ALTON businessman James Wright has been shortlisted for Male Entrepreneur of the Year at the Thames Valley Business and Community Awards.

He is one of seven nominees to be shortlisted, with the winner set to be announced next Wednesday during a ceremony at the Macdonald Berystede Hotel and Spa in Ascot, Berkshire.

Mr Wright, 31, is managing director of Fruitful Marketing Ltd – a company he founded more than two-and-a-half years ago with a view to providing both customer service and results.

Brought up in Woking, Mr Wright set up his first money-making venture at just 13 while attending secondary school, selling sweets and doughnuts to fellow pupils, expanding into computer games and consoles, which resulted in a healthy ISA account.

With the desire to run his own business staying with him, he studied business studies, accounting and computing at college before going straight into employment.

For the next 10 years, his business career took him from his first job as a debt collection agent to senior marketing positions at Europe’s largest steel storage manufacturer, Europe’s largest art materials supplier, and a leading safety and corporate workwear provider.

According to James they all had a reccurring theme.

“After an impressive pitch and initial excitement, the support would quickly change. These marketing agencies did not receive renewals at the end of their contracts as they were never results orientated and were seen as an expense rather than an investment,” he said.

As a result James saw a gap in the market and Fruitful Marketing Ltd was launched in May 2015, “with a focus on understanding customer requirements and delivering excellence in both customer service and results”.

Married to an Alton woman, James moved to the town 10 years ago and his business was initially based at home. He is a member of four business groups and has recently expanded the company to include an office in Basingstoke.

Fruitful Marketing has just rebranded and has a new website, and it is organising thought leadership and seminar events and, according to James, has some “exciting new clients and projects” in the pipeline.

Understanding that “youth are the future”, the company has provided work experience or internships for four students already and James is keen for this trend to continue.

“As the company continues to grow I can personally guarantee it will always remain true to its core values and honest, ethical practices, listening to our clients to ensure we are understanding requirements and always delivering excellence,” he said.

On learning he had been shortlisted for the Thames Valley award, he said: “The Thames Valley is a busy, thriving and competitive environment, so to be one of only a handful of entrepreneurs shortlisted is an extremely proud moment for me. Fruitful Marketing has achieved some fantastic results for clients and, as the founder, I am delighted to be recognised among some fantastic entrepreneurs with this award shortlisting.”

Alec Jones-Hall, director of Thames Valley Business and Community Awards, said: “We are proud and excited to be celebrating outstanding achievement across the region and rewarding those who are making a huge impact throughout the Thames Valley.

“It is also a time for the business community to come together, not only to celebrate the accomplishments of those shortlisted and the deserving winners of each category, but also to mark the fact that we all continue to play a vital role in the success of our region and that its future achievements will be built on the foundations we lay today.”