It was as soon as referred to as ‘the weaving capital of the world’. However with the textile trade lengthy gone, Blackburn has a brand new – and maybe extra doubtful – declare to fame as Britain’s vaping hotspot.
The previous mill city in Lancashire has the nation’s highest focus of outlets promoting controversial e-cigarettes. There are 22.56 registered vape retailers per 100,000 residents, in response to on-line vape retailer Go Smoke Free.
The North-West is the worst place in Britain for underage vaping.
Blackburn and the neighbouring city of Darwen are additionally residence to a few of Britain’s richest vaping barons.
These businessmen are profiting handsomely from the vaping increase amid issues in regards to the results on younger individuals – regardless of a ban on gross sales to under-18s – and the environmental influence of discarded e-cigarettes.
Success story: Vape Dinner Woman founder Mohammed Patel sells dessert-inspired merchandise in 115 nations
The vaping tycoons of Blackburn have carved out a profitable area of interest in an trade dominated by manufacturers resembling Chinese language-owned Elf Bar, which has 70 per cent of the market, and giants resembling British American Tobacco.
Hovering numbers of vapers have helped to line their pockets. The quantity of people that vape grew by 9 per cent to 4.7 million in 2023, in response to anti-smoking marketing campaign group Ash. Some 230 specialist vape shops opened final yr, taking the entire throughout the UK to three,573, in response to the Native Information Firm.
Individually, market analysis firm NIQ and commerce journal The Grocer discovered vape gross sales had been price £897 million in 2023. The Authorities, which has inspired vaping as a method to assist cigarette people who smoke to stop, has noticed a much-needed revenue-raising alternative. Ministers are mentioned to be mulling a brand new vape tax, which is perhaps launched in subsequent week’s Funds.
There is no such thing as a apparent purpose why so many unrelated vaping corporations, whose homeowners aren’t linked, have fashioned a cluster in a small space of Lancashire.
Nevertheless, Blackburn can boast of being the house of different high- profile entrepreneurs, together with the Issa brothers, Zuber and Mohsin.
Within the Sixties their mother and father moved from India to Blackburn. The siblings, who grew up in a terraced home, now personal grocery store chain Asda.
Blackburn was named as one of many UK’s most entrepreneurial cities in 2022, primarily based on the variety of new small enterprise start-ups.
One other Blackburn enterprise founder making waves is Mo Isap, a tech entrepreneur who not too long ago secured a deal for his award profitable enterprise IN4 Group with power big Saudi Aramco, one of many world’s greatest corporations.
Philip Boyle (pictured) and his enterprise associate Nathan Walton arrange Flavour Warehouse 12 years in the past
Philip Boyle
Estimated price: £114 million
Firm: Flavour WarehouseÂ
Gross sales: £140 million
Revenue: £22.2 million
Philip Boyle and his enterprise associate Nathan Walton arrange Flavour Warehouse 12 years in the past.
It now produces 30 million liquid bottles per yr and sells in additional than 80 nations. In addition to its base in Darwen, it has a manufacturing facility in Guildford, Surrey. The agency employs 300 individuals and goals to be ‘essentially the most trusted vaping firm worldwide’ by taking ‘full management of all the manufacturing course of’.
In accordance with its most up-to-date accounts, turnover rose by 95 per cent to £140 million in 2022, and earnings practically trebled to £22.2 million. Boyle netted the vast majority of a £3 million dividend, up from £42,253 the earlier yr.
Its flagship model is Vampire Vapes and export gross sales go as far afield as Japanese Europe and the USA.
It additionally acts as a wholesaler for manufacturers resembling Elf Bar and it has prolonged into retail, operating its personal Vapestore retailers.
The corporate owns comfort retailer model Premier Retail. Boyle, 40, sits on the board of the Unbiased British Vape Commerce Affiliation. That organisation ‘exists to provide the unbiased vaping sector a voice with authorities our bodies, regulators, enforcement companies and lots of different events’ – whereas being ‘free from management from any tobacco enterprise’.Â
Former salesman Boyle now lives in a £1.2 million mansion in Clayton-le-Dale, an upmarket village nestled within the Ribble Valley close to Blackburn.
Mohammed Patel
Firm: Vape Dinner Woman
Gross sales: £24 million
Revenue: £2.9 million
One other enormous Blackburn success story is Vape Dinner Woman – which boasts of promoting its dessert-inspired liquids in 115 nations. Its uncommon flavours embrace Berry Blast, Melon Twist and Kiwi Melon. Based in 2005 by Mohammed Patel, 43, it was named Greatest Vaping Model in 2022 on the ‘Vapouround’ trade awards and employs 200 individuals.
Turnover grew to £24 million in 2022, up from £15.3 million the earlier yr, whereas earnings practically doubled to £2.9 million.
Complete dividends of £8 million had been paid during the last three years. The agency is rebuilding its Blackburn base after a devastating fireplace final September and it has shifted manufacturing to ‘a number of worldwide centres’. Patel mentioned he set it up as a result of he was ‘captivated’ by the booming enterprise of vaping as an alternative choice to smoking. ‘However the true motivator was pushed by my very own expertise of utilizing e-liquids,’ he mentioned.
‘Regardless of the myriad of merchandise and flavours out there, the choice on supply merely wasn’t as much as a lot, for my part.’
Christopher Parker stayed as finance director
Matthew Moden, Christopher Parker and Abraham Spain
Estimated price: £14.5 million
Firm: Liberty Flights
The three founders of vape firm Liberty Flights shared as much as £14.5 million once they bought their Darwen-based enterprise to retail group Supreme in 2022. Based in 2009, the agency had grown its annual gross sales to £9million and earnings to £1.5million.
By the point of the sale, it had a thriving enterprise promoting in comfort shops. It had additionally launched a rechargable vaping machine referred to as the Dot Professional. Liberty Flights has seven retailers and a model which sells dozens of sorts of liquids utilized in e-cigarettes.
Christopher Parker, 36, stayed as finance director after the sell-off, however Matthew Moden, 50, and 46-year-old Abraham Spain headed for pastures new with their fortunes.
Jason Cropper and brother Fraser, pictured, based Completely Depraved in 2008
Jason and Fraser Cropper
Estimated price: £107 million
Firm: Completely Depraved
Gross sales: £90 million
Revenue: £1.6 million
Jason Cropper and brother Fraser based Completely Depraved in 2008 and are thought to have a fortune just like Boyle’s. The Blackburn-based agency, which employs greater than 370 individuals, has seen gross sales balloon – practically doubling to £90.4 million in 2023, up from £54.4 million the earlier yr. Revenue surged from £360,000 to £1.6 million in 2023.
Former smoker Jason, 59, as soon as even stored gold bars in his residence. He stepped down from the enterprise in 2013 after refusing to retract feedback about e-cigarette licensing in a controversial e-mail to regulators.
Fraser, 57, stays on the helm as managing director. He lives along with his spouse in a £700,000 residence in a village in Somerset.
However the sibling entrepreneurs stay near their East Lancashire roots they usually sponsor Blackburn Rovers Soccer Membership.
Jason was the sufferer of a surprising theft at his residence in Samlesbury, Lancashire, in 2013. 4 masked raiders armed with crowbars broke into his residence, earlier than tying him up, dousing him with bleach and overlaying his head with a towel.
They made off along with his £60,000 Vary Rover, two gold bars price £50,000, plus £70,000 in money and three costly watches.
The tycoon suffered head accidents and couldn’t stroll correctly for per week.
He mentioned he believes the gang robbed him as a result of they thought he had £4 million of gold in his home.
After the raid, he spent about £20,000 on superior safety for his £750,000 residence, together with 10 cameras, lights, 8ft fencing, a monitored alarm system and a guard canine.
The native vape corporations talked about had been contacted for remark.
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