Region shines in enterprise power league
THE North West is the second most successful region for enterprise and entrepreneurship it emerged today.
The region has 14 businessmen on Management Today’s league table of the UK’s top 100 entrepreneurs.
Highest ranked is 36-year-old Lancashire garages boss Zuber Issa, who was placed joint third and ahead of leading business lights such as Dragons Den’s Duncan Bannatyne and Sir James Dyson.
Mr Issa, who runs Darwen-based Euro Garages, started buying run-down garages in 2001 and now owns and operates 70 filling stations and forecourt shops across the region
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Earlier this year plans to sell the £160m turnover business for more than £100m were shelved because of the credit crunch.
Mr Issa plans to double the size of his estate over the next five years. The stores bring in 35% of the revenue, and are being converted to Spar franchises to boost buying power and create a stronger retail offering. Subway sandwich franchises also operate out of some sites.
The petrol sales, which account for the rest, are branded BP, Shell, Total or Texaco. A strict Muslim, none of Mr Issa’s stores sells alcohol.In 2006-07, Euro Garages made a £3.6m profit on sales of £159.3m.
Bookmakers Fred and Peter Done are ranked 12th in the list, billionaire Philip Sheppard of Warrington-based European Metal Recycling Group is at 16th,Tom Morris of Liverpool-based Home Bargains is at 19th, Sir Michael Bibby of The Bibbyline Group is 30th, Neil McRoberts of Stockport company Moorcrofts is at 35th.
John Timpson, who last week added 187 shops to his Manchester-based locksmiths empire is at 53rd place, while Hale-based retailers Simon and Bobby Arora, who own discount chain B&M are at 68th position.
Other leading North West business leaders mentioned in the survey are: Bolton-based Anwar and Yakub Patel of Gorgemead a pharmacy business (43rd); Michael Freeman of Lancashire-based Can Holdings (65th) and Sam Rayner of retailer Lakeland at 84th.
The North West is second only to the South East, which boasts 30 of the top 100 entrepreneurs.
