One Oldham Business Awards:

NOMINEES:

Business of the Year (under £1m, £1-£5m, over £5m)


Business of the Year (under £1 million turnover)

sponsored by Web Applications


Rivermead Global Property

Cobden Street, Chadderton. Acting as a middleman between overseas property buyers and developers and builders, Rivermead was established by Neil Hollingsworth when he left the RAF in 2006 and has also developed into a supplier of furniture packs for ex-pats wanting high-quality British furniture.


Skidmores Cycles
Union Street, Oldham.

The business has been trading for more than 100 years and was acquired by the present ownership in 2005.

Skidmores sells cycles of all descriptions including BMX, mountain, road and racing for all age groups and abilities and also offers a specialist repairs and maintenance service..


OTC (Oldham Engineering Group Training Association Ltd.)

Lees Road, Oldham. The organisation was formed in 1966 under the auspices of the Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) to train and develop engineering apprentices in the first-year skills, away from a production environment and servicing companies in the Oldham area.


PS Event Management

Italia House, Pass Street, Werneth. Set up in 1999 to provide accredited security training services, the business has evolved to offer the new provisions of the industry including close protection duties, taxi marshalling, door supervision and event management in its widest sense, all within the requirements of current legislation.


Landmark Financial Planning

Sam Road, Diggle. A financial services provider which has progressed, since inception in 2001 by business partners Eric Mowinski and Shelagh Taylor, into specialist investment and retirement planning consultancy to meet the changing needs of the financial landscape.

Holly Tree Maintenance

Holly House, Glodwick Road, Oldham. Initially set up in September, 2001, as a reactive maintenance and repairs service for the commercial/social housing sector specialising in emergency out of hours and reactive repairs, the company has evolved to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for all their urgent and planned repairs, leading to a considerable expansion of the local workforce.

Fatboy Trims

Market Place, Shaw. Founded in August, 2008, by Emrys Haddin, this gent’s barbers has grown from a one-man operation to a unisex salon, with Emrys’s partner Louise incorporated, having closed her own salon and transferred some of her female clients to the Shaw base. Emrys’ son Connor has been employed as a trainee.


Mick Swift Building

Springhead, Oldham. Nominated by a customer, this building contractor has been nominated by Oldham Council borough planning and building control for national awards in relation to two schemes it has completed for the local authority.


Limetree Public Relations

Shaw, Oldham. Proprietor Bridget Batty set up the public relations consultancy in October, 2006, determined to work for her self following redundancy. Clients include Business Link Northwest and Manchester Airport and the work has been challenging and varied.


Synergy Building Services

Rose and Crown Business Centre, King Street, Delph. Formed in 2000, the company was initially set up by Matthew Pomfrey to use technology, and many existing platforms, to connect all the plant within a building to a central device, making these work more effectively together as opposed to them all working individually.


Wall Electrical Ltd.

Meridian Business Centre, King Street, Oldham. This electrical engineering and contracting business can trace its roots to 1903, servicing public and civic buildings and Oldham’s huge textile industry.

The current owners are Grimwood and Dix, who support former director Stuart Roebuck in his day-to-day management of the company which has ten employees.


Talking Point Ltd.

Huddersfield Road, Scouthead. In January, 2007, the directors of Focus Education realised their premises in Uppermill were too small. In competition with 22 interested parties, some of whom were interested in creating restaurants, bars and apartments, their application to restore St Paul’s Church was seen in a positive light, employing local people and creating a superb conference and exhibition centre to cater for Focus and other clients.


Frillys

Lord Street, Oldham. Since 1987 Frillys has provided a specialist lingerie and corsetry fitting shop, the three founding partners growing the business on a consistent basis through a loyal customer base, growing internet sales and a new idea — lingerie parties in the town-centre store.


Amaan’s Exclusive Footwear

George Street, Oldham. Zaib Hussain opened his business in September, 2006, to service the growing market for fashion accessories, imitation bridal jewellery and bridal shoes, primarily but not exclusively for the Asian market.


United Business Centres

Howarth Court, Gateway Crescent, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton. UBC Oldham is part of a larger company that embraces 19 managed workspace centres. Local manager Zoe Lee-Smith, from Oldham, opened an empty business centre at the end of August, 2008, which is now a hive of activity, a working home to 100 people and 17 companies.


St Matthew’s Playgroup

Chadderton Hall Road, Chadderton. Established in 1992, this is a charity group, being run by a Parent Committee, which began as small seasonal with 20 children and has progressed to full daycare, running at full capacity with up to 40 children at any one time.


Demolition

Yorkshire Street, Oldham. Sisters Victoria Sykes and Nichola Whitehead opened their fashion house in October. 1995, offering the discerning Oldham public branded young, designer fashion labels from a three-floor store. They believe their location is part of their success, being easily accessible without being in a precinct or shopping centre environment.


Fresca Italian Restaurant

Gatehead Business Park, Delph New Rd, Delph. Managing director Charlotte Wharton and business partners identified a gap in the restaurant market and with construction, restaurant and marketing experience within the team set about developing a modern, 130-seat Italian restaurant concept that could be rolled out nationally.


Face and Body Shop

283 Oldham Road. Grotton. Owner Valerie Simpson opened in March, 1997, with the philosophy ‘to make every client feel special — because they are!’. Always willing to go the extra mile to make the whole salon experience unique and exceptional for every client visit, Valerie’s aim is to sustain an increase in sales year on year.


AMP Wire Ltd.

Sun Iron Works, Ward Street, Chadderton. AMP Wire is a manufacturing business founded by managing director Pam Pelham in May, 1992, to produce bespoke products for air handling companies. When these companies needed to revert back to traditional guards, managing director Pam Pelham spotted this niche and founded her business.


Celebration Discos

52 Queen Street, Shaw. Owner Peter Lockwood believes he is one of the few discos in Oldham trying to buck the trend of lowering prices. He has ‘stuck to his guns and kept the pricing structure intact’ but also offers extra services like wedding mood lighting and online wedding planning.


Business of the Year (£1m - £5m annual turnover)

sponsored by Home Delivery Network


Adamsons Vehicle Care Centre

Cross Street, Oldham. Founded in November, 1954, Adamsons is a family-run business specialising in the repair and servicing of cars and light commercial vehicles. George Gore founded the business as Adamsons Coachbuilders Ltd and built up the vehicle accident repair side.

As the company expanded, son Brian, who relocated to Cross Street site, re-named the business Adamsons Crash Repair Centre in 1987. A second repair facility, Red Lion Motors, was opened on Moorhey Street, Oldham in 2006, as a dedicated fleet repair centre, offering a a fast-track solution for cars and vans.


Alphin Pans

Unit 101, Waterside Mills, Greenfield. Matthew Sykes set up the business in September, 1999, to supply pizza pans and catering equipment to the fast-food trade. The business grew and Alphin started to source products from India and China. About 14 months ago the major decision was taken to look at manufacturing products rather than importing - and Aphin has found that in-house manufacture is more cost effective than importing.


Friends Travel International Ltd.

Ashton Road, Oldham. An approved provider of Hajj and Umrah packages, registered with the Ministry of Hajj in Suadi Arabia, the business is also an appointed agent for Pakistan International Airways and Saudi Airline and is able to offer a wide range of travel options for clients wishing to travel anywhere in the world.

A third element of the business is money transfer worldwide, with particular emphasis to the Indian subcontinent.


Team Spirit Event Management Ltd.

Boarshurst Lane, Greenfield. The business was started in 1993 with support from Oldham Enterprise and The Prince’s Trust and has grown into an operation with a turnover of circa £1.5million, operating throughout the UK and worldwide.

The ethos of managing director Ian Taylor is ‘Nothing Is Too Much Trouble’ and the comapny is now famous within the hospitality sector for having the most passionate staff in the industry.


Coliseum Theatre

Fairbottom Street, Oldham. Oldham’s premier proferssional theatre has been known in its present format since February, 1979, although the ‘accidental’ beginnings of the Oldham Coliseum Theatre can be traced to1885 when a Mr Myers contracted local carpenter Thomas Whittaker to build a Grand American Theatre in the heart of Oldham.

Mr Myers was unable to complete the theatre and, following a court case, Thomas Whittaker found himself adding theatre owner to his list of titles and today it is a thriving, accessible producing theatre, creating and presenting plays and providing a far- reaching education and community programme.


Electrotec International Ltd.
Wickentree Lane, Hollinwood. Established in 2006 to sell refurbished consumer elctronic goods from a website, the business has grown to offer a showroom outlet, employing 12 staff and increasing turnover to a projected £4 million by the end of the finacial year 2010.

Internet sales continue to drive growth and managing director Jeremy Day has stated he will continue to invest in the online business.


FT Gordon Building Services Ltd.

Salmon Fields Business Village, Royton. John Hall set up the electrical contracting company in September, 1992, focusing on commercial and industrial design and installation work. In 2000, the company strategy changed from working in the commercial and industrial sectors to take in domestic.

Social housing estates in particular were being regenerated and the directors decided to concentrate marketing strategy on this sector.


Keytime

Pennine House, Denton Lane, Chadderton. In the last four years, this local company has come from almost nowhere to win 10 per cent market share in hotly contested UK accountancy software developer market which has long been dominated by corporate giants such as Sage and Iris.

The privately-owned company is now the fastest growing and the leading independent in the sector where competition is so intense that the leading players have recently been forced into acquisition mode to satisfy shareholder demand for growth.


Positive IT Solutions

Unit 4B Falcon Buissness Centre, Victoria Street, Chadderton. Director Paul Milner started his business in March, 2005, to provide business efficiency through the implementation of hardware infrastructure engineering and software application. A comprehensive range of managed services, consultancy and support has seen the company grow to become a complete IT solutions company benefiting private, public and third-sector organisations.


Trust Distribution Ltd.

Unit B-10, Falcon Business Centre, Victoria Street, Chadderton. A distributor of telecommunications equipment based in Chadderton, Trust are just about to complete a fourth year as a limited company having grown to become a £4 million plus turnover company with a projected target for 2010/11 of £6 million.

In the same period Trust has grown from four employees to 20 and is expecting further staff increases in the coming year.


Focus Education UK Ltd.

Talking Point Conference and Exhibition Centre, Huddersfield Road, Scouthead. Opened in September, 1993, the business relocated from Uppermill to the former Scouthead Church in January, 2008.

Set up in 1993 by Clive and Linda Davies following a request from University of Lancaster to establish an inspection unit, this entreprise was so successful they decided to do it themselves and set up Focus Inspection Services from their home and today run 200 conferences nationwide, 100 conferences in-house, publishes and sells more than 50 educational titles (with sales in excess of 100,000 copies) and deals with more than 5,000 schools per year.

Clough Manor

Rochdale Road, Denshaw. The hotel and restaurant was founded in its present guise in May, 2007. Previously known as La Pergola, the premises were extensively renovated, a huge undertaking overseen by Alan and Chantelle Tupman, who believe there is a place for a warm, friendly hotel in the area, providing first-class food at a reasonable price. Clough Manor is owned and run by the Tupman family along with a motivated, enthusiastic team.


Bluebird Bus and Coach Company

Alexander House, Greengate, Middleton. Operating as a bus and coach company since 1988, when the business was established by the Dunstan family, Blue Bird began with three vehicles and now has a fleet of 53.

The company has a regular intake of apprentices and is committed to innovation — Smart Card ticket technology will be introduced within 12 months — and driving up quality and standards.


Marshall Errock Construction Ltd.

MEC House, 85 High Street, Lees. For 25 years this construction company, established in May, 1985, has been working with some of the giants of the sector. One of only 20 masonry brick and blockwork contractors throughout the UK to have achieved COIN status at Laing O’Rourke last year, Paul Errock’s business has worked on a number of prestige contracts including the Marie Curie Hospital for Sir Robert Mc Alpine, Glenochil Prison for Skanska. and West Denton RE development for Clugston.


Interface Contracts Ltd.

Pennine House, Denton Lane, Chadderton. Founded in January, 1996, Interface Contracts is a leading electrical and mechanical contractor which has bucked the recessionary trend to enjoy a record year in 2009 and is on target to surpass these figures in 2010.

With a formidable track record in the water treatment and wastewater treatment sectors, the company enjoys preferred supplier status to a number of the UK’s leading contractors including Costain, KMI and Morgan Est.


Business of the Year

(more than £5 million annual turnover)

sponsored by NatWest


E Jordon Refrigeration Ltd.

Refrigeration House, Quebec Street, Westwood. A true Oldham business, having traded in the borough for the past 45 years, The Jordon Group, currently trading as E Jordon Refrigeration, believes it deserves recognition for all it has achieved. In the past year it has rapidly expanded its dedicated team to more than 50 employees, increased turnover and joined the high-growth programme. The shop-fitting division has also enjoyed rapid growth.


Emanuel Whittaker Ltd.

400 Rochdale Road, Royton. Emanuel Whittaker have been operating from a landmark base in Oldham for more than 170 years, manufacturing bespoke joinery for public and private sector clients across the North-West.

The firm also provides construction, regeneration and refurbishment projects to a variety of local authorities and social landlords and has 14 site offices throughout Greater Manchester and Lancashire.


The GGR Group

Presentation House, Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton. Comprising GGR Glass, UNIC Cranes Europe, GGR Galizia, GGR AirLift, GGR Rail and GGR Cladding, the GGR Group is Europe’s leading supplier of vacuum handling equipment, restricted access lifting machinery and mini cranes, along with a variety of complementary products and services.

Brother and sister team, Gill and Graeme Riley, started their machinery hire business with only £5,000 in a small industrial unit in Lincoln Street. Fourteen years later, The GGR Group comprises six brands, has distributors across Europe and an estimated turnover of £17million.


Applied Language Solutions
Riverside Court, Huddersfield Road, Delph. Founded in 2003 by local entrepreneur Gavin Wheeldon, Applied Language Solutions (ALS) is currently the world’s fastest-growing language services provider, offering services from translation and interpreting through to sign language and voice-overs to the public and private sectors globally.


JW Lees and Co (Brewers) Ltd.

Greengate Brewery, Middleton Junction. Founded in 1828, JW Lees is a sixth-generation family business which employs just more than 1,000 people, 140 at the brewery and head office in Middleton and 850 in its 30 managed pubs, as well as letting a further 142 tied pubs to self-employed tenants.

The business is owned by the Lees-Jones family with its management board comprised of 50 per cent family members and 50 per cent non-family senior managers. JW Lees business and JW Lees’ ales are sold all over the world.


Oldham Community Leisure Ltd.

Oldham Sports Centre, Lord Street, Oldham. OCLL provides the swimming pool and sports centre management service to Oldham Council.

Established in November, 2002, as a not-for-profit organisation, because of the tax advantages, the business operates as a society, and provides improvement pathways through leisure activities to a variety of health, social inclusion, cohesion and sporting performance in the area.


Diodes Zetex Semiconductors

Zetex Technology Park, Lansdowne Road, Chadderton. A manufacturer of semiconductor devices that are fabricated on silicon wafers. Typically each wafer contains several thousand devices. The process to make these devices is complex and requires high-technology manufacturing operations in cleanroom facilities.

Diodes UK manufacturing operations have undergone dramatic and radical change over the last 12 months, initially focused on the integration of Zetex into the international Diodes operation, following the company’s acquisition in June, 2008.


Trinity Mirror Printing Oldham Ltd.

Hollinwood Avenue, Chadderton. Employing 275 people, Trinity Mirror Printing is the print services arm of Trinity Mirror, the UK’s largest newspaper publisher. As well as providing the high-quality print network required for the production of Trinity Mirror’s 148 regional, five nationals and four sports titles, Trinity Mirror Printing also offers a professional contract print service to a wide range of newspaper and periodical publishers.

Titles produced at the Oldham site include The Oldham Chronicle, The Manchester Evening News and The Liverpool Echo.


Inclusive Technology Ltd.

Riverside Court, Delph. Established in 1998 at Broadbent Road by three former teachers, Inclusive Technology develops technology to support learners with special needs. RM plc has purchased 25 per cent of the shareholding and the two companies has jointly launched the Innovative One Touch PC, an all-in-one computer and touch screen, in an extra tough casing with adjustable height and tilt, designed for the classroom.

There are now 32 employees and turnover has reached £5.5 million.


Home Delivery Network Ltd.

Shaw Sortation Centre, Linney Lane, Shaw. With more than 90 years experience HDNL delivers for more than 120 retailers, the company’s speciality being delivering to homes throughout the UK and worldwide.

As the UK’s largest dedicated home delivery and collection service, HDNL deliver 300,000 parcels and large consignments in every postcode . . . every day!


Widdop Bingham Ltd.

Broadgate, Broadway Business Park, Chadderton. Trading since 1883 and now boasting 107 employees, the business started life in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, as a retail watchmaker and jeweller.

From those humble beginnings has developed a unique position in the giftware trade under the guidance of six generations of the Illingworth family with hundreds of suppliers in China and the far East, plus in-house product and development teams in the UK.


Hills Panel Products Ltd.

Scottfield Road, Oldham. Trading since 1991, following a split from George Hill Timber, this manufacturing business serves the kitchen and bedroom market with carcasses, kitchen and bedroom furniture doors and drawer fronts and a range of wood, metal and plastic products including handles, hinges, wirework, runners and systems, sinks and taps.

The manufacturing site is in Oldham and HPP has a branch in Sheffield which acts as a distribution point east of the Pennines.