A Staffordshire businesswoman who has seen the business group she co-founded break through the £1 million turnover mark for the first time is up for an entrepreneurial award.
Under the leadership of architect and company director Natalie Hewitt, the Hewitt&Carr Group’s turnover increased by 60 per cent in 2023.
The Cheadle-based group incorporates three businesses: Hewitt&Carr Architects, construction consultancy Hewitt&Carr and Hewitt&Carr Developments which focusses on the running of their premises, DaisyBank, which is home to a number of other Moorlands companies.
Under Natalie’s leadership the architectural side of the business has increased by 53 per cent, services by 93 per cent and developments by 44 per cent.
And as previously reported in Daily Focus, staff numbers have grown from 12 in 2021 to 23 in 2024 with two new staff about to start and plans to recruit further this year.
She is now up for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Staffordshire University Business Awards.
Natalie’s business journey began in 2011 when she took redundancy and formed Hewitt&Carr Architects with her friend and business partner Mark Carr. At just 28 years old and after eight years of study, Natalie was thrust into the business world.
Since then HCA has grown exponentially. In 2014 HCA reached full capacity in its Cheadle-based studio. After just three years of trading the team had grown to six members of staff. Having searched locally for alternative office accommodation Natalie found there weren’t suitable options.
Spotting an opportunity she formed Hewitt&Carr Developments and within six months she and Mark had purchased and renovated a Grade II listed former building society on Cheadle High Street, transforming it into a suitable HQ for HCA.
After moving to the office premises and making the most of its newfound space, HCA increased its turnover by 44 per cent and expanded its team from six to 11 full-time members of staff.
In 2018 Natalie and the team renovated a Grade II listed former care home which had stood empty for the previous three years and transformed it into DaisyBank Business Centre.
