Pennine Lancashire is celebrating 7 wins in this year’s Queen’s Awards, with our Managing Director Steve Hoyle picking up the Award for Enterprise Promotion.
The other East Lancashire based winners are Langtec, Hurst Green Plastics, Chapman & Sons, BMP Europe, ACDC LED Ltd and Colonial Gifts.
Steve is well known in the economic development arena in the North West. He has made his career in local and regional government focusing on economic development and regeneration in the region. He has championed enterprise promotion as a means to regenerate the area for his entire 35 year working career. His successes include developing and generating funds from various sources for a number of major projects and programmes including developing innovation and technology services for Blackburn with Darwen and extending these across the rest of Lancashire.
Steve managed our successful LEGI bid which saw £30 million devoted, over 4 years, to encouraging enterprise in the most deprived communities in the area, launching over 1500 new businesses in the process. In recent years, Steve has re-structured our company and has attracted £3m of European funding to provide start-up and innovation support for businesses until December 2013. He has also spearheaded the successful £7.5 million bid for Regional Growth Funding for Lancashire businesses.
Mike Damms, the Chief Executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce said “I have known Steve for many years and have shared a similar passion for enterprise. He not only feels that this could be a better place, he has done something about it. As a private sector organisation we have a high level of regard for him.”
Dennis Mendoros, Chief Executive of aerospace firm Euravia, and Chair of Regenerate added ” Steve is well respected, at all levels, across the business community in Pennine Lancashire as someone who can bridge the gap between the public and private sector, offering valuable knowledge and skills to help business to grow. His enterprise acumen has seen him fulfill many roles at the regional and national levels and has held positions as Chair of Institution of Economic Development (NW Branch), a Business Link Board Member and chair of the National LEGI working group. I am confident that even in these uncertain times, under Steve’s stewardship, businesses will continue to receive the support they need to start, innovate and grow; to deliver a lasting change to the enterprise culture of Pennine Lancashire.”
Graham Burgess, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council continued “Over his career Steve has been the architect of the business environment and the business support services that now exist across Pennine Lancashire. Throughout he has provided unwavering support to developing the enterprise culture of the area, doing so in spite of the high levels of deprivation and now self employment rates. He has achieved notable success not least in the LEGI programme which raised levels of self employment and helped to create over 3000 new jobs.”
Commenting on the award himself, Steve said “I was stunned but delighted to receive the award. Whilst the award itself is a personal recognition in reality it is a reflection of all the dedicated and professional colleagues and teams with who I have worked over the years who have helped to drive forward the enterprise agenda. All I have ever wanted to do is to make a positive difference to the prosperity and life chances of the people who live in this area and I hope that some of this work will have a lasting effect.”
