Latics owner Frank Rothwell has spoken about the importance of local business at the latest Ultimate Oldham Business Expo.
It’s the third such expo in recent years, with attendees including Pegasus, Oldham Athletic, The Growth Hub, Oldham Enterprise Trust, Wrigley Claydon Solicitors, and even The Oldham Times.
Free to attend, the event took place at The Eastern Pavillion on Featherstall Road South, on Thursday, September 28.
Aged 73, Frank also acts as a local business ambassador in the borough and is planning to row across the Atlantic for charity.
Speaking at the expo, he said: “The businesses are going to get more people aware that they are an Oldham business, and what they have to offer. That’s what everyone should take home – for people to be more aware that they exist.”
Frank also spoke about his upcoming 3,000-mile row across the Atlantic, which he hopes will raise £1 million for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
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He said: “I’ve done it before, I’ve got two Guinness World Records for rowing across the Atlantic. I’ve got one for the oldest person, I’ve also got the oldest person to do it solo.
“Last time I did it was two years ago. I raised over a million pounds for Alzheimer’s Research. I’m planning on doing that again, we’re targeting a million pounds this year as well.”
Frank said he hoped to smash the target.
He added: “We hope so, as long as it’s not just ‘the same old bloke doing it again’ I can sell it to people.”
The businessman added that it took him 56 days to row last time, but that he will have to take extra food.
Frank said: “Last year somebody took 110 days, and because of that the race organisers are making me take 110 days of food, which is a bit of a pain for me, because I’ve got to take another 50kg of food which I wouldn’t normally want to take.”
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Other attendees at the business expo included Foxglove Papers, run by 17-year-olds Spencer Froggatt and Katie Lee, among other students of Oldham Hulme Grammar School.
The company, set up about nine months ago, makes plantable greetings cards embedded with wildflower seeds.
It previously claimed the top accolade at the annual Young Enterprise Trade Fair under its former name ‘Garden Greetings’. The cards cost £3.50 each, and can be bought on the company’s website.
Katie, from Failsworth, said: “The paper has got wildflower seeds embedded, and once you’re done with your paper you can rip it up and plant it in plant pots, and wildflower seeds will grow from that.
“We’re looking to expand our market, we’re definitely trying to get into a lot more stockists and things like that as well, and we’re working with smaller artists to make cards as well.”
Foxglove Papers weren’t the only green-minded company at the event.
The Box King’s Mark Adlen was telling Oldhamers about the benefits of his business. The business, based at the former Oldham Brewery site in the town centre, rescues boxes for reuse.
Mark said he hopes to take the business nationwide. He added: “It’s about being more sustainable and helping the environment, so it ticked all the boxes really.
“We’re targeting everybody from the individual who wants to send a single parcel, to removal companies sending hundreds and hundreds of boxes, and everyone in between, Amazon sellers, eBay sellers, people with small businesses who want to be more ethical and sustainable, and save money.”
The event was organised by Kashif Ashraf, who also acts as the Oldham president of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Kashif said: “It’s all about encouraging businesses to do businesses with each other. It’s aimed at businesses, so it has people like recruitment people, business advice, and just generally getting businesses to connect with each other, and keeping the Oldham pound within Oldham.
“I’m hoping that businesses will connect, they might meet people they’ve not known about, but also highlight some of the great businesses that we’ve got in this town.”
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