FORMER Driffield School pupil Jon Dean has scooped up a top award at The York Evening Press Business Awards 2011.
Jon, 41, is the owner of CycleStreet (York) Ltd. in Heworth near York, and was announced as the winner of the New Business of the Year Award and runner up for the Retailer of the Year Award at the prestigious ceremony held at York Racecourse.
Having had an interest in bikes from the age of five, Jon, who now lives in Stockton on the Forest, settled in York following a 10-year career in the Royal Air Force. He opened CycleStreet after he was made redundant from his job as Operations Manager for an IT firm in 2009.
Jon said: “Being made redundant as the recession was building meant there were few opportunities in IT, so it came down to a question of ‘what else can I do?’ I can ride bikes, I can fix bikes and I can sell bikes - so that’s what I decided to do!”
After spending six months working in a cycle shop in York to gain experience of a successful business, Jon fulfilled his ambition of opening a cycle shop in March 2010 with the help of Yorkshire Business Link.
Since it opened, CycleStreet, which specialises in bikes from brands such as Orbea, GT, Mongoose and Dawes, has achieved a turnover of almost £250,000 and has become a well-respected asset to the local cycling community. As well as new and used bike sales, CycleStreet offers high-quality repairs and servicing, regular Riders Clinics and monthly road rides.
Spurred on by the early success of his new venture, Jon entered The York Evening Press Business Awards earlier this year, having no idea of the outcome of the awards until it was announced at the ceremony which Jon attended with CycleStreet staff and friends who had helped to set the business up. The cycling enthusiast was delighted with the results.
“I was speechless - for the first time in my life, I’d actually won,” said Jon.
Jon, whose parents still live in Driffield, is happy with the ongoing success of his business, acknowledging that in starting a business in the face of the current challenging economic climate, he has achieved a goal.
“I am my own boss, have a reasonable wage and can’t be made redundant - I have definitely achieved my goal!
“The economic downturn is biting hard, it isn’t even beginning to be over - but our heads are well and truly above water, long may it continue.” Jon added.
For information about CycleStreet, visit the store’s website at www.cycle-street.co.uk or call 01904 427510.