Tag: Entrepreneurs

Catterall & Swarbrick’s Brewery on Talbot Road Closes

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Catterall & Swarbrick Brewery was established in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1871 and officially registered in July 1894. The brewery in Blackpool was constructed in 1927. It was acquired by Northern Breweries of Great Britain Ltd in 1961, along with 104 public houses. Over its years of operation, it provided beverages to off-licenses, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and more, throughout the Fylde coast and beyond. However, the Blackpool site was closed in 1971 and later redeveloped for housing. In addition to the Poulton site, the brewery also acquired the Newton Springs Brewery. In November 1927, a new brewery was opened at the corner… Read more »

Blackpool-Born Simon Sadler Buys His Local Football Club

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Simon Sadler, born on 18 October 1969 in Blackpool, is a British entrepreneur and the founder of Segantii Capital Management. He became the owner of Blackpool Football Club in 2019, purchasing a 96.2% stake and ending the Oyston family’s 32-year control. In his second full season at the helm, Sadler oversaw the club’s promotion to the Championship, marking their return to the second tier of English football after a six-year absence. Sadler grew up on Bispham Road in Blackpool and had a summer job renting deckchairs. He attended Moor Park Primary School, Warbreck School, and Blackpool and the Fylde College before… Read more »

Knee Surgeon Shameem Sampath Turns Business Idea Into Reality

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Shameem Sampath, a specialist at The Bluespot Knee Clinic, 32 Orchard Rd, Lytham, is preparing to bring his innovative physiotherapy device to market with the support of the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). He credits the university’s hands-on business mentoring with providing essential guidance, describing himself as a “ship lost at sea” without it. For the past two years, Sampath has collaborated with UCLan’s business support team to develop Slider, a smart-technology product designed to assist patients undergoing knee and hip surgery in both pre-operative preparation and post-operative recovery. Drawing on his extensive experience in the field, he has created… Read more »

King Edward School’s Michael Platt Joins JP Morgan

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Michael Platt was born in Preston, Lancashire on 18 March 1968. He is a British billionaire hedge fund manager. He is the co-founder and managing director of BlueCrest Capital Management, Europe’s third-largest hedge-fund firm which he co-founded in 2000. He is Britain’s wealthiest hedge fund manager according to Forbes, with an estimated wealth of US$18 billion as of December 2024. Platt’s father taught civil engineering at the University of Manchester. Platt went to King Edward’s School in Lytham (now AKS). Platt studied civil engineering at Imperial College London, but after a year, switched to mathematics and economics at the London… Read more »

Ed Christiano Ditches Hollywood for Blackpool

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Ed Christiano left Hollywood for Blackpool in 1988. He was born in Rochester, New York and moved with his family to Florida when he was 11. His mother worked in events and his father was a renowned electronic engineer who designed audio systems for US Navy warships and submarines. Ed got a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with honours, concentrating in Cinematography, from the University of South Florida. One of his first jobs in Hollywood was as a sound recordist on a film called Violet (1981), which won an Academy Award for Best Short Film. He worked on several feature… Read more »

Sugarvine Launches its Online Services to the Hospitality Trade

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Sugarvine Limited is a company specialising in services for the hospitality industry. Established in 2002 and headquartered in Blackpool, the company operates several platforms designed to support restaurants, pubs, bars, and cafes. One of its main platforms is Sugarvine.com, a comprehensive dining guide that helps users discover and book restaurants across the UK. The platform provides dining offers, event listings, and inspiration for eating out, making it a go-to resource for food lovers and hospitality businesses alike. To support restaurant operations, Sugarvine offers Sugarvinetables.com, an online table booking and management system that allows real-time reservations, table tracking, and an integrated… Read more »

Retailing Giant Richard Lefton Dies at Age 54

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Richard Lefton, one of the most well-known figures in Blackpool’s retail sector, passed away in January 2020 at the age of 54. He died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital after being admitted with sepsis, a sudden loss that came as a devastating shock to his family. Richard was born in St Annes in December 1965 and went to Devonshire Road School and Warbreck High School. He went to both schools with Ian Rainford, now a very successful property developer, and remained friends with him until Richard passed. Ian developed the Lefton’s warehouse building on Walker Street in Blackpool as well as the… Read more »

Granthams: 135 Years of Signage and Printing

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Originally established as a sign-making business in 1890 by William Grantham in Blackpool, the company emerged in response to the increasing demand for sign-writing services in the rapidly expanding town. By the early 20th century, Blackpool was experiencing exceptional growth. Recognising the need for professional signage, William Grantham’s business had, by the turn of the century, become the leading sign-writing company in the area. The firm retained its position as the premier sign company in the region until the mid-1930s. However, between then and the outbreak of the Second World War, the business gradually reduced in size, eventually being run… Read more »

John Roberts Asssociates Moves to Blackpool

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John Roberts Associates was founded in 1984 in Thornton-Cleveleys before relocating to Amy Johnson Way in Blackpool in 2003. Over the years, it has grown into a highly regarded company, specialising in custom-branded products, from clothing to promotional merchandise. Its success has been driven by a commitment to innovation, diversification, and excellence in customer service. More than just a business, John Roberts Associates is a second-generation family enterprise, where strong familial values shape their customer approach. They have built long-standing relationships with individuals, businesses, and organisations who trust their expertise year after year. Their dedicated customer service team ensures that… Read more »

Cartmell PR Puts King Kong on Blackpool Tower

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Brian Cartmell was a prominent public relations (PR) professional based in Blackpool, England. He began his career as a journalist in Lancashire before moving to Canada and later returning to the UK in the early 1960s to join the Daily Mirror. After narrowly missing an opportunity to become a BBC-TV sport anchorman, he transitioned into PR, working in Manchester for 12 years before establishing his own agency in Blackpool. Operating from a modest terraced house in Caunce Street, Cartmell’s PR firm achieved significant success, boasting an annual turnover of £1 million. Aside from putting King Kong on Blackpool Tower in… Read more »