Page 19 - Yorkshire Rich List 2017

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Sir Malcolm Walker and family £260m
2016
Position: 25 £230m
Huddersfield-born Sir Malcolm Walker’s frozen food chain Iceland increased its sales to £2.8bn in the year to March 2017, making it one of the fastest- growing retailers in the UK.
The firm has been investing in new and be er stores under the Iceland and Food Warehouse brands, expanding its product range and growing its online business. And the frozen icing on the cake was a knighthood for Malcolm in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to retail.
A miner’s son, Sir Malcolm co-founded Iceland in 1970 with Peter Hinchcliffe. The business began with a single shop in Oswestry and working capital of just £30. At the time he was working as a trainee manager in Woolworths, a job he lost when his bosses discovered he was se ing up in competition.
By the turn of the millennium Iceland had become a national chain with 700 outlets and 22,000 employees. Sir Malcolm, 71, took Iceland to the market in 1984 when it was valued at £84m.
In 2001 Iceland acquired the Booker cash and carry business. The following year Sir Malcolm lost his position in the company and went off to found
another frozen food business. But the Iceland chain struggled under its new identity as the Big Food Group and he returned to revive its fortunes. He was successful, building its image and reach, and leading a consortium which took the business private in 2012 in a £1.45bn management buyout.
South African retail billionaire Christo Wiese has taken a substantial share in the business. Sir Malcolm is chief executive and is spearheading a move to take it upmarket.
Sir Malcolm, who le school with just four O Levels, is also chief executive of the Manchester- based Individual Restaurant Company.
His charitable foundation supports medical research. In 2012 Sir Malcolm famously abseiled down The Shard in London to raise money for his foundation, and he has also climbed Everest as far as the North Col with his son Richard who is managing director of the Food Warehouse.
He lives in Broxton Old Hall, near Chester, and has other interests in property, restaurants and food manufacture. He has a Bentley with the registration number 1CE as well as an 82 yacht.
FROZEN FOOD KING: Huddersfield-born Sir Malcolm Walker is the founder and chief executive of Iceland.
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Assem Allam and family £255m
2016
Position: 23= £240m
Rumours have abounded that Cairo-born Assem Allam will sell Hull City FC, of which he is owner and chairman. But he is still there, despite the fact that Hull’s excursion into the Premier League only lasted a single season.
The more successful of his business interests is Hull-based Allam Marine of which he is founder and owner. It is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of generators.
Assem Allam, 78, fled the Nasser regime in Egypt and arrived in the UK in 1968. He studied economics at the University of Hull before working as an accountant at Tempest Diesel Ltd.
He set up Allam Marine in 1992 and it was a rapid international success, going from nothing to one of East Yorkshire’s biggest companies.
The business exports across Europe, as well as major markets in Africa and South-East Asia. It turns over nearly £80m annually and declared pre-tax profits of £5.25m in 2016. In 2006 he was named UK Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young. Allam Marine is part of holding company Allamhouse which also has property interests.
Allamhouse turns over £150m a year and has net assets of almost £18m. His son Ehab is co-director.
In 2010 Assem Allam took over ownership
and control of Hull City FC, paying just £1, but pledging to invest £30m in the club. When he wanted to change the club’s name to Hull Tigers
in 2013, there was opposition by fans to the move and the FA rejected the name change. In January manager Mike Phelan was sacked three months a er his appointment. Marco Silva was appointed head coach in June until he was replaced by Leonid Slutsky. He supported rugby league club Hull Kingston Rovers in 2013 with a £1m gi to improve their stadium. He also signed a three year sponsorship deal to bring the British Open Squash Championships to Hull.
He lives in the East Riding village of Kirk Ella. He supports grass roots sports clubs and is a donor to the Hull Truck Theatre. He is a also trustee of Castle Hill Hospital’s Daisy Appeal for medical research.
He is a donor to the Labour Party, but threatened to withdraw support when Jeremy Corbyn became leader, describing him as “a shy Communist”.
INVESTMENT PLEDGE: Hull City FC chairman Assem Allam, who took over ownership of the club in 2010.
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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 28 2017 THE YORKSHIRE POST 19
CAMERASPORT/CHRIS VAUGHAN