Steve Lindsey, CEO of Lontra and the innovator behind the revolutionary Blade Compressor, spoke this week to urge British entrepreneurs to back their ideas and not talk themselves out of success.
The CEO’s spoke alongside Craig Sams, founder of Green and Black’s, at Nottingham’s Entrepreneurs Exchange, as part of a nationwide evening of speeches backed by the Prime Minister.
Other speakers across the nation include fashion label founder, Anya Hindmarch MBE, and Tangle Teezer founder, Shaun Pulfrey, all hoping to support and inspire entrepreneurs across the UK to grow their business and boost overseas exports.
Speaking to a capacity audience at The Council House in Nottingham, founder and CEO of Lontra, Steve Lindsey urged attendees to back their ideas: “Resist the voice at the back of your head that says you’re not qualified to succeed.
“Big ideas aren’t the preserve of big companies, and success is far more likely if you share and build ideas with a wider support network.”
As Lontra’s founder, Lindsey conceived, built and licensed the company’s signature Blade Compressor – the first genuinely new design of the compressor in 80 years.
Today, Lontra is working in partnership with local firm Shield Group Engineering to boost efficiency in the UK manufacturing sector.
Lontra’s first product, has been licensed to Sulzer, a global engineering firm in a multi-million pound deal that will see the Blade Compressor sold across 150 countries.
Lontra is challenging established market preconceptions about air compression and delivering superior energy-saving innovations to support the development and growth of British businesses in both engineering and manufacturing.
UK Export Excellence Awards
The inaugural winners of this year’s Export Excellence Awards will be revealed at an exclusive ceremony and gala dinner taking place on Wednesday, 15 June at the Great Hall in Liverpool.
More than 400 of the industry elite will join together for a night of reward, recognition and celebration of UK manufacturing’s export success stories.
To find out more information and book your place, visit the website
It has already won numerous awards and has attracted support from Carbon Trust; Innovate UK; Royal Academy of Engineering; IMechE European Union, and Warwickshire Growth Fund.
Lindsey added: “Inventors tend to be too secretive. We often start conversations too late when the finished product is “done” and money and resources are almost exhausted.
“This doesn’t leave much for tweaks or feedback which can mean a massive financial and time setback.
“I’m urging entrepreneurs to help themselves by starting conversations as early as they can with potential customers, partners and those with experience, rather than second guessing.
“Provided you’ve protected your ideas, early contact will give you a much better end product and, ultimately, shorten the time it takes to get it out to market. In short, get as much help and input as you can to give your idea the best possible chance.”
