An excellent day on Monday with the team at Glendair Limited – a dental practice in Derbyshire.
I am pictured here with Matt, Lindsay and Bev – the senior management team, although the founder and majority shareholder, Roger Jenkinson, is our photographer and wlll thus remain anon.
Glendair are innovative in a number of respects:

1. They attended The Dental Business School core programme 2 years ago (for 2 years) and I enjoyed the company of a bright and forward-looking team at our Leeds workshops;
2. They began a decision to convert into private practice 18 months ago and, with the help of all team members, made this is success in a traditionally “working class” and NHS area;
3. They successfully refurbished one of two practice locations – and are currently busy relocating their primary practice to a new location in the centre of Alfreton (due to open in early May);
4. They are a rare example of making two practice locations function properly – albeit just a mile or so apart – but Chris Barrow advocates will know that I am dead against multiple-site practices, on the basis that you cannot lead and manage without being physically present;
5. Part of the reason this has been successfully achieved at Glendair is the biggest innovation of all – that Roger has incorporated the practice (the limited company came to life in the last few days) and has sold shares to his associate, Matt and to his practice manager, Bev (I have permission to tell you this).

Although there has been much talk in the market about incorporation – and much of it prompted by perceived tax planning advantages – this is the first example I have seen of a principal utilising a limited company structure to facilitate succession planning (and in such a way).
Roger Jenkinson may be a rather quiet and self-effacing man in public – but he is a smart cookie.
Not without it’s problems, of course, not the least of which is keeping the team focused during a period of great upheaval – conversion, refurbishment, move, incorporation – and keeping the appointment book full.
Part of my work there is to help with the team – who are rather shell-shocked. Leadership is a big issue here and I’m working with Roger to encourage his continued role as “everybody’s professional Dad” and with Matt and Bev on a steep learning curve.
It’s been a helter-skelter few years for Glendair – but they will come through – and here in the East Pennines there is innovation at work.