Stanley Clarke (businessman)
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Sir Stanley Clarke CBE |
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|---|---|
| Born |
Stanley William Clarke 7 June 1933 Woods Lane, Stapenhill, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 19 September 2004 (aged 71) Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire |
| Cause of death | Colorectal cancer |
| Residence | Dunstall Hall |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Burton Technical High School |
| Occupation |
Plumber Property developer Horse trainer entrepreneur |
| Known for |
St. Modwen Properties Northern Racing Owner Lord Gyllene (Winner, 1997 Grand National) |
| Spouse(s) | Hilda Leavesley (1957–2004) (His death) |
| Children | 3xdaughters, 1xson |
| Parent(s) | Victor, brewery worker Mabel, maid |
| Awards |
CBE (1990) Knights Bachelor (2001) |
Sir Stanley Clarke, CBE, DL (7 June 1933 – 19 September 2004), was an English businessman, a self-made millionaire property developer, horse racing enthusiast, and philanthropist.
Stanley William Clarke was born in Woods Lane, Stapenhill, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, on 7 June 1933. His father Victor was previously a brewery worker, disabled by tuberculosis; while his mother Mabel was a maid at Dunstall Hall. To help his family financially, from aged 9 Clarke undertook a daily paper round before school, delivered Prescription medication in the evenings, and at weekends delivered meat for the local butcher. Thinking of leaving school to become a farmers-hand, before his death when Clarke was aged 11, his father persuaded him to stay on at Burton Technical High School.
Aged 15, he became an apprentice plumber. On graduation he started his own business. Working from a bicycle with a front carrier for his tools, he aimed to provide a better service, at a better price, than anyone else.
Aged 21, he agreed a deal with a local farmer to buy one acre of land. The farmer agreed to waive the purchase price of £125 until Clarke had gained planning permission, which he duly did and sold the land ownwards for £650 before paying for it.
In 1966, Clarke and his brother-in-law Jim Leavesley set up the building firm Clarke Quality Homes, which he developed into a major regional house builder. Building more than 500 houses a year, it was the largest privately owned house-building and development company in the country. Clarke believed that quality was a prime requirement of any business or private enterprise, a notion which gained Clarke Homes six National House Building Council awards on different sites around the country in a single year.
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