Bill Capper, the former chairman of Spar wholesaler Capper & Co and prominent figure in the Welsh business community, has died.
Bill began his career with Spar in 1964, when he joined the family business Capper & Co after university. At the age of 25, he took over as managing director in 1968 following the untimely death of his father John, who had originally founded the Glamorgan-based business.
Under Bill’s leadership, the company grew to service 500 Spar stores, covering areas from South Wales to Gloucester, Oxfordshire, Sussex, Kent, and south of the River Thames.
Bill served two terms as chairman of the National Guild of Spar and in 2006 he became the executive chairman of Capper & Co. After the acquisition of Capper & Co by AF Blakemore & Son in 2011, Bill joined the AF Blakemore board of directors, retiring in 2016 after 51 years with Spar.
In recognition of his contributions to business and the community in Wales, Bill was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2006.
Bill was universally admired by Spar members, both in the UK and internationally, as well as by those in the wider retail industry. Spar says he was a pioneer in the convenience sector, and that he was a respected businessman and prominent figure in the Welsh business community. As a committed Christian, he conducted himself with integrity and earned the trust of those around him, it adds.
Within Spar, Bill was known for his wisdom and his advocacy for the benefits of collaboration. He played a vital role in the success and survival of independent retailing through his leadership as chairman of Capper & Co, and during his time as chairman of the National Guild of Spar.
Bill’s father John was one of the founding directors of Spar in the UK. He established Capper & Co in 1901 as a grocery wholesaler, and became the Spar wholesaler for South Wales in 1959.
Bill is survived by his wife Heather, four daughters, and their families.
