CLACKS Business Awards 2014 – Most Promising New Business Award nominee Osborne Heath.

Osborne Heath was created by Lesley Osborne and Martin Heath in April 2013 following the very stressful demise of their previous employer, which had gone into liquidation.

After several months of wondering what the future would hold, Lesley and Martin were encouraged by Scottish Enterprise to start a new business and utilise the skills of their old workforce.

A simple advert brought the team back together and in the space of a year the company has went from strength to strength from its base in Alloa.

Director Lesley Osborne told the Advertiser it’s been a roller-coaster of a ride.

She said, “We’ve been through so much together. There’s a lot of love between the team. We’re all fond of each other.” One month into trading Lesley was diagnosed with breast cancer. The plucky fighter was treated for the deadly disease and continued to generate business by making phone calls in between hospital appointments.

Lesley said, “I never missed work once. I had surgery one day and then returned to work the next because I felt fine. I had a very positive outcome and it’s a positive story for other women going through the same thing. I just got the all-clear last week.” Osborne Heath has a stack of jobs lined up and over the next 12 months will be working with the likes of the Royal Yacht Britannia, Harrods, Turnberry and Edinburgh Castle.

Lesley added, “We’ve got a project list as long as my arm and getting lots of referrals. We’re having so much fun and are expanding all the time.

“The support has been amazing and HSBC have especially been great and they’re looking for new businesses to lend to.” Osborne Heath’s prosperity is a success story for the Wee County. Although Lesley and Martin live in Kilmacolm and Biggar, the dynamic duo wouldn’t base their business anywhere else.

Lesley added, “We chose Alloa because the highly-skilled people who work here all live within miles of the area.

“It’s a historically textile-rich geographical area and the support from the local Business Gateway team has been invaluable in terms of general start-up advice, grant availability and factory space. “Geographically we are beautifully situated in the middle of nowhere, but central to everywhere, with Andy Scott’s famous Kelpies as our landmark.

“Our base in Clackmannanshire means we have direct routes to all major cities, and being at the foot of the Ochil Hills we have a very peaceful drive to work against a stunning backdrop.” Who they are: Osborne Heath is a soft furnishings manufacturer, working predominantly in the hotel and hospitality market. The company manufactures the likes of curtains and bedroom accessories, such as headboards, cushions, bed throws, valances and whatever else brings style, comfort and warmth. The company has decorated a range of castles, pubs and restaurants and has worked with a host of well-known commercial clients, such as Gleneagles Hotel, Glasgow Hilton, Mexican Restaurant in Dubai and Pernod in the South of France.

What to expect: A passionate team with total commitment to quality, help with fabric selection and other finishes from the sample room and workshops, competitive pricing due to tight controls on production and overheads, technical assistance with writing specifications for installation and curtain design, and above all, a very personal service provided by people who genuinely care about end results.

Osborne Heath; Unit 10, Carsebridge Court, Cooperage Way Business Village, Alloa, FK10 3LQ. For more info, check out www.osborneheath.com, email lesley@osborneheath.com or call 01259 215555.