Fred Done takes E&Y Entrepreneur crown

BETFRED founder Fred Done has been crowned the top entrepreneur in the North by Ernst & Young.

The Salford-born, Warrington-based businessman has grown the family  business from a single shop in 1967  into one of the largest independent bookmaking business in the country with more than 8,000 employees and more than 1,350 shops and annual turnover of £4bn.

Last year he pulled off one of the biggest coups of his career – the £265m acquisition of The Tote – despite facing opposition from the horseracing establishment.

He was announced as winner at a black tie dinner at the Lowry Hotel last night, where judges praised him for being an “inspirational and outstanding entrepreneur”.

As welll as growing the core business, he has a number of other successful ventures in the North West including employment law consultancy Penninsula Business Services and Sports Tours International.

He told guests how he had launched the business with just £75 cash and had taken a mortgage worth £2,000 on his first shop in Pendleton.

Accepting the overall title, which he won along with the retail category, he paid warm tribute to his wife Mo, who he said was: “My first cashier and my first cleaner in the business.”

He added: “I love what I do every day, and although times are hard, there are always opportunities out there.”

In April Mr Done was voted TheBusinessDesk.com’s North West Ambassador of 2012 for his outstanding contribution to the region.

Simon Allport, North West senior partner at Ernst & Young said: “The judges were impressed by Fred’s entrepreneurial approach, enthusiasm and energy.

“He has made sacrifices and taken risks to build a business, which has gone from strength to strength and is now an instantly recognisable brand nationwide.”  

Five other North West entrepreneurs were winners in their sectors, and will now go to represent the region in the national finals in London in October.

Ian Kelly (Cleantech and Renewables award), chief executive at Bury-based Matrix, which trades as Green Sky Energy, was described as ‘one of the region’s most exciting entrepreneurs’ by the judges.

Matrix, backed by private equity firm LDC is one of the UK’s leading carbon and energy reduction management companies

Matthew Sanders, owner and CEO of Knutsford recruitment company de Poel took the ‘People Excellence’ title. de Poel has a staff retention rate of 95%

Iqbal Ahmed OBE, the chairman of east Manchester-based seafood processing company Seamark Group and owner of Vermillion Restaurant, won the  International award. Mr Ahmed, the judges said, “personified entrepreneurialism” in successfully growing the business.

The boss of Bury-based T-Cut to auto repairs group Tetrosyl, Peter Schofield drove away with the Manufacturing entrepreneur of the year award. He was described as an “all round business man who identifies and converts opportunities”.

Lawrence Jones, founder and chief executive of UKFast, a Manchester-based Internet hosting company, was named Technology winner. Mr Jones, who has built the City Tower-based company with his wife Gail, counts Sir Richard Branson as a friend and mentor.

Mr Jones, who dedicated the award to his wife, said: “It is fantastic to be recognised alongside these outstanding business people and this is a great acknowledgement of how far the company has come this year.”

Speaking at the event, Ernst & Young’s North West Entrepreneur Of The Year leader, Elaine O’Donnell, said: “Every year, we are impressed with the scale of entrepreneurship within this region – 2012 has been no exception.

“The programme gets bigger and better each year. The remarkable 55 entrepreneurs have combined revenues of £6billion. They will drive growth in the UK and lead our economic recovery.”