UK's Top 100 entrepreneurs generate £20bn sales and create jobs for 130,000

Dr Andrew Rickman, founder of Bookham Technology, has been named entrepreneur of the year in the Enterprise magazine survey of the UK's top 100 self-made businessmen and women. Rickman founded Bookham Technology, which produces components for high speed communication, in 1988 in a room above his garage. In April this year, Bookham floated on the Stock Exchange and is currently valued at around £5 billion.

The Enterprise 100 survey, compiled by Sunday Times' Rich List author, Dr Philip Beresford, highlights the impact entrepreneurs are making in driving the economy. Collectively, the entrepreneurs employ about a third more people than the entire British army and new jobs have increased by 163% over the last five years. Total sales over for the same period have rocketed from £5.4 billion to nearly £20 billion.

Other findings from the survey include:

  • High-tech sector dominates: over one third of the Enterprise 100 Entrepreneurs are in computers, software, mobile phones and telephony. However, old economy businesses continue to flourish: 9% are in construction and 7% are retailers.
  • Female entrepreneurs feature in the top 20 for the first time, one making it into the top 10. In total, eight women feature in the Enterprise 100, two more than last year.
  • 53% of entrepreneurs are based in the South East; the North West and Midlands are also business hotbeds, with 10 resident entrepreneurs in each.
  • The youngest entrepreneur in the Enterprise 100 is 29, the oldest is 72.
  • Between them, the top 10 entrepreneurs generate over £1.5 billion turnover and have created nearly 9,000 jobs in the last five years. Their combined personal fortunes are estimated at £5.2 billion.
  • The collective net worth of the Enterprise 100 amounts to around £19.8bn.

Commenting on the findings, Bronagh Miskelly, editor of Enterprise magazine, says:

"What is so impressive about the Enterprise 100 Entrepreneurs is the wealth and employment they have created for others. These are truly innovative individuals who make a massive contribution to the UK economy. These 100 entrepreneurs are the standard bearers for fast growing SMEs."

Mark Hunt, head of KPMG's Owner Managed Business team, adds: "Entrepreneurs are leaders who have a hunger to succeed and a drive that has enabled them to create and grow a phenomenally successful business and not necessarily for personal financial gain."

The winners, who received their awards at a celebration dinner in London's Grosvenor House Hotel on Wednesday 6 September, include:

  • Neil Franklin of Dataworkforce, the telecoms recruitment provider, who wins the award for the fastest growing business - over five years his sales have increased by 9725%.
  • Dr Paul Drayson¹s Powderject Pharmaceuticals, which produces a needle-free delivery system for drugs, wins the award for greatest job creation - the company has boosted its workforce by 6700% in five years.
  • Anne Wood of TV production company, Ragdoll, is the first woman to rank in the Top 10 and is awarded the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award.
  • Tahir Mohsan, 29, of retailer Time Computers, is honoured as the youngest entrepreneur.

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