Gill scoops Everywoman trophy

GILL Riley’s success in a male-dominated environment has earned the Chaddderton-based businesswoman a major award.

She has been named winner of the Athena category for women aged 36 to 49 in the annual NatWest Everywoman awards.

Founded six years ago by Everywoman, a leading organisation for women in business, the awards recognise women for their inspiring achievements acting as role models for the next generation wanting to go it alone.

Mother-of-four Gill (pictured), from Rochdale, is a director of GGR Glass, based at Broadgate on the Broadway Business Park.

GGR, which started life in Milton Street, Royton, before moving to its purpose-built headquarters in 2006, supplies vacuum-lifting and mini-cranes that have revolutionised the construction business.

The company now has a southern base, near Oxford, employs 63 people across both sites, and is on target to achieve a turnover of £17 million.

The company has seen its equipment used on some of the UK’s most iconic buildings, including Wembley Stadium, Liverpool Arena and the Eden Project.

It was while attending trade exhibitions that Gill and her bother, Graeme, spotted the machinery which has replaced manpower in glass installation.

“We decided to buy a few machines and see if we could hire them,” she says.

Considered something of a pioneer in the construction industry, Gill has taken gambles which have paid off to make her the UK’s leading provider of this specialist equipment.