INSPIRATEES
11th ( 4th ) Gary Dawson AV Dawson , Middlesbrough He stays resolutely out of the limelight , but Gary has been the spearhead of family-run freight logistics giant AV Dawson since succeeding his popular father , Maurice , as managing director in 2000 , though he ’ s more recently stepped aside to take on a role as chairman .
The firm runs the impressive Port of Middlesbrough on the River Tees , boasts one of the largest independent rail terminals in the north and is the main distribution hub for the supply of steel coils into Nissan ’ s Sunderland factory .
My Top 3 – by Jonathan Willett ( Attis Insurance ) 1 . Gary Dawson 2 . Vicki Jackson-Smith 3 . Ken Devereux
The risk-taking self-starter now owns 60 Domino ’ s franchises , 19 Costa Coffees , 16 Anytime Fitness gyms , several barber shops , a string of restaurants , a cocktail bar , a digital agency and more . He also employs more than 2,500 people from around 30 different countries .
14th ( 13th ) Zoe Lewis Middlesbrough College Group The first female principal and chief executive of Middlesbrough College Group , a role she has enjoyed for the past nine years , Saltburn-born Zoe is the group ’ s dynamic force . She drives a commitment to enhancing the region ’ s competitive edge by directly aligning the college ’ s offer to the skills required by employers .
A qualified accountant , the former Middlesbrough College student has managed a turnover of more than £ 50m and more than 1,000 staff plus the education of 13,000 students and apprentices .
My Top 3 – by Ashley Tizard ( Tascomp ) |
1 . |
Sharon Lane |
2 . |
Bob Makin |
3 . |
Zoe Lewis |
Award - Mike Racz ( centre ) with Savannah Marshall and Abdul Shakeel of sponsor TMS .
12th ( 14th ) Mike Racz Racz Group , Wynyard Hungary-born Mike arrived in the UK with no job and initially took a job delivering Domino ’ s pizzas . He ’ s now one of the UK ’ s largest owners of franchised businesses with an unashamed ambition to grow the group into the North-East ’ s largest company .
Success - Victoria Lynch talks to host Martin Walker .
13th ( new entry ) Victoria Lynch Additional Lengths , Stockton She launched her business from a parent ’ s spare bedroom but Port Clarence-born Victoria Lynch is now the CEO of the UK ’ s second largest hair extensions business .
Along with a 20,000-sq ft warehouse and head office distributing products nationally and internationally from Teesside Industrial Estate , Additional Lengths opened a stunning new store and salon in Stockton ’ s Wellington Square earlier this year .
Additional Lengths was crowned Business of the Year at the 2022 Tees Businesswomen Awards , while Victoria herself was a Business Leader of the Year finalist in the inaugural Tees Business Awards .
15th ( 10th ) Alastair Powell Cleveland Cable Company , Middlesbrough He actively shuns publicity , but Alastair Powell deserves the spotlight for the way he has built Middlesbrough-headquartered Cleveland Cable Company into a global success story , employing 600 staff , around half of them on Teesside .
Through the company he and his brother Michael have built into the UK ’ s largest cable distributor , Alastair has donated huge amounts of money to support worthy causes such as the Teesside Charity and Teesside Family Foundation .
38 | Tees Business