Brothers Vijay and Bhikhu Patel have scooped a top accolade at the Asian Business Awards in recognition of their remarkable "rags to riches" tale.
The dynamic Benfleet duo arrived to Britain from Kenya in 1967 with nothing, but now control the giant pharmaceutical company Waymade Healthcare in Miles Gray Road, Basildon, - worth £290m.
Vijay opened his first shop, Chemys, in Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh. He founded Waymade in 1975 and was joined by his brother, an architect, in 1982.
They received the Business of the Year Award at last night's glitzy ceremony, held at the Natural History Museum in London.
Published Wednesday, March 20, 2002
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