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Burnley business man shortlisted for EY Entrepreneur Award

Jason Bannister, local Burnley business man and founder of Oak Furniture Land, the UK’s fastest-growing furniture retailer, has been shortlisted for the highly prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2015.

This high profile recognition of the country’s most promising business people, brings together businesses from a range of sectors including life sciences, hospitality and leisure to technology and retail. Winners from across Scotland, the North, Midlands, London and the South region will progress to the UK finals in October, where they will vie for the title EY UK Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 and a chance to represent their country at a global awards ceremony in Monte Carlo in 2016.

The judging panel, led by JustGiving Chairman, Jonathan McKay, will make its decision based on a number of criteria, including: entrepreneurial spirit; innovation; strategic direction; financial performance; national and global impact; and the companies’ approach to social responsibility.

Jason Bannister was raised in Burnley and after working for a local furniture company, started the Oak Furniture Land business with an investment in a single container of solid hardwood furniture in 2003 and began trading on eBay. In just three years, he became eBay UK’s largest retailer by turnover and after a period of trading online, Jason decided to buck the retail trend and launched a network of stores.

Oak Furniture Land now has over 60 stores and employs more than 1,000 staff across the UK. The business has grown by 40% year-on-year and now has annual sales of £194m, continuing to go from strength to strength. Along with six other stores in the North West, a distribution centre in Manchester and support for local manufacturing of sofas, Oak Furniture Land is supporting several hundred jobs in the Lancashire area.

Jason comments on the Award: “I’m very flattered to have been included in the EY Entrepreneur Programme alongside some inspiring UK business people. My business approach has always been to understand and give the public what they want and that started right at the beginning in Burnley when I first had the idea for Oak Furniture Land. Today it is a very different company in size but it still follows that business ethos and this continues to be central to our success. “

Stuart Watson, UK Entrepreneur Of The Year Leader added: “We need entrepreneurs now more than ever. They have been achieving success and defying the odds in times of change and upheaval, recognising opportunities to act quickly and decisively to gain market share and traction for their ideas and innovation.

“Now in its 17th year in the UK, EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year brings together dynamic business leaders of fast growth companies who are creating growth, confidence at pace and generating positive impact in their markets at home and abroad.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Oak Furniture Land .