Secrets of Newark entrepreneur’s success revealed in book

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Charles Lawrence has written a story about his rise from landscaping gardens to building a multinational group of companies.

The Newark businessman will be giving all of the profits from his publication, Somebody Said That It Couldn’t Be Done…The Life And Times Of Charles Lawrence, to the International Air & Space Institute in Newark.

The book explains how Mr Lawrence established a group of Newark-based companies providing artificial surfaces for sports pitches and children’s play areas — all from recycled lorry tyres.

Mr Lawrence said: “I wanted to write the story of how I did it to inspire other would be entrepreneurs to give it a go.

“I’ve been honest about the decisions I have taken — both right and wrong — and the personal cost that comes with building a large business.”

Mr Lawrence set up Charles Lawrence Surfaces Ltd in the late 1960s and has since acquired other companies in the area, including The Malcolm Group in 2006 and Woodholme Construction in 2007.

His book was launched at a reception at Newark College and all proceeds from its sale will be donated to the IASTI to contribute to flight, engineering and groundcrew training for young people who want to work in aviation.

IASTI director Tom Marsden said: “This is an amazingly generous gesture by Mr Lawrence and we are hugely grateful.

“We’ve made significant investments in the IASTI facilities at Newark College and students are already using our state-of-the-art flight simulator and taking flying lessons out of Tollerton Airfield in our new plane.

“The proceeds from Charles’ book will help us to continue to provide such an amazing training experience for young people in Newark and across the region.”

The book is available on Amazon.