Iqbal Ahmed
Encyclopedia
Iqbal Ahmed, OBE
, is a British
entrepreneur
of Bangladesh
i origin. Based in Manchester
, he made his fortune in shrimp
. The success of his two companies, Seamark and Ibco, have turned him into one of the UK's richest men. He is also the highest British Bangladeshi
to feature on the Sunday Times Rich List
.
, Bangladesh
. He moved to the United Kingdom
in 1971 at the age of 15. He attended the City College in Westminster
, and a few years later he joined his family's business located in Oldham
, which his brothers Kamal and Bilal joined later after the business expanded.
. In 2004, Seamark and Iqbal brothers made a combined profit of £5.1 million on £108 million. The Ahmed family featured in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006, coming at number 511 with a total worth of £110 million. In 2007 however the rank fell to 574, and in 2008 to 644 at £120 million.
Ahmed and his family's Manchester-based business has a £200 million revenues across the city, with also a workforce of 2,000 in Bangladesh, which is where he was born. The products are exported across Europe
and America
, in popular brand names such as Mr Prawn, Lily, Classic and Tiger. In 2001, a new sales office was created in the United States to distribute products in North America, located in New Jersey
and in Brooklyn
, New York City
. He is popularly known by the British community, 'Mr Shrimp' or 'King Prawn'.
, Cheshire
. His brothers Bilal Ahmed and Kamal Ahmed live nearby, on a private estate in the wealthy Cheshire town. He is married with three children, his son Manzur after graduated with an honors in Computer Science
and Management joined Ahmed's business in the restaurant sector. His hobbies include traveling, playing golf, tennis and swimming.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i origin. Based in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, he made his fortune in shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
. The success of his two companies, Seamark and Ibco, have turned him into one of the UK's richest men. He is also the highest British Bangladeshi
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
to feature on the Sunday Times Rich List
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
.
Early life
Ahmed was born in SylhetSylhet Division
Sylhet Division , also known as Greater Sylhet or Sylhet region, is the northeastern division of Bangladesh, named after its main city, Sylhet...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. He moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1971 at the age of 15. He attended the City College in Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, and a few years later he joined his family's business located in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, which his brothers Kamal and Bilal joined later after the business expanded.
Seamark Group
The Seamark Group was created alongside with Ahmed's brothers. The company Ibco is a supplier to the catering trade and Seamark is the frozen-food processor. In 2001, Ahmed was awarded an OBE for services to international trade. He also owns a hotel development, a Thai restaurant and bar called the Vermilion and Cinnabar (opened 14 November 2007), on Hulme Hall Lane which is worth £5 million, close to the City of Manchester StadiumCity of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. In 2004, Seamark and Iqbal brothers made a combined profit of £5.1 million on £108 million. The Ahmed family featured in the Sunday Times Rich List 2006, coming at number 511 with a total worth of £110 million. In 2007 however the rank fell to 574, and in 2008 to 644 at £120 million.
Ahmed and his family's Manchester-based business has a £200 million revenues across the city, with also a workforce of 2,000 in Bangladesh, which is where he was born. The products are exported across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, in popular brand names such as Mr Prawn, Lily, Classic and Tiger. In 2001, a new sales office was created in the United States to distribute products in North America, located in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He is popularly known by the British community, 'Mr Shrimp' or 'King Prawn'.
Personal life
Iqbal Ahmed now lives in WilmslowWilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. His brothers Bilal Ahmed and Kamal Ahmed live nearby, on a private estate in the wealthy Cheshire town. He is married with three children, his son Manzur after graduated with an honors in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
and Management joined Ahmed's business in the restaurant sector. His hobbies include traveling, playing golf, tennis and swimming.