A SOLAR panel specialist will be the key speaker at a Brighouse business event.

Chris Hopkins, Managing Director of Ploughcroft, will speak at the monthly Brighouse Link networking lunch on April 26 at Prego in Brighouse.

Chris, who is best known for his appearance on BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den, will tell his story of how he took his business from a turnover of £1.2m and loss of £200k to a turnover of £12m and a healthy profit within three years.

After successfully securing investment from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis on Dragons Den, Chris saw sales double – his TV appearance resulted in over 1,000 enquiries for solar PV in two just weeks.

During the last 12 months Chris has extended Ploughcroft’s national presence at eight locations around the country.

Chris said: “I am looking forward to sharing my story with other local business people at the Brighouse Link event.

“There are some great small businesses in the Brighouse area and I am hoping that I can inspire local entrepreneurs to think even bigger and achieve even more.”

Tickets for the event cost £15, including lunch at Prego. The event starts at 11.30am and runs until 2pm.

For more information or to reserve a place: www.sleighandstory.co.uk