Honours for Lancashire business leaders

Leading members of Lancashire’s business community have been honoured in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for their work in the community.

Chorley Group chairman Andrew Turner and Khalid Saifullah, managing director at Blackburn-headquartered Star Tissue UK Blackburn have both received MBEs.

Andrew’s award is in recognition for his support for charities in the Chorley area as well as his work providing employment locally.

Khalid has helped to establish a number of community initiatives and supported charitable causes in his home town. Earlier this year he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.

As chairman of the £130m turnover Chorley Group, Andrew has built a successful business trading across Europe — making it one of the country’s best known motor groups — employing around 250 people.

And as founding chairman of ‘Inspire’ Chorley Youth Zone, he has taken a lead role in securing more than £2.5m of investment to guarantee its long term success and sustainability.

He said: “I am truly humbled to receive this honour — it really should be shared with all the people who have worked alongside me over the years at both Chorley Group and the Inspire Youth Zone. Their passion and hard work are the things that drive me on.

“I am particularly delighted that this honour will put the spotlight on the need for a centre like Inspire which does so much to support young people in our community.”

Andrew has also been actively involved with MENCAP, one year raising enough funds to cover Chorley MENCAP’s entire running costs for a full year.

Chorley Group’s financial backing as Chorley FC’s lead sponsor for many years has also helped the community club flourish. This year the Magpies won promotion to the National League.

Khalid, 44, said of his honour: “It has been a great year for me, first being made a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire and now receiving an MBE for my work in business and the community. This honour really belongs to my friends and family.”

As well as managing director of Star Tissue he is also a director of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and on the board of the Minority Enterprise Development Trust.

Star Tissue is one of the UK’s leading independent manufacturers of hygiene paper products.

The business manufactures a wide range of household and away-from-home paper products from its custom built production facility.