NEWS

NEWS CENTRE

British Garden Centres arrives in Nottinghamshire

British Garden Centres (BGC) has announced the arrival of the group’s 59th arden centre. i er ans Garden Centre of Woodborough, Nottingham joined BGC on Monday 14 e ruary . s with all the centres in the group, this centre will also carry a local name so will be renamed Woodborough Green arden entre.

Phillippa Stubbs, director of BGC South says: “We have known the site for many years and admired the way the Timmermans family have developed its strong reputation for quality plants, a wonderful restaurant and a great family shopping e perience. We are loo in forward to working with the team to develop the business further and build on its herita e.

Timmermans Garden Centre has developed over the last 30 years into one of the leading garden centres in ottin ha shire. In recent years, Sophie and Greg Timmermans-Delves have invested in the centre and restaurant. ollowin an extensive refurbishment programme in 2011, the team went on to be named 2016 Garden Centre of the Year at the Garden Retail and arden ndustry wards.

Sophie says: “We thought long and hard about who should become the next custodians. We are deli hted that our team is joining the fa ily. s we e ar on a new adventure, we are con dent that the centre will flourish and continue to serve the good people of ottin ha shire well.

britishgardencentres.com

Coolings becomes an Employee Ownership Trust

Coolings Nurseries has announced that 75% of the third-generation company has been signed over to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), with staff across its four sites in Kent and East Sussex set to ene t.

Paul Coolings says: “We had already planned a meal at The House of Commons to celebrate successful navigation of the COVID pandemic and now we have an extra reason to raise a lass.

In speeches, former shareholders David Cooling and Gary Carvosso paid tribute to Michael & Shirley Cooling who both passed away efore the pande ic. t was Michael who took on the half acre Chislehurst site from his father in the 1960s and de eloped it into a pro ta le business before relocating to the now famous 14-acre site in noc holt in .

Paul Cooling, who retains a 25% shareholding, praised the executive directors for guiding the business since their last celebration at the House of Commons in recognition of the company’s centenary in . ac then we had two sites, just over 100 employees and sales of around . ow we have four sites, nearly 200 employees and sales well over . n addressin the tea regarding the EOT he said: ou e earned it .

Coinciding with the change of ownership, Gary Carvosso now becomes chairman, Paul Cooling takes up the new role of vice chairman and Dwayne Ross becomes ana in director. an a on is production and operations director, and David Cooling has now left the usiness.

www.coolings.co.uk

New garden recycling scheme launches

tewart ttwood

Two horticultural brands have joined forces to provide gardeners with a solution to plant pot recycling, preventing further plastic waste ending up in land ll. ustaina le plant pot designer elho has partnered with garden centre retailer Dobbies to provide plastic plant pot recycling bins across of its centres. his will a e it easier to reduce unnecessary plastic waste in the garden and prevent further plastic waste endin up in land ll.

It has been widely reported that er side recyclin of plant pots is challen in . olicies ary si ni cantly fro council to council, particularly when it co es to lac plant pots which can leave gardeners at a loss with what to do with their disre arded pots. ardeners can now ta e their plastic plant pots and trays to o ies stores for the to e recycled. he ins pro ide a si ple eans of disposin of plant pots without having the clutter up arden sheds or addin to land ll.

Marcus Eyles, horticultural director at Dobbies Garden Centres, says: “We are always loo in for ways to e ed sustaina ility into our operations, and this is a positi e step forward. his is also so ethin our custo ers are increasin ly passionate about, and while we have encouraged pot recyclin for a nu er of years in-store, these new ins pro ide custo ers with a clear essa e and opportunity to recycle.

www.dobbies.com www.elho.com/en

Cherry Lane acquires 16th garden centre

Value garden centre group Cherry Lane has acquired Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre in ottin ha shire. he ac uisition the latest in Cherry Lane’s strategy of ongoing expansion, brings the group total to 16 garden centres across East Anglia, or shire and the idlands. herry ane has acquired both the garden centre and its on site itrus af . ic u ins chief e ecuti e of the QD Group which owns herry ane says he latest acquisition of Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre is another step in the ongoing growth and success of Cherry ane. etford ains orou h has een tradin for ore than years and is well nown and lo ed locally.

“We are very pleased to welco e the arden centre tea who rin with the outstanding gardening nowled e and e pertise. We loo forward to continuing the centre’s rich history of serving the co unity. he arden centre which currently e ploys e ers of staff will e nown as etford Gainsborough Garden Centre by Cherry Lane and all staff will e retained. he arden centre will e ana ed initially y ee ac son current ana er at near y herry ane e erley.

www.cherry-lane.co.uk

Association news

GCA announces new chairman and chairman elect

he arden entre ssociation has announced its new chair an for and its chair an elect. a y Woodhouse was of cially na ed as the s chair an for with Will la e director of t eter s arden entre eco in chair an elect. a y who is ana in director of ill roo arden entres says a thrilled to ha e ta en on the role of chair an for . loo forward to wor in closely with the e ecuti e and full oard of elected directors. hope to ether we can continue to e pand our e ership and stren then those all i portant relationships etween centres. would li e to than i e ur s who steps down as chair an for his tireless wor durin the past two years which ha e een the ost challen in any of us ha e e er nown. a loo in forward to i pro in the sustainability of our industry ta in forward the recently de eloped e year strategic plan for the GCA and hopefully eetin e ers in person at the postponed conference later in the year.

www.gca.org.uk

HTA announces departure of its director of policy and communications

he orticultural rades ssociation has announced that a es lar director of policy and co unications has decided to lea e after al ost three years with the or anisation. chair an a es arnes says want to than a es for all his hard wor and co it ent to the and its e ers. e has achie ed a hu e a ount leadin the successful ca pai n to reopen arden centres as the rst sector out of the loc down in ay esta lishin the s rst e er sustainability function and launching the association’s new a a ine nside orticulture deli erin i pro ed e er alue. wish a es all the ery est for the future. a es lar says o iously sad to lea e the ut it is the ri ht ti e to do so. e cited a out new opportunities. really pleased to ha e wor ed with such a reat award winnin policy and co unications tea . o ether we achie ed ey policy chan e i pro ed the ndustry s edia pro le and deli ered insi htful e er co unications. lea e with respect and ratitude to an industry that does so uch that contri utes to local co unities i pro es the en iron ent and ri htens peoples li es. a es has a reed to help with the transition until pril . he will co ence the recruit ent of a successor in due course.

www.hta.org.uk