Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2014: No. 65 - John Jakes, Acorn Mobility
The stairlifts entrepreneur is worth £130m.
Acorn Mobility Services was set up in a cramped Bradford terraced block in 1991. Now based in Shipley it assembles more than 1,000 stair lifts units a month from components manufactured at other Acorn owned plants throughout the UK. Acorn's founder John Jakes owns all the business which saw its profits soar to £16.7m on £127m sales in 2013.
Age: 58
Activity: Stairlifts
Wealth: £130m
Latest turnover: £127m
Five-year rise in turnover: 95%
No. of employees: 973
Five-year rise in employment: 22%
Score: 179
