CONTENTS 32
The Big Interview Tim Webber has spent more than 50 years at the heart of Barnfield Construction, helping to shape Lancashire’s landscape by spearheading significant regeneration and development projects. However, long before boardrooms and multi-million- pound construction schemes, building was a passion in his childhood and that doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.
ISSUE 129 JULY/AUGUST 2026
Regulars
The Lancashire Business View
In View
Looking back Barometer Legal View Dealmakers Sub36
LBV Hub Appointments
Interviews The Big Interview:
Tim Webber Special Features Blackburn College
Apprentice Awards Family Business
Brysdales Anniversary Prolight In Focus Hot 100
Funding Summit
Debate Tourism and Hospitality
RRA26 Winners
In Depth Hotspots Chorley
Property
Business Essentials Wealth Management
04 06 15 16 31 40 78 80 82
06
In View A bitter war has been raging in Whitehall and Westminster’s corridors of power and the political casualties have been heavy. The battleground is the much-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) and the level of funding for the sector. It is a conflict that appears to be far from over.
20
Family Business We asked our readers to share the growth stories behind some of the county’s top family businesses. The 15 businesses featured here represent just a small cross- section of the impressive firms making an impact across a wide range of sectors as they drive the Lancashire economy forward.
28
Hotspots Chorley’s strategic location at the heart of the county is helping attract investment, support business growth and strengthen its reputation as a major centre for logistics, manufacturing and industrial development. We talk to some of the businesses who are reaping the rewards.
the Awards Align your brand with
Sponsor
talent, ambition and future business leadership
Build valuable connections across the county
35 32 18
20 26 48 51 72
Property There are some large-scale development plans emerging across Lancashire. From the regeneration of former leisure sites to the creation of a £100m industrial and logistics hub set to create up to 1,500 jobs, momentum is building in the county.
40
Dealmakers Ilyas Khan’s route to billionaire status has taken him from a two-up-two-down house in east Lancashire to New York, via Hong Kong, Cambridge and Accrington Stanley. We find out more about the 63-year-old and the headline- making US listing of the tech firm he founded.
43
Tourism and Hospitality The challenges facing the visitor economy have been well documented but it is not all doom and gloom. There are reasons for optimism. We brought our expert panel to Ribby Hall Village to share thoughts on the health of the sector and Lancashire’s future as a destination of choice.
Showcase your
commitment to Lancashire’s future success
Find out more here!
43 68
51
28 35
70
Hot 100 Here it is - our much-anticipated annual list of the county’s most profitable SMEs. This year’s Hot 100 paints a picture of stability and resilience amid the wider political and economic turmoil witnessed nationally and globally. Businesses are not just surviving but expanding.
72
Funding Summit We brought together businesses looking for funding along with funders and advisers involved in structuring deals. Our special coverage of the Funding Summit features a range of advice they shared for those that are looking to take the next steps on their growth journey.
78
Sub36 Lancashire Business View’s Sub36 Awards are back. Once again we’re looking to celebrate the ambition, innovation and leadership of people aged under 36. Entries are now open and the chosen winners will be announced at an event at Park Hall Hotel and Spa in October.
LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
IEW.CO.UK
Awards Ceremony: Friday October 16 Park Hall Hotel & Spa, Chorley
#Sub36
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