Tag: Entrepreneurs

Fulwood’s SMD Group Made its Start in Blackpool

Posted by

Currently based in Fullwood, Preston, SMD Textiles Ltd was originally registered in 1987 and has grown from its family-owned roots into a leader in the interior textiles market. They have made their mark as one of the UK’s leading premium interior fabric brands. Now referred to as SMD Group, it has launched the iLiv brand in 2013, which specialises in coordinating fabric to make it easier than ever for customers to create beautiful interiors. Various collections have been launched under the iLiv brand, including Fjord, Palladio, Piazza, Adara, Charlton, Elements, In Bloom, Shabby Chic, and themed children’s ranges. In addition to… Read more »

Steve Williams Sets up Force Technology

Posted by

Force Technology was founded in 2015 to drive development and innovation in the precision, high-duty spring markets. The company chose to establish its operations within the Enterprise Zone, which met several key requirements, with many of the team members hailing from the local area. The location offers access to a strong, potential workforce, supported by Blackpool and the surrounding region’s thriving engineering and advanced manufacturing sectors. Alongside advanced processing facilities, Force Technology boasts a metallurgical laboratory and a component testing facility, including an engine dyno, further solidifying its commitment to innovation within the industry. The business management systems are fully… Read more »

Derek Woodman Rides in His First TT Race

Posted by

Derek Woodman, born in Blackpool on April 26, 1959, is a former world-class motorcycle racer and the longtime owner of one of the UK’s top BMW dealerships. Raised in a working-class family, he wasn’t expected to go far academically, but his love for motorcycles and mechanical work led him to become a skilled toolmaker. Despite his mother’s objections—due to a past family tragedy involving motorcycles—Derek’s passion for racing grew, and at 14, he visited the Isle of Man to watch the famous TT races, which left a lasting impression. After leaving school at 15, he worked at a motorcycle shop… Read more »

Leonard Dews, One of the Oldest North West Jewellers

Posted by

Leonard Dews has been a cherished part of Blackpool town centre since it first opened its doors in 1877, making it a long-standing fixture of the town’s rich heritage. Established during the reign of Queen Victoria and when Benjamin Disraeli was Prime Minister, the store predates even the iconic Blackpool Tower, which was constructed 10 years later in 1894. For 146 years, Leonard Dews has been renowned for its jewellery and watchmaking expertise, earning a reputation as one of Blackpool’s most respected establishments. The Blackpool store was purchased by the Hyman family in 1959, who had previously operated another jewellery… Read more »

Anthony Cocker Becomes CEO of E.ON UK

Posted by

Anthony David Cocker, born on 26 April 1959 in the Borough of Fylde, is a prominent figure in the energy sector. He served as the chief executive of E.ON UK, one of the UK’s “Big Six” energy providers, and is also the chairman of Infinis Energy Management Limited. Cocker attended Kirkham Grammar School and has a younger brother. He married Madeleine Parker in September 1991 in Oxford, and the couple has two children: a son, born in November 2000, and a daughter, born in August 1998. They currently reside in Warwickshire. Cocker studied mathematics at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he… Read more »

The Rapid Growth of Ties R Us

Posted by

Ties R Us offers a huge collection of designs, patterns and materials for ties, bow-ties and accessories. For over a decade they have been delivering quality men’s apparel, turning their hand to ties and accessories in the process. In 2012 they were established at Clifford House on Clifton Road in Blackpool, where they still are, and have quickly become one of the most popular, trusted sources for ties in the UK. They offer exceptional quality and numerous styles of ties, bow ties and accessories in a range of durable and comfortable materials such as silk, satin and polyester. They also cater for an… Read more »

First Leisure’s Reign in Blackpool

Posted by

First Leisure Corporation Plc was a leisure operator in the UK between 1981 and 2004. Originally based in Soho Square, London, and with other offices in Blackpool and Leicester, its operations included Blackpool Tower, the town’s Winter Gardens and all three Blackpool piers, as well as five other piers, health and fitness clubs, nightclubs and bars, tenpin bowling centres and other mainstream UK high street entertainment venues. Behind the company was Lord Bernard Delfont. By the 1960s, he and his brothers – Lew and Leslie Grade, as well as his nephew Michael Grade – were all very successful and were said to have a… Read more »

Helical Technology Springs up in Lytham

Posted by

Helical Technology is an independent engineering company, founded in 1962 in Lytham, that has grown into a global leader in the design and manufacture of actuators, valve rotators, and exhaust system components. Originally established as Helical Springs, the company has expanded its reach over the decades, now operating with a European headquarters in the UK, subsidiaries in China and India, and a joint venture in China. Helical Technology specialises in actuators for turbochargers, valve rotators for large diesel and gas engines, actuated valves for automotive exhaust systems, and springs for actuators and valve rotators. As industry demands have evolved, so… Read more »

Michael Smith Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Posted by

Michael Smith (26 April 1932 – 4 October 2000) was a Blackpool-born Canadian biochemist who shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Kary Mullis for developing site-directed mutagenesis, a technique enabling precise alterations in DNA sequences. This innovation revolutionised molecular biology, leading to advancements in genetic research, medicine, and biotechnology. Smith excelled academically, earning scholarships to Arnold School for Boys and the University of Manchester, where he completed a BSc and PhD in chemistry (1956). Moving to Canada in 1956, he conducted postdoctoral research with Har Gobind Khorana on nucleotide synthesis. After a brief stint in Wisconsin, Smith returned… Read more »

Laila Remtulla Spots Gap in Market for Indian Ready Meals

Posted by

Laila Remtulla, the founder of the Red Rose Award-winning business Laila’s Fine Foods, has been recognised with an MBE for her contributions to the food and drink industry, according to Lancashire Business View. Originally from Tanzania, Laila moved to England in 1976 and established her company a decade later in 1986. What began as a modest home-based venture, with Laila persuading her local delicatessen to stock her handmade samosas and onion bhajis, soon evolved into a thriving enterprise. Initially operating from her kitchen, the business quickly outgrew its first premises near Boundary Road in Lytham, prompting a move to a… Read more »