Mike Welch (businessman)

For the major league pitcher, see Mike Welch (baseball).

Mike Welch (born September 28, 1978) is a British entrepreneur, and managing director of online tyre retailer Blackcircles.com.

Michael Welch

Biography

Born in Liverpool, England, Welch left school aged 16 and began working as a tyre fitter. He quit in 1996, just weeks after joining, to launch his first tyre retail business, MW Motorforce. He ran the company from a room in his parents’ house with a mobile phone and help from a £500 grant from The Prince's Trust.

Welch moved to Edinburgh after being head-hunted by Sir Tom Farmer to work as Kwik-Fit’s New Business and e-Commerce Manager in 2000. He left the company two years later after he was told he would have to wait 30–40 years to make chief executive.

Blackcircles.com is now a significant player in the UK tyre retail market, generating sales of around £30m annually and looking after over 500,000 customers.

Blackcircles.com

He immediately set up Blackcircles.com in 2001 with a first year turnover of £10,000. As of 2012 Blackcircles.com has grown to be a significant player in the UK tyre retail market, generating sales of around £30m annually and looking after over 500,000 customers.[1] The company is based in the Scottish Borders town of Peebles.

In 2011 Tesco Tyres.com was launched, a joint venture between Blackcircles.com and Tesco Plc, the worlds second largest retailer.

Sir Terry Leahy the former CEO of Tesco Plc is a shareholder in Blackcircles.com. The chairman of Blackcircles.com is Graeme Bissett, former Group Finance Director of Kwik-Fit.

Awards

Welch has won a number of awards over the years including;

References

  1. ↑ McArthur, Alistair (23 April 2007). "Blackcircles drives towards 300 outlets". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2007-10-04.

External links