Seven Yorkshire firms reach entrepreneur finals

They are joined by Ravi and Sunny Sharma, of PetBrands, a manufacturer and distributor of pet treats and accessories based in Birstall, Stuart Paver, of shoe retailer Pavers, Sean Ramsden, from Grimsby-based exporter of British-branded food and drink Ramsden International, and John Dobson, of SmartSearch, an anti-money laundering client verification business based in Ilkley.

Victoria Price, partner and EY Entrepreneur of the Year leader in the North, said: “I could not be more proud to lead this programme for EY in the North – it supports the incredible entrepreneurial community we have here and helps to put the spotlight on some truly unique businesses and inspiring entrepreneurial leaders.

“This year’s programme recognises and connects another 24 Northern businesses, from across Yorkshire, the North-East and the North-West, all of which create jobs and contribute to the continued growth of the North’s economy.”

The 24 finalists in the 2019 North programme will convene at an awards ceremony in Manchester in June, where an independent panel of judges will select winners across a number of different categories. Six northern business leaders have been announced as judges.

Similar events will also be held in Scotland, the Midlands and South-West, and London.

Regional winners will then progress to the UK final held in London in November. The EY Entrepreneur of the Year award has been won by several prestigious names in the past such as Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who founded the low-cost airline easyJet, Dragon’s Den investor Peter Jones, who started-up Phones International Group, and Richard Reed, one of the founding partners of Innocent Drinks.

Previous winners in the North include Jennifer Atkinson, of ITC Luxury Group, Fred Done, of Betfred, James Lambert, of R&R Ice Cream, and Matthew Riley, of Daisy Group plc.