William Lomas

摘要

Ask William Lomas whom he most admires in industry and he has no hesitation in naming the non-conformist businessman Richard Branson and super-suction vacuum cleaner inventor James Dyson. 'They've taken their chances, developed new ideas and put their money where their mouth is,' he declares. But his choice of two such entrepreneurs is hardly surprising, for in describing their achievements he's also describing his own. If you want a classic example of an entrepreneur within the carpet industry, you need look no further than William Lomas. Mr Lomas' career in carpets began on the retail side, working in his father's carpet and furniture shop. Then, in 1970, aged just 28, he made the decision to go into manufacturing to capitalise on the growing trend towards shag pile carpets. Joining forces with Jim Wadeson and using £600 of his own money and a bank loan, he put a few pass machines into a room in Ashton-under-Lyne and called the new set-up Ryalux. As shag pile grew within the market over the following four or five years, so did the company.