News / York man recognised at Entrepreneur Awards
York man recognised at Entrepreneur Awards
The head of Yorktest was crowned ‘Entrepreneur of the Decade’ by Business Link York and North Yorkshire at an awards ceremony last night.
Business Link chief executive Helen West presented the award to John Graham at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, she said, “We launched the Entrepreneur Awards as part of our tenth anniversary celebrations to recognise entrepreneurial flair and outstanding contributions to enterprise in York and North Yorkshire.
“John was selected from the many thousands of business people we’ve worked with over the last 10 years as a shining example of entrepreneurialism.
“He identified a commercial opportunity in what was little more than a testing process for food intolerance, recognised a market opportunity based on his own experiences and increased public interest in allergies and healthcare, and saw scope for food intolerance testing to be carried out at home.”
John bought a share in Yorktest in 1998 after food intolerance tests at the laboratory led to a complete recovery from the arthritis that had plagued him for years.
Since his investment in the company, he has overseen its growth into a £5m turnover business employing 50 people at offices on York Science Park, and he was awarded an MBE in 2004 for his achievements. He has also spearheaded expansion into new sectors - such as veterinary products.
Helen says: “We had fascinating entries for our awards from more than 70 of the best entrepreneurs in York and North Yorkshire, which made the judging process very difficult.
“The judging panel - which comprised representatives from the award sponsors Garbutt & Elliott, Skipton Building Society and University of York as well as Business Link personnel - were amazed at the quality and breadth of achievements that the entries demonstrated.”
The other winners were Masham-based Black Sheep Brewery MD, Paul Theakston, who was named Best Business Entrepreneur; and James Howell from Stokesley firm IT-IS International, who was crowned Best Young Entrepreneur.
An ‘Entrepreneurial Spirit’ award was given to Clare Adamson from Business and Enterprise College, Tadcaster Grammar, in recognition of her work to support entrepreneurialism among young people in York and North Yorkshire.
The awards were hosted by modern day business guru, speaker and writer, Max McKeown.
