Yorkshire's 50 Richest People: Wren Kitchens, Meadowhall and Clipper owners among Yorkshire's richest people
Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, ranks the 50 wealthiest individuals in Yorkshire business.
As you gaze down our annual tally of Yorkshire’s most successful wealth creators it’s hard not be impressed.
About half of the entries in this year’s Rich List are self-made, often having sprung to success from humble starts.
Meadowhall developer Paul Sykes is one of those who left school without a single O-Level. The same is true of Steve Parkin, who worked as a coal miner before building the logistic giant Clipper.
Adopted soon after birth, Graham Kirkham’s school record was too poor for him to pursue his dream of becoming an RAF pilot. So he entered the furniture world and made a billion pound fortune through sofa retailer DFS.
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Longevity can also be inspiring. After building two successful kitchen businesses, you might think that Malcolm Healey would have set his sights on a cushty retirement.
But in his mid 60s he started his third venture. Wren Kitchens last year turned over £1.1bn and Healey - now 80 - seems to have lost none of his appetite for business.
Humberside-based Wren today has more than 7,100 employees - 7,100 livelihoods that would not exist if Healey hadn’t had the verve to “go again” at a time of life when most folk wind down.
The rich, for our purposes, include those who are working in a business they either started themselves or inherited. We also include those still living in the area who have recently sold their main businesses but retain interests in other ventures.
We valued stakes in quoted companies in September 2024 according to prices prevailing in the Financial Times. Private companies were valued according to the ratios in their sectors or more generally where a sector rating was not evident, at around ten times their latest profit figures, which in many cases is more conservative than the stock market ratings.
We deduct appropriate sums from dividends and company sales to reflect tax unless we are aware someone is not domiciled in the UK for tax.
Here’s the full list of Yorkshire’s richest 50 people.
1.
Malcolm Healey, 80
2024: £1.7bn
2023: £1.65bn
Retail
He may have celebrated his 80th birthday this summer but there is no sign of this kitchen magnate turning down the heat on what has been an extraordinary career. Healey’s Humberside-based Wren Kitchens last year reported annual sales of £1.1bn – up 16% on the previous 12 months. He only started the group in 2009 and already has 111 showrooms in the UK and the US. There are plans to roll out more stores on both sides of the Atlantic in the coming years.
2.
The Shepherd family
2024: £1.3bn
2023: £755m
Construction
The Shepherds earlier this year sold portable buildings maker Portakabin to French infrastructure business Antin. Although the value of the deal was not public, a price of at least £1.5 billion was mooted ahead of the sale. York-based Portakabin began in the 1960s as an offshoot to the Shepherds’ construction firm. Taking account of tax on the recent sale, a sturdy run of dividends and other family wealth should now elevate the Shepherds into the ranks of Yorkshire’s billionaires.
3.
Lord Kirkham and family, 79
2024: £1.140bn
2023: £1.140bn
Retail
Kirkham made £450m from floating the sofa retailer DFS on the stock market. He then made another £400m by buying up the shares and selling it onto a private equity group in 2010. He later teamed up with the owner of Iceland, making £89m when the frozen food retailer was sold to a South African businessman. Conservative party donor Kirkham lives in the Georgian mansion Cantley Hall, near Doncaster.
4.
Andrea Shelley, William Morrison and Eleanor Kernighan and family, 63, 48 and 50
2024: £960m
2023: £961m
Supermarkets: Morrisons
Shelley, Morrison and Kernighan are the three eldest children of the late “king of the tills” Sir Ken Morrison. The supermarket surpremo left £235m in his will after his death six years ago and the 2021 sales of Morrisons to a US private equity group put a £700m price on his family’s remaining stake. Sir Ken’s offspring have businesses themselves, including a farm near Northallerton and holidays lets near York and on the island of Majorca.
5.
Carol Healey and family, 78
2024: £886m
2023: £886m
Property
Property developer Eddie Healey teamed up with Paul Sykes to build Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre. Healey, the brother of kitchen tycoon Malcolm Healey, died three years ago. His widow Carol and her children still own two retail parks. Their main investment company, SPH 2011, shows wealth of £222.4m.
6.
John Jakes, 68
2024: £800m
2023: £750m
Stairlifts
Jakes paid himself a £48m dividend from his Keighley-based stairlift manufacturer Acorn Stairlifts last year – taking his payouts to more than £250m over the past 10 years. Starting out as a repair man, Jakes only went into making his own models when replacement parts became hard to find. akes also owns a stake in Dignity, a leading chain of funeral directors. His son James is a racing driver and competed in the United States’ IndyCar series.
7.
Paul Sykes, 81
2024: £775m
2023: £775m
Property
This coal miner’s son began his entrepreneurial endeavours with scrap metal, dismantling old buses and in time exporting parts to the Far East. By his 40s he had moved into property, developing offices, warehouses and industrial space including in London’s Docklands. He joined forces with the late Eddie Healey to build Sheffield’s Meadowhall, selling up for £1.17bn in 1999. Sykes now lives in Jersey.
8.
Philip Meeson, 77
2024: £730m
2023: £615m
Aviation
An RAF pilot and acrobatics ace in his youth, Meeson later transformed a small freight business into the Jet2 holiday group. The Leeds-based outfit is now the UK’s third largest airline. Rising profits have helped the shares gain altitude over the past year and the Meeson holdings are now worth £600.9m – £112.4m more than a year ago. He should also have received almost £5m of dividends. Meeson retired in 2023.
9.
Paul and Johnny Caddick and family, 74 and 43
2024: £515m
2023: £505m
Construction
The Caddicks’ Moda Living has continued to press ahead with developments around the UK and moving strongly into student homes with plans to create 10,000 units by 2033. Miner’s son Paul Caddick still chairs the Leeds-based group and his son Johnny oversees Moda. Turnover at the Caddick Group grew by 17% to £575m in 2023. The Caddicks also have most of the shares in Leeds Rhinos rugby league club and own the sports grounds at Headingley.
10.
Steve Parkin, 63
2024: £509m
2023: £460m
Logistics
Parkin now pours much of his energies into horseracing. He has two studs and his Bronte Collection syndicate has attracted investors including the England cricket star Jonny Bairstow. Parkin made his money from Clipper, the Leeds-based logistics giant he began as a “man with a van”. He banked £139m from the £1bn sale two years ago. There was a good run of share sales and other payouts in earlier years.
11.
Jon and Susie Seaton, 41 and 43
2024: £490m
2023: £485m
Teaching aids
Their Sheffield-based Twinkl has continued to grow its turnover since a private equity deal last year valued the business at £500m. The Seatons started the teacher aid business at their home in 2010. Susie had been working in a children’s nursery and had found information hard to find. Twinkl now offers more than a million educational resources.
12.
Lawrence Tomlinson and family, 60
2024: £464m
2023: £464m
Care Homes
Tomlinson’s LNT Group aims to have built its 300th care home by 2026. He started the developer after taking over a care home run by his parents when he was 23. The Leeds-based firm made profits of £60m last year and should be worth the £450m net assets sitting on the balance sheet on one of its largest subsidiary. Passionate about motorsport, Tomlinson also owns the Ginetta racing car manufacturer.
13.
Roderick Evans and family, 62
2024: £462m
2023: £450m
Property
Evans Property Group has recently unveiled plans for a new 140-room hotel in York. Leeds-based Evans develops, manages and owns property projects ranging from hotels and offices to logistics hubs, civic buildings, log cabins and university colleges. Roderick Evans is the grandson of founder Fred Evans. The family’s property portfolio typically generates rent of more than £25m a year and includes Leeds’ White Rose Shopping Centre.
14.
Terry Bramall and family, 81
2024: £428m
2023: £428m
Construction
Bramall and his wife Liz are among the region’s most prolific philanthropists. Their foundation last year made grants of more than £5.4m. Local beneficiaries included the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Leeds Sea Cadets and Opera North. The pair’s fortune stems from Keepmoat, a construction company set up by Terry’s father. Terry is the owner of Doncaster Rovers and has ploughed millions of pounds into the League Two club.
15.
Peter Wilkinson, 70
2024: £400m
2023: £381m
Internet
Wilkinson earlier this year sold his patient monitoring firm, Inhealthcare, to a Californian firm. The Harrogate-based business provides remote monitoring and virtual wards to support the treatment of more than four million patients. Wilkinson made earlier fortunes from setting up and selling the internet service providers Planet Online and Freeserve.
16.
Frank Hester, 58
2024: £395m
2023: £410m
Software
Hester has given more than £20m to the Tories over the past two years. The Leeds-based IT entrepreneur, who grew up in Armley to Irish immigrant parents, also found himself apologising for historic unsavoury comments he was alleged to have made about Diane Abbott, the black Labour MP. Profits at his TPP Group, fell by more than 20% to £28.3m.
17.
John Guthrie and family, 84
2024: £389m
2023: £368m
Property
Guthrie’s family’s diversified interests include hydro-electric power assets in Scotland and farms in Poland. There is also a large commercial, industrial and residential property portfolio. But the family is best known for owning the Kent tourist attraction Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. The family’s main company now shows net assets of £372.3m.
18.
Mark Hunter, 62
2024: £385m
2023: £351m
Software
Hunter set up this Leeds IT consultancy BJSS with Andrew Vincent 30 years ago. His stake is valued at £250m and has delivered a strong run of dividends over the years, including £23.7m over the past year. His real estate company Huggins Property has grown its assets by £19m over the past year and he owns nearly half of craft brewer Ossett Brewery.
19.
John Tordoff and family, 61
2024: £360m
2023: £396m
Car sales
Profits at car dealership group JCT 600 fell by 16.5% to £36m in 2023. John Tordoff is chief executive of the business. His late father Jack set up the operation and the company’s name stems from the number plate of a Mercedes-Benz 600 he owned in the late 1950s. His middle name was Crossley and so his initials were JCT. The Tordoff dealerships should be worth £350m with a run of dividends adding more.
20.
Andrew Vincent, 68
2024: £354m
2023: £339m
Software
BJSS has grown its headcount by more than 22% over the past year. Vincent co-founded the IT consultancy with Mark Hunter more than three decades ago. The firm has won work with major corporates, including Specsavers and GoCompare as well the NHS and other parts of the public sector. Vincent also has a property company and an outfit investing in renewable energy.
21.
Chris Rea, 70
2024: £344m
2023: £296m
Engineering
Rea recently said there is no piece of industrial equipment in the world his engineering firm cannot help make more reliable. Rotherham-based AES specialises in sealing devices used in pumps for largely the petrochemical, pharma and paper industries. Profits have climbed to £56.4m on record turnover of £260.3m. Rea owns 57% of the £500m operation and should have received £7.4m of dividends over the past year.
22.
David Hood, 76
2024: £320m
2023: £319m
Electronics and aviation
Hood made his fortune from Pace Micro Technology, a manufacturer of set-top boxes in the early days of cable TV. The merger of his Shipley-based business with US company ARRIS Group in 2015 should have produced a healthy windfall for the Yorkshire-born entrepreneur. He now owns Multiflight, a helicopter and plane chartering, training and storage business at Leeds-Bradford Airport. Hood’s Skirfare Investments this year shows £46.1m of wealth.
23.
Nick Howarth and family, 67
2024: £307m
2023: £355m
Timber
Howarth runs his family’s chain of 35 timber and builders merchants Howarth Timber, which can trace its roots back to 1840. After exceptional trading during the pandemic when timber prices soared, the Leeds-based company’s profits slipped back to £25m on lower sales of £295.8m in 2022-23. It now employs more than 1,000 people across its sites and should be worth £300m.
24.
Danny Sawrij and family, 55
2024: £300m
2023: £282m
Waste services
Sawrij’s Leo Group processes 1.25 million tons of animal by-products a year, creating 130,000 tonnes of protein meal and 70 million litres of fats used to make fuel, cosmetics, pet food and chemicals. His Mercedes-Benz truck and van dealer Bell generated annual sales of more than £191.2m in 2022-23. Both his businesses are based in Halifax.
25.
Alexander Marr and family, 54
2024: £289m
2023: £245m
Fishing
Turnover at the Marrs’ fishing empire has topped £1bn for the first time. The Hessle-based group trades frozen seafood across the UK, Europe, the Far East, Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The subsidiary Marrfish delivers fish to high-end restaurants in the South East. Rising profits of £29.4m suggest the group is now worth at least £250m and the family have reeled in nearly £50m of dividends over the past seven years.
26.
Stephen and Paul Harrison, 55 and 53
2024: £278m
2023: £323m
Construction
A cooling in the UK property market has hit profits and sales at the Harrisons’ housebuilding group. Brothers Stephen and Paul were in their 20s when they set up Harron Homes. Although profits fell by 37% to £25.1m last year, the Leeds-based builder has a strong balance sheet and should be worth at least £250m. The Harrisons paid themselves dividends of £7.7m over the past year.
27.
Richard Teatum and family, 67
2024: £275m
2023: £354m
Car sales
Teatum lost a hefty sum by investing in Joules. The low-profile car dealer bought up almost 10% of the high street fashion retailer’s shares shortly before its collapse into administration two years ago. “It was a little bit of a gamble,” Teatum later admitted. “I thought it would do well but it didn’t.” Higher energy prices and the cost of living crisis have also dented the performance of Stoneacre, his chain of 63 car dealerships.
28.
Doug Gregory and family, 84
2024: £273m
2023: £273m
Furniture
Jersey-based Gregory set up furniture outfit Symphony more than 50 years ago. The Barnsley-based manufacturer makes fitted kitchens, bathrooms, cupboards and other pieces for hotels, developers and other clients. It also has a partnership with Laura Ashley to craft and supply the upmarket brand’s kitchens. With annual sales of around £340m Symphony should still be worth £200m.
29.
Dean and Janet Hoyle, 57 and 57
2024: £264m
2023: £260m
Greetings cards
A husband and wife team made at least £250m through their high street chain Card Factory. Over a ten-year period the couple averaged one new shop a week. They later invested in another high street retailer, The Works. Balances in their various investment companies show gains of £3.7m over the past year. The couple would be much wealthier were it not for their heavy investment in Huddersfield Town FC.
30.
James and Luke Smith, 46 and 44
2024: £250m
2023: £230m
Industry
The Smiths earlier this year sold a minority stake in A-SAFE to private equity group IK Partners. The brothers run the Elland-based manufacturer of protective barriers used to make airports, factories and warehouses safer. John Lewis, Skoda, Innocent Drinks and Volvo are among A-Safe’s clients. This year’s deal should have valued A-SAFE at around £200m after profits of £25.4m over the past year.
31.
John and Mark Cotton and family, 84 and 48
2024: £248m
2023: £221m
Bedding
Sales of the Cottons’ pillows and bedding are growing strongly in Poland, Bulgaria and Australia. There are now nearly 1,500 staff on the payroll of the Mirfield manufacturer. Record profits of £26m on rising sales of £324.6m in 2022-23 suggest the group is easily worth £225m now. John Cotton took the helm of the business more than 60 years ago and remains chairman.
32.
Tony Bramall, 88
2024: £228m
2023: £222m
Car sales
Bramall made his first fortune by expanding his family’s car dealership group CD Bramall and overseeing the sale to car rental group Avis for £94m. After a short break he set up another dealership chain under the same name, selling the second venture for £240m. He then invested in the struggling Lookers group, offloading his shares for £79.5m two years ago. His two property investment companies now show assets of £101.7m.
33.
Andrew Cawthray and family, 67
2024: £218m
2023: £218m
Drinks
Cawthray last year sold his soft drinks business Cawingredients to the Austrian owner of Red Bull. He set up his Northallerton-based manufacturer after making around £45m from selling Macaw Soft Drinks in 2005. Details of last year’s deal were not made public but Cawingredients should have fetched at least £200m after profits of £24.2m.
34.
Jason and Adam Fuller, 56 and 60
2024: £216m
2023: £216m
Food
The Fuller brothers sold their frozen food empire to their management team in late 2022. The Leeds-based business has become a major supplier of own-label produce to Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Asda, Aldi and Tesco. Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Fullers Foods should have fetched at least £200m. More than £27m of dividends were paid out during the final two years of the brothers’ tenure.
35.
Simon Marshall and family, 60
2024: £211m
2023: £219m
Property
Marshall is the fourth generation to run his family’s property developer. His great grandfather set up the Elland-based business in the early 20th century. The diverse group builds homes, offices, retail parks, warehouses, hotels and cinemas. The business is worth the £192.5m on its balance sheet– down £11.5m over the past year.
36.
Richard Barrett and family, 67
2024: £205m
2023: £313m
Steel
Barrett Steel is believed to be the largest steel stockholder in the UK. The Bradford-based-group is a sixth-generation family business operating from 35 sites across the UK. Richard Barrett is now chairing the operation and, with his family, owns at least 91% most of the company’s shares. The end of the steel price boom of two years ago and the slowdown in the construction industry has hit sales and profits.
37=
Chris and Christopher Edwards, 74 and 42
2024: £201m
2023: £181m
Discount stores
The father-and-son team launched discount retailer One Beyond just four years after selling Poundworld. Chris had set up the first business from a stall at Wakefield market in 1974. He offloaded this business in 2015 for £150m. One Beyond already has 100 stores and has generated turnover of more than £100m. Chris Jr also runs online retailer Gem Imports, which should be worth £50m.
37=
David and Lesley Jackson, 69 and 70
2024: £201m
2023: £155m
Business services
David Jackson set up Hudson Contract after overcoming three bouts of cancer. His Bridlington-based firm provides HR and payroll services to more than 2,600 firms in the construction industry. Turnover has grown by 10% to more than £1.5bn over the past year. The couple’s foundation supports Bridlington Rugby Union FC, the families of construction workers injured or killed while at work and a range of other causes.
39=
Wayne Earnshaw and family, 60
2024: £200m
New entry
Drainage services
The Earnshaws’ family business began as Lanes for Drains in 1992. The Leeds-based firm maintains sewers, drainage systems and other waterways. Wayne is now managing director after picking their reins from his father Allan. There are now more than 20 Lanes sites across England, Scotland and Wales with nearly 4,000 staff on the payroll.
39=
Malcolm Walker and family, 76
2024: £200m
2023: £195m
Plumbing supplies
The former rugby league professional now runs a manufacturer of bathroom “pods” found in hotels, student flats, prisons and other large buildings. Hull-based Walker Modular has grown annual sales by nearly 10% to £52.9m and is easily worth the £53.9m on its balance sheet. But earnings from the sale of Victoria Plum and shower venture Douglas James should take the Walkers to £200m.
41.
Sonya Eastaugh and the Oughtred family, 45
2024: £193m
2023: £210m
Food
Eastaugh chairs the William Jackson Food Group. She is a member of the sixth generation to run the Hull-based company that owns the vegetable box delivery service Able & Cole, balsamic vinegar maker Belazu and the bakers Jacksons. Last year William Jackson also gobbled up the Japanese ingredients brand Miso Tasty. Wellocks, a restaurant supplier, and a food growing operation based in Spain also sit within the group.
42.
Stuart Moore, 60
2024: £188m
2023: £225m
Building products
Moore runs the Wetherby-based Encon Group which supplies insulation, roof materials and fire protection systems. He owns 73% of the £250m business after leading a management buyout in 2011. Turnover has continued to climb over the past year, rising to £322.9m. But leaner profits trim the value of the business to £200m.
43.
John and Carolyn Radford, 58 and 42
2024: £184m
2023: £155m
Insurance
Radford paid himself a £14.9m dividend after a strong year for his diverse collection of businesses. His interests range from insurance broking and claims handling to solar energy and property development. There were profits of £16.7m on sales of £97.4m in 2022. Radford also owns Mansfield Town Football Club, where wife Carolyn is chief executive.
44=
Andrew, Stephanie and Jonathan Thirkill, 65, 34, 31
2024: £180m
2023: £180m
Finance and media
Andrew Thirkill has had one of the most diverse entrepreneurial careers of anyone in this list, spanning advertising, telecoms and financial services. At the moment he is concentrating on Age Partnership and Pure Retirement, two companies that arrange equity release and other financial products for the over 50s. Daughter Stephanie is a shareholder and director in Age Partnership while son Jonathan set up Advice Wise, a tech-enabled service for financial advisers.
44=.
Jonathan Turner, 58
2024: £180m
2023: £109m
Energy and industry
Bayford Group takes its name from a Hertfordshire village where a group of soldiers were demobbed after World War One. When they returned home they started a coal merchants. Over the years, the Wetherby-based conglomerate has moved into property, hospitality, mining and electric vehicle charging points. Profits jumped to £20.8m on £420.5m sales in 2022-23.
44=
Jonathan and Lesley Wild and family, 72 and 72
2024: £180m
2023: £169m
Tea and coffee
The Wilds own the company behind Yorkshire Tea and the five Bettys tearooms. The Taylors of Harrogate coffee brand, a craft bakery and the Bettys cookery school also sit within the group. Profits climbed by 30% to £12.9m in 2023. Taylors of Harrogate remains owned by their family and should be worth £160m. A run of dividends adds another £20m.
47.
Trevor Sykes, 79
2024: £175m
New entry
Recycling
Glass Recycling UK is thought to be the UK's largest independent glass recycling operation. The Barnsley-based business collects thousands of tonnes of glass bottles and jars each week, transforming this haul into glass cullet. Profits rose by nearly 15% to £24m on sales of £41.8m in 2022-23.
48.
Simon Dyson and family, 49
2024: £169m
2023: £164m
Construction
Dyson runs the Grimsby-based housebuilder Cyden, which chalked up profits of £14.4m in 2023. He and his father Geoff set up the business after pocketing £67m from the sale of a similar operation called Chartdale in 2006. Cyden should now be worth around £115m. Taking account of the Chartdale sale should raise the Dysons to £169m.
49.
David Eltherington and family, 57
2024: £160m
New entry
Logistics
Bulk Tainer transports chemicals, animal feeds and others liquids. Eltherington founded the business in 2009 and has quickly created a global operation spanning the US, Europe and Asia. Over the past year profits grew to £17.2m on rising sales of £141.8m. Bulk Tainer should be worth £160m. Eltherington and his family own it all.
50.
Simon Walton and family, 67
2024: £148m
2023: £125m
Retail
The Berry's jewellery chain now has 13 shops – three more than a year ago. The Leeds-based group sells rings, bracelets and watches made by Breitling, Cartier and other top brands. Sales climbed to £77.3m in 2022-23. After profits of £15.5m the fourth-generation business should easily be worth £140m. A £4.8m dividend over the past year and payouts in previous years adds £8m.