Peterborough business owner who shines a light on retailers is finalist in national enterprise awards
An enterprising owner of a Peterborough business has been named as a finalist in a national awards contest.
Mark Shortland, founder of Shoplight, based in Titan Drive, Fengate, has been shortlisted for the Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year category in the 2026 Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
The awards celebrate the most exceptional and inspiring business stories across the UK, recognising entrepreneurs from every nation and region for their innovation, impact and resilience.
Mr Shortland said: “We’ve transformed our business, and indeed industry, in the last three years moving the supply of retail lighting from environmentally-damaging virgin aluminium fittings produced in China, to 3D-printed biopolymers made right here in the UK.
He said: "Being shortlisted for this award is a wonderful recognition of the work I and Shoplight have done in pioneering a new, more sustainable way of lighting retail stores.”
Shoplight’s milestones include:
- Moire than £7 million of lighting supplied per year to retail brands
- Supply of lighting solutions to flagship stores including Lululemon, LEGO, Skechers and ASICS across the UK and EU
- More than 80 per cent of the products sold are now made from biopolymers using additive manufacturing at the companies plant in Peterborough
- Introduced the industry’s first ‘buy-back’ encouraging retailers to return their lighting products for reuse at end-of-life
Two years ago, Shoplight celebrated its 10th anniversary with the opening of a £250,000 state-of-the-art 3D printing and production centre to create sustainable light fittings for well known retailers across the UK and Europe.
Frankie James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “When we launched the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in 2012, we set out to back the businesses that get on and build, the ones that don’t always get the recognition they deserve.
“This year’s cohort represents billions in turnover and tens of thousands of jobs, but what I’m proudest of is the determination behind those numbers.
"These are founders who have stuck with it through every kind of year, and championing them is exactly why we do this.”
Conrad Ford, chief product & strategy officer at Allica, which supports the awards, said: “What stands out this year is the optimism and ambition that continue to define the UK’s established business community.”