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Mike Welch

Tyres. Liverpool-born but Peebles-based, Welch became a tyre fitter at 16. Just a few years later he had set up a company, been headhunted by Kwik-Fit, and started a second tyre business, Blackcircles.com. It should have sales of £15m this year. On the back of its growth in five years, we value the business and Welch at £12m.