Council scaffolder from Liverpool scores £62m payday after listing his protein shakes business on the London Stock Exchange

Council scaffolder from Liverpool scores £62m payday after listing his protein shakes business on the London Stock Exchange

 

A Liverpudlian scaffolder has bagged a £62 million pay day after putting his sports supplement business on the London Stock Exchange.

Raised by his grandparents on a council estate following his father’s death, Thomas Ryder, 41, established his sports nutrition brand, Applied Nutrition, a decade ago.

Business has since boomed becoming one of Europe’s fastest growing brands sponsoring the likes of Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Plummet and ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann.

After opening his first ever supplement store, Body Fuel, he began selling muscle bulking protein powder, creatine and more at the tender age of 18.

After six years of juggling scaffolding work and selling supplements full-time, Mr Ryder created Applied Nutrition and began working from a small factory in Knowsley.

Mr Ryder has since sold part 19 per cent of the shares from his business – valued at £350 million – on the stock exchange.

 

JD Sports is one of its biggest shareholders, while its ex-chairman Peter Cowgill has also invested in a personal capacity.

The entrepreneur continues to hold a 34 per cent stake in the fitness supplement business.

His partner of several years  Lydia Paxton was appointed head of HR last year, however she reports to the chief operating officer and not to Mr Ryder himself.

‘I’ve always been passionate about supplements and ingredients,’ he told the Telegraph.

‘But back when I left school, this industry was nowhere near what it is today.

‘It was still very much a bodybuilders’ industry. That has never been my thing but I’ve always been into the benefits of supplements.’

Now the Liverpudlian businessman has now set his sights across the pond, with big hopes for his American dreams.

He told the publication: ‘The US is the big goal. We are in an industry worth £189bn and the US is 50pc of that.

‘You can’t ignore the fact that it’s by far the biggest opportunity.’

He added: ‘Our priority is to keep growing. We have not scratched the surface of where we can be. The growth opportunity ahead of us is huge.’

However gym fanatics aren’t his only audience, as Mr Ryder hopes to draw in those using weigh loss jabs such as WeGovy.

He pointed out that the injections often stop people from eating which in turn means people ‘are lacking protein, minerals, vitamins, etc’ which he believes they can supplement.