Tobermore boss in running for prestigious award

The entrepreneurs, which span the retail, consumer, technology, health and leisure sectors among many more, collectively generate annual revenues in excess of €1.325bn.

The finalists from across the island of Ireland will compete across three categories - Emerging, Industry and International - and one overall winner will be selected as The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 in November.

Mr Henderson is competing in the international category.

Tobermore was founded in 1942 by his two uncles, with his father Sam becoming involved in 1946 when he returned from fighting in World War II, using £500 his mother had saved for him to invest in the sand and gravel business.

He joined Tobermore as a production manager in 1976, having graduated with an engineering degree from Queen’s University, with a short stint spent in the USA, before realising his ambition of joining the company.

With minimal training, he applied himself to this new role and with the help of a couple of business courses along the way, he ascended through the ranks succeeding his father in the role of managing director in 1987. He set about transforming the business.

Its efficiency was recognised by the industry in the years that followed with Tobermore winning the CIM Sales Excellence Award in 2004, UK Sales Excellence Award in 2005 and the European Quality Award in 2007.

Winning the European award was especially significant as Tobermore finished above BMW engines, Phillips and Siemens. Tobermore has reaped the rewards of the business excellence programme right through to today.

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