Tag: Entrepreneurs

Helical Technology Springs up in Lytham

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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

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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

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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 »

Norman & Joe Gledhill Start Making Domestic Cylinders

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Two brothers, Norman and Joe Gledhill, founded a business manufacturing domestic copper cylinders in 1926, starting in small premises in Blackpool. Norman, who was married to Louise Ainsworth, had three children: Keith, Houghton, and Norma. As their cylinder business expanded, they moved to larger premises, but with the outbreak of World War II, copper supplies were severely restricted, halting production. After the war, Norman and Louise established Norman Gledhill & Co Ltd, focusing on manufacturing cylinders for plumbers’ merchants. During this time, their sons became involved in the business, with Keith delivering cylinders on a hand cart and Houghton working… Read more »

Ray Ingleby Launches the Ingleby Group

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Raymond “Ray” Ingleby, born in February 1963 in Lytham St Annes, is a British entrepreneur who served as vice-chairman of Burnley Football Club until 27 August 2013. His family owned a soft furnishings business, and despite being dismissed from his first job in a magazine-printing firm, Ingleby became a millionaire by the age of 21. He founded Ingleby Communications, which in 1992 acquired the American company Caribiner. Under Ingleby’s leadership, Caribiner grew to become the largest audio-visual rental business in the world, with a turnover of $750 million. In February 1999, Ingleby purchased £1 million worth of shares in Burnley… Read more »

Ian Levine Co-produces Take That’s Brit Award Winner

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Ian Geoffrey Levine was born 22 June 1953 in Blackpool and went to Arnold School. He is a songwriter, producer, and DJ. A moderniser of Northern soul music in the UK, and a developer of the style of hi-NRG, he has written and produced records with sales totalling over 40 million. He is openly gay and known as a fan of the long-running television show Doctor Who. His parents owned and ran the “Lemon Tree” complex in Blackpool, including its casino and nightclub. He suffered a major stroke in July 2014, leaving him with severely limited movement on the left side of… Read more »

Sir John Sunderland Becomes Cadbury Schweppes Chief Exec

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Sir John Michael Sunderland, CBE FRSA, was born on 24 August 1945 and raised in Lytham St Annes. His early years were shaped by his family—father Harry Sunderland, mother Joyce Farnish, and sister Ann Marie. He attended King Edward VII School in Lytham St Annes before furthering his education at the University of St Andrews, where he earned a Master of Arts degree. A respected figure in British business, Sunderland made a name for himself in the corporate world, eventually serving as President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) from 2004 to 2006. His tenure at the CBI focused… Read more »

David Brown Buys Aston Martin

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Sir David Brown was born in Park Cottage in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, to Caroline and Frank Brown in 1904. Park Cottage was demolished in the Second World War to make way for a new factory, on their 17-acre Park Works site. Brown attended King James’s School in Almondbury and Rossall School in Cleveleys. While at Rossall, he was known to have loved the glamour and excitement of cars and motor sports, yet he was also a shrewd business man. He even bought shares out of his pocket money in his school days at Rossall. David Brown’s connection to Blackpool is significant because it… Read more »

The Rise of TISS and its Rebranding to TankSafe

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In 2001, Brian and Ryan Wholey, former hauliers, founded TISS Security Systems in Blackpool with the vision of providing innovative security solutions for the transport and haulage industry. Specialising in fuel security products, TISS quickly made a name for itself by developing cutting-edge technology to address rising concerns over theft and illegal immigration within the sector. In 2002, TISS was located on Lytham Road in South Shore, Blackpool. In that same year the company was recognised for it’s rapid growth and entrepreneural success and honoured as the Fylde’s Entrepreneur of the Year at the Guardian Angel Entrepreneurs Network awards, held… Read more »

Outpost – Steve Barker’s Debut Feature Film

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Steve Barker, born on 4 April 1971 in Blackpool, is an English film director and screenwriter renowned for his contributions to the horror and thriller genres. Barker’s storytelling often blends genre elements, creating narratives marked by tension and stylistic innovation. His work reflects a strong commitment to genre filmmaking, solidifying his reputation within British cinema, particularly in the horror landscape. Barker’s early career highlights include Magic Hour (2002), a short film starring John Simm. He made his feature film directorial debut with Outpost (2008), a supernatural thriller set against a World War II backdrop, featuring Ray Stevenson and Richard Brake…. Read more »