One Oldham Business Awards:

NOMINEES:

Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Environmental award, Retailer of the Year

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

sponsored by Oldham Sixth Form College


Jahed Miah

Design consultant at Web Fusion Studios, 51 Featherstall Road North, Oldham.

Established in January, 2009, by Jahed Miah, Web Fusion Studios offers a cost-effective website design and hosting service, plus leaflets and material to promote the site.

The business is owned and managed by 24-year-old Jahed who is assisted by his father to manage the business activities.

Ativities include static, dynamic, e-commerce websites, search engine optimisation, graphic design and print and pay-per-click.


Kylie Clegg

Manager, Unique Hair Studio, 110 Rochdale Road, Royton.

Founded in November 2009, Unique Hair Studio was set up by Kylie and Dawn Boswell to take advantage of Kylie’s outstanding training at one of the world’s top salons and her achievements gained during her apprenticeship.

The name of the salon and design itself is a reflection of Kylie’s style and enthusiasm.

Unique is at the forefront of technology with many of the most up-to-date colours from L’Oreal, products that do not contain ammonia or odour.


Sulaiman Mirza and Anjub Ali

partners, Mirzali Architecture, Marfot House, 98 Featherstall Road, Oldham.

The partners set up the architectural consultancy in November, 2008, and are currently overseeing a charity clinic development in Bangladesh.

The practice has carried out design work in Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan and India

Their next step is to develop ‘trendy chic affordable housing’ on brownfield sites to offer sustainable alternatives and a better way for those struggling to get on the property ladder.


Environmental award

sponsored by Johnson Group


First Choice Homes Oldham

Medtia Square, Phoenix Street, Oldham. The council’s housing management business has made great strides in reducing its environmental impact. On last year’s World Environment Day, FCHO held a launch event for its environmental policy and with the support of the Energy Saving Trust, Recycle for Oldham and Groundwork, the emphasis was on staff engagement, encouraging them to discover ways to reduce their impact on the environment before taking individual pledges to reduce, reuse and recycle.


Diodes Zetex Semiconductors Ltd.

Zetex Technology Park, Stockfield Road, Chadderton. Since achieving ISO14001 a strong business focus has been placed on carbon footprint reduction and a carbon reduction team was formed with the goal to halve the organisation’s carbon footprint by the end of H1 2009. By then, Diodes Zetex had achieved a 50 per cent reduction from its baseline calculation in 2007 of 30,660 tonnes to 14,537 tonnes.


Pennine Helicopters Ltd.

Oakdene Farm, Saddleworth. Founded in 1991, Pennine is an environmentally conscious company which believes in playing a part in the challenging role of protecting and preserving the environment.

This environmental sector involves working closely with The National Parks, The National Trust and other large landowners, helping re-seed heather moorlands, fly out indigenous moorland plants under threat of extinction and carrying stone for footpath repair.


Groundwork Oldham

Environment Centre, Shaw Road, Higginshaw. The organisation’s strategic objectives for 2008-11 are to: deliver environmental improvements that create cleaner, safer and greener neighbourhoods; create opportunities for people to learn new skills and become more active citizens; help businesses and individuals to fulfil their potential.

Support is available on cost savings, data logging, compressed air leak detection, thermal imaging and waste awareness training.


First Manchester

Wallshaw Street, Oldham. A ‘DriveGreen’ initiative has been implemented across the company and is on target to achieve a 7 per cent fuel saving in each of the Manchester Group’s seven depot after three months of live operation. The project assists with reducing the carbon emissions and will improve the fuel economy. Within three years it is estimated that First buses across the company will produce 130,000 less tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of removing 24,000 cars from the roads.


AlternEnergy

Salmon Fields Business Village, Royton. AlternEnergy works with clients to provide individual energy solutions that: maximise resource efficiency; reduce carbon emissions; increase asset values; improve social responsibility; help save the planet. During the last 12 months, AlternEnergy have commenced work in many areas and two of the largest clients are in the Oldham area providing energy saving solutions.


Retailer of the Year

sponsored by Town Centre Partnership


Miller’s Florist

102A Huddersfield Road, Oldham. Miller’s Florist started trading in 1979, set up by Barbara Jackson (then Barbara Miller) with her mother Norma at their first location in Shaw.

Barbara went on to gain the highest qualification obtainable in the florist industry, National Diploma in The Society of Floristry, and after five years they had built up a successful business and went on to open their second shop at Huddersfield Road, Oldham, where there are seven employees.


Alexander Jewellers Ltd.

Units 10/11 Greenacres Shopping Precinct, Huddersfield Road, Oldham. Trading since July 1980, Alexander Jewellers is high-quality, modern jewellery retail outlet offering quality and branded products.

Over the last eight months the business has doubled in size and has extended its retail premises to 2,000 square feet and benefits from having a working jeweller on the premises, able to undertake general repairs and create hand-made pieces while sourcing products from around the world.


Demolition

28-30 Yorkshire Street, Oldham. Opened by Victoria Sykes and Nichola Whitehead in October, 1995, Demolition is a fashion retailer with three floors of the most in-demand collections for men and women.

They base their success over the last 15 years on excellent customer service, starting with sourcing the right stock, researching the looks top designers are promoting, talking to designers at our suppliers and talking to our customers.


Skidmore’s Cycles
Union Street, Oldham. Established more than 100 years ago, the business was acquired by the present ownership in 2005 and has continued to flourish as a regional distributor of a wide variety of cycles supported by accessories and a repairs service.


Mountainfeet

Rhodes Bank, Oldham. The shop and its forerunner, Paul Braithwaite Outdoor Sports, has been located on the corner of Union Street and Yorkshire Street for more than 35 years.

After years of making a loss as Paul Braithwaite Outdoor Sports, a shift in focus and service was needed and Mountainfeet was born to take advantage of the staff’s increasing level of technical expertise — particularly in the fitting of specialist footwear and biomechanical understanding.


Electrotec International Ltd.

Wickentree Lane, Hollinwood. The business provides an online service in refurbished ‘as new’ electronic products including LCD and plasma televisions — from 15” to 50” — DVD players, cameras iPods, laptops and audio equipment.

The outlet now employs 12 people and has grown from a zero turnover at launch in October, 2007, to a projected £4 million at the end of the financial year 2010.


Face and Body Shop

283 Oldham Road, Grotton. The Face and Body Shop was established in March 1997, originally with five treatment rooms and three therapists. The business has grown to a salon boasting eight treatment rooms with 20 members of staff serving a client base in excess of 16,000 clients.


Tymbuktu

Yorkshire Street, Oldham. This health and beauty clinic in the centre of Oldham has been owned and managed by Gillian Holt and Karen Astles since 1980 when they took on the business at just 20 years of age from the founder.

They are one of the few salons outside London to offer most of Europe’s exclusive skincare ranges, an offer in which all staff take great pride.


Amaan’s Exclusive Footwear

George Street, Oldham. Previously involved in the manufacture of jeans and also in property development, Zaib acquired the George Street premises in 2006 and after extensive market research opted for fashion accessories outlet to rival competition in Manchester and Bradford.

The business primarily offers imitation bridal jewellery and shoes.


Frilly’s

Lord Street, Oldham. Established in 1987 to offer specialist lingerie and corsetry fitting in a town centre location, Frilly’s has grown to develop a large and loyal customer base and also sells way outside the geographical boundaries via an internet presence.

Lingerie parties are the latest innovation — taking place in the shop. The partners are also trialing Sunday opening.