17 Nov 2021
“We want to give a leg-up to vets who want to be masters of their own destinies, without the difficulty of starting from scratch or having to find a huge initial investment” – Sean Cleary, North Star Vets.
James Westgate
Job Title
A team of veterinary professionals with more than six decades of combined industry experience have unveiled plans to give the next generation of vets an opportunity to own their own practice.
Sean Cleary, Richard Thomas and chartered accountant Jane Platt were all partners in The Willows Veterinary Group before selling its 28 small animal, large animal and equine clinics to VetPartners in 2018.
Now the trio have opened their first practice under the North Star Vets banner and have plans to open 10 more practices during the next five years – two of which will open in spring 2022.
The model at North Star Vets means head vets at each practice will have the opportunity to own an equity stake in their practice without any capital investment.
The first practice to launch opened last month in Lymm, Cheshire, where the North Star Vets team has invested £500,000.
The practice is called Burford Lane Vets, and Pieter De Villiers is the equity owner who will be supported by a team of nine vets, nurses and receptionists.
Dr Cleary, from North Star Vets, said: “We have benefited from the shift in the industry that saw veterinary groups acquired by large corporate businesses. However, this has inadvertently made it difficult for the next generation of vets to follow the traditional route of buying into a practice as they progress from a junior role to partner, as corporate interest has pushed the values of practices to unaffordable levels for most vets.
“We want to bridge that gap and give a leg-up to vets who want to be masters of their own destinies, without the difficulty of starting from scratch or having to find a huge initial investment.”
Dr Cleary continued: “Our innovative model helps great vets set up in business as leaders of their own practice and our unique offering is already attracting interest from high-calibre individuals. We would encourage any colleagues out there who feel they would like to join us in our new venture to get in touch via our website.
“We take a real pride in being the solution to fix the broken practice ownership model and North Star Vets will empower ambitious vets to enjoy a better and more successful future, which in turn will translate into the standard of care our clients enjoy.”
