42 under forty two TONY RAYNOR. 42 MANAGING DIRECTOR. ABBEY TELECOM, BLACKBURN Reseller Abbey Telecom was formed just over ten years ago by Tony Raynor. After leaving school he worked in the telecoms industry and was one of the first people to set up a mobile phone high street shop in London. He sold out before the competition became too great and travelled to such hot spots as Sierra Leone and Liberia. He established Abbey Telecom in Black burn, even though he's originally from Lytham St Annes. because it had opportunities for business grants which he won. Always on the look-out for good promotional opportunities. Abbey Telecom was one of the first companies to use animal advertising by dressing young sheep in fluorescent jackets with 'whoisthis.co.uk' on them. The campaign generated quite a buzz and was covered by a number of regional newspapers as well as regional TV. Abbey Telecom now employs 12 full time staff in Blackburn and has seen its turnover increase year on year. The financial year to April 2003 saw Abbey grow from £712.000 turnover to £913.000. In his spare time Raynor is also a director of Chamber of Commerce East Lancashire and the Blackburn and District Enterprise Trust Claim to fame: this is the man who put adverts on sheep.

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