21 NW bosses vie for Entrepreneur awards
THE leaders of some of the North West’s most dynamic companies are in the running for a coveted Entrepreneur of the Year award.
A total of 20 men and one woman have been shortlisted as regional finalists by accountants and business advisers Ernst & Young.
The North West represents nearly half of the 43 shortlisted executives from the Midlands and North. The winners will be announced at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester on July 17.
The regional shortlist includes Karen Haslem, chief executive of Bolton-based Verna Group, which makes disposable products for the NHS, Simon Showman, the boss of Oldham-based Ultimate Products, a major supplier to the retail sector.
Others on the shorlit are: Ian Langley, executive chairman of priavte equity owned Manchester company Air Energi Group; Scott Fletcher, chairman, of PLUS-listed ANS Group.
Another young entrepreneur is Oliver Cookson of Cend Ltd, which trades as Myprotein.co.uk.
The digital world is represented by Richard Tang of Rochdale-based Internet Service Provider Zen.
Michael Edelman of Manchester’s Nanoco Group and Michael Fishwick of Preston-based TEG represent the region’s listed companies.
The other shortlisted executives are:
Peter Cousins MBE, chairman of Brighter Future Workshop based in Skelmersdale;
Lindsay Hill, managing director, of Wilmslow-based Citation;
Simon Scott, managing director, Countrywide Consortium, based in Cheadle Hulme;
John Roberts, chief executive, DRL Limited, based in Bolton;
Elfed Thomas, chief executive of i3 Group, based in Newton le Willows;
Stephen Waterhouse, chief executive, Lattimer Holdings, based in Southport;
Julian Niman, chairman of Salford telecoms group Nimans;
Michael Oliver, chairman, Oliver Valves, based in Knutsford;
Martin Jones, managing director, PH Jones Limited, Malpas;
Jamie Plevin, managing director, R Plevin & Sons based in Ashton under Lyne;
Michael Fort, chief executive, Synexus Clinical Research of Chorley;
John Watson, managing director, of The Surface Print Company Limited, based in Accrington;
David Cassidy, chief executive officer, of Liverpool-based Wealth at Work.
Simon Allport, North West senior partner at Ernst&Young, said: “Entrepreneur Of The Year recognises and rewards the people behind many of the world’s most innovative businesses.
“Such trailblazers will drive the recovery and provide confidence throughout the world’s markets. Governments around the world, not just in Britain, need to promote an open economy to stimulate innovation.”
Today’s entrepreneurs depend on global capital, production, talent, and customers. If we put up borders, we go backwards.”
The 2010 North & Midlands judging panel includes: Vanda Murray OBE, deputy chair of the North West Regional Development Agency; the founder of retailer Pets at Home Anthony Preston, Catherine Richards, investment director of Manchester buyout firm Inflexion and Mohsin Issa, director of Blackburn company Euro Garages.
