started in the weights room.
The year was 2013 and Paul Richardson was a regular at the David Lloyd gym in Bromsgrove, just southwest of Birmingham. He had gotten to know two of his fellow gym-goers, Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, who – unbeknownst to him – had dubbed him “the business guy”. It was an apt moniker: Richardson was a serial entrepreneur whose CV included owning the All Saints fashion brand and serving as an advisor to Birmingham City, the football team which he would later come to co-own. Francis and Morgan would often pick his brains for tips on running a fitness wear business they had set up the year before called Gymshark.
One day, Francis came to him for help on how to solve a supply issue. Richardson offered to introduce them to contacts in the West Midlands who might be able to assist. Those contacts happened to bring with them a consultant called Steve Hewitt, who Richardson also happened to know through that same David Lloyd gym. The more they talked, the more it became clear they should be in business together. The rest, as they say, is history, and a lot of hard work. Richardson became Gymshark’s executive chairman; Hewitt became CEO; and together with the two founders they turned Gymshark into a company that today is valued at over $1.45 billion.
“The West Midlands has a fantastic network of businesspeople,” says Richardson, who today is the owner and executive chairman of HERA clothing, a British streetwear brand whose products are designed entirely within the UK. “People are not only willing to share hard-won advice and build relationships, but there’s a hunger and energy that keeps the entrepreneurial community here firing on all cylinders.”
This dynamism of the area’s business scene is reflected in WIRED’s Trailblazer programme. In partnership with HSBC UK, the initiative celebrates small to medium-sized companies making waves on a global scale. The West Midlands selection includes Petalite, the EV innovator revolutionising global charging infrastructure, Nourished, which has developed cutting edge tech to 3D print personalised nutritional gummies, and a number of other fast-growing innovators in sectors from gaming to cybersecurity.
Many of these companies serve large markets nationally and internationally. The West Midlands’ geographic position at the centre of England was precisely what earned its historical reputation as ‘the workshop of the world’, and this prime supply chain location still matters today. Birmingham sits between the crosshairs of the national rail and motorway systems and, once HS2 opens, will be accessible from London in under 40 minutes. It is within a four-hour drive for 90 percent of the UK population, and has strong air connections, with Birmingham Airport serving over 50 airlines. On top of this, earlier this year saw the launch of The West Midlands Global Growth Programme, a new government-backed incentive package to further bolster trade and investment between the West Midlands and global markets.
“It is a big ask, to try to electrify the world, which is effectively what we are doing,” says Petalite founder and CEO Leigh Purnell. “As innovators, it feels very natural to be here in the Midlands. The history and central location of the area means the unrivalled expertise and advanced manufacturing techniques makes us a world leader.”
There’s also a demographic factor at play. The World Population Review cites Birmingham as the UK’s most ethnically and culturally diverse city, and innovation often happens when different perspectives and specialisms collide. “There is a huge tolerance of diversity here,” agrees Melissa Snover, founder and CEO of Nourished, a healthtech business she set up in 2019 which has seen 300 percent growth in the last year as the demand for customised gummy vitamins has taken the world by storm. “The ethos of collaboration and encouragement makes this a great place for innovation and to start or scale a business.”
No wonder that today the West Midlands is a powerhouse for leading software businesses – companies such as data management specialist Kagool and cybersecurity innovator Littlefish being prime examples. As Petalite’s Leigh Purnell points out, even the area’s top manufacturers are ultimately powered by advances in software rather than hardware. “The West Midlands tech ecosystem is built into the region’s reputation,” he says. “When you look at the top manufacturers you find that software, rather than hardware, is often the driving force behind them.” Birmingham City Council’s vision for 2040 includes a new Knowledge Quarter: a hub for the city’s growing digital sector that will also include the Innovation Birmingham Campus, HS2’s Curzon Street Station and a Health Innovation Campus scheduled for launch next year. For Frances Howell, HSBC UK’s Head of Corporate Banking for the Midlands region, it is the ideal location for HSBC’s UK headquarters to be situated. ‘‘We opened our first branch here in 1836 and over 186 years later our commitment to the region remains as strong as ever. It’s a dynamic, entrepreneurial city which is home to some of the most exciting, high-growth firms in the UK.’’
For Paul Richardson, tangible enterprise drivers might be important, but the special ingredient is rather less economic. He credits the success of Gymshark – and the broader success of the West Midlands – to a certain state of mind. “As a region, we are an underdog,” he says. “Businesses here are often underestimated but we don’t let that get in the way of ambition. It is a work ethic I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world. We don't shout about our achievements a lot, and we're judged more on what we do and what we prove that we can do. And proof of success is very powerful.”
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
