A West Midlands businessman with a long career in running convenience stores and post offices, has branched out by opening a greetings card wholesale warehouse to supply others in the retail sector. Legal advice on the lease of the new unit, which is in Walsall, was provided by Wolverhampton-based solicitor Andrew Wynne of FBC Manby Bowdler.
Harmesh Jassel has been in the retail business for almost 30 years having initially opened a convenience store in Tipton at the age of 18. This was later followed by a store in Great Wyrley near Walsall and more recently with a convenience store and post office in Hadnall, north of Shrewsbury which Harmesh continues to manage on a day to day basis.
With a long heritage in the convenience store sector, Harmesh has built a strong network of retailers and identified an opportunity to diversify his own business by supplying those contacts. He explains:
“I’ve always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit and continually look for the next business opportunity. As a small retailer myself, I could see the need for a dedicated wholesale supplier of greetings cards, wrapping materials and other birthday and celebratory accessories and so decided to start looking for a suitable unit.
“Having viewed many warehouses, we chose the one at Maple Leaf Industrial Park on Bloxwich Lane in Walsall because of its proximity to Junction 10 of the M6 motorway, as well as to Blakemores Cash & Carry which is popular with many of the retail customers that we’ll be targeting.”
Harmesh’s new business, Black Country Greetings Ltd, is now operating from the unit and as he continues, required relatively little refurbishment:
“This warehouse not only offered us a great location but it was let in a very clean and tidy condition. The parking, office and toilet facilities all met our needs perfectly and we’ve only needed to fit the racking and build a trade counter and customer entrance.”
Harmesh has installed a manager for the business who he has known personally for over 20 years and whilst it becomes established, he’s decided to rent the unit to keep initial outlay costs as low as possible given the investment in stock. Andrew Wynne who advised him, concludes:
“I’ve had the pleasure of advising Harmesh on his commercial property and business interests over many years and his relationship with the team here at FBC Manby Bowdler extends back many more.
“He has a strong sense of what makes a good business investment and approaches each new opportunity with a clear idea of what he wants to achieve which makes our working relationship both an enjoyable and straight forward one. I don’t doubt that Black Country Greetings will be another success for him and will no doubt be joined by further enterprises in the coming years.”