Prees, Shropshire, UK: Ray Grocott, founder of Whitchurch-based temperature-controlled operator Grocontinental, has died at the age of 89.
Grocott built his business into one of Europe’s most successful independent logistics companies. Grocontinental was bought by the Agro Merchants Group in 2017 and Americold acquired Agro Merchants in 2020.
Grocott was philanthropic, donating £1m to save a GP practice in Prees, Shropshire and funding the building of bungalows for older people in the same village, where he grew up.
“He touched the lives of so many people worldwide,” his daughter Linda said.
Grocott was drafted in to help run the family’s cattle haulage business, after his father died. In the late 50s, Grocott and his mother expanded the cattle haulage business to include other agricultural work and by the early 60s, their partnership of N Grocott & Son Ltd was well known across Shropshire and Cheshire.
When his mother died in 1969, Ray took control and eventually joined Cheshire-based North Western Farmers by selling 60% of his shares to the company. He worked hard to establish the transport arm of NWF but, in 1981, severed his connections to pursue his solo dreams.
Ray then acquired a large site in Higher Heath, Whitchurch, where he established his new business and named it Grocontinental.
A service to celebrate Grocott’s life was held at the Grocott Heritage Centre, in Prees, on Saturday 14 October.
