Tim Webber Lancastrian of the Year 2010

Date: 12.02.2010

In front of a packed audience of 1000 business men and women across Lancashire in the Globe Theatre Blackpool on Friday evening, the Be Inspired Business Awards – Lancastrian of the year title returned to Pendle for the second time in 3 years.

The 2010 recipient, Tim Webber, Chairman and Managing Director of the Barnfield Construction Group of companies, based on Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Nelson followed in the footsteps of friend and colleague Dennis Mendoros, the inaugural winner of the prestigious award in 2008 and who joined business leaders in their spontaneous acclamation of Tim’s lifetime achievement both for Lancashire and the construction industry across the UK and mainland Europe.

Presenting the award, Lancashire Economic Partnership’s Chief Executive Dennis Taylor – co-host for the evening alongside Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive – Babs Murphy told how the Nelson born, budding rock band drummer, trained as a Civil Engineer before opening the first of his 18 companies with Business partner – Chris Holgate in 1976. Now very much a family orientated business with wife Sheila and sons James and Joe joining Tim at the helm, the company continues to defy the recession by expanding its customer options and diversifying across the property and construction industry.

From general contracting and local authority grant work over 30 years ago, house building and commercial/industrial development soon followed. Numerous joint ventures with private companies and a raft of local authorities, have been set up and despite sitting on a range of Partnership boards across Pendle and Lancashire in general, he is also currently developing in mainland Spain, where he has a second home.

In Lancashire alone, Barnfield has developed over 40 million sq.ft of industrial space, nationwide – over 150 office developments support thousands of businesses and over 1600 houses have been created across the UK. Key projects include the magnificent Boundary Mill Retail outlet in Colne, Shuttleworth Mead Business Park in Padiham, the new Blackpool Illuminations HQ in Blackpool, Lomeshaye Industrial Park, Nelson and the towns two flagship buildings – No 1 Market Street and the stunning Arts, Cultural and Enterprise (ACE) Centre. His contemporary residential developments in Manchester and Liverpool stand comparison with the finest in the land.

Aside from his family and his music, Tim’s interests are skiing, classic cars good food and good wine.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Taylor described Tim as’ a giant on the Lancashire business map, determined to beat the recession and generate wealth and employment for his beloved Nelson’  Pendle Council Chief Executive – Stephen Barnes said that Tim’s joint ventures with the council ‘ had changed the face of Pendle in recent years with iconic buildings and 21st century business, residential and leisure facilities helping put the borough firmly  on the North West map as a great place to live, visit and do business’
Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire and Chair of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire – Dennis Mendoros said ‘, The whole of Lancashire should be proud of Tim Webber’s vision , determination and achievements in creating and sustaining local employment, designing and constructing iconic state of the arts buildings and having the courage to expand into new areas when many in his sector are falling by the wayside.

In his response Tim Webber expressed his astonishment at being chosen by his peers for the award and described the evening as one of the finest of his life. He paid tribute to his family and workforce for their loyal support over the years, to clients, customers and friends for standing shoulder to shoulder during difficult economic times, and to Pendle Council, the Pendle Vision Board and the Lancashire Economic Partnership for creating the local and sub-regional strategies which have given his company a framework in which to prosper.