In This Issue
Scotts Solus Brands shows off linked sales opportunities
Smart Garden Products aim to be a major player in the marketplace
Dobbies opens new garden centre in Bar Hill, Cambridge
Redwood Stone decides to sell its unique range of Kingfisher Ornamental Stone
It has been a better than average year...by far
Family run garden centre installs solar – for free
Lighting and lawncare products driving sales
LED art frames light up Christmas sales
Nominate your teams for The Greatest Christmas Awards 2014
Alexander Rose duo become jolly good Fellows
Furniture and barbecues market topped £500 million in 2013
GIMA and BHETA set up 'meet the buyer' day at Wyevale
Grow the trendy colours to stay ahead, urges nursery
Dutch growers visit Hawkesmill Nurseries to study UK techniques
Sinclair appoint research specialist to head up growing media
If catering and food are your growth areas our new Food Xtra will help you
Bayer offer hope in box blight crisis
Greenfingers builds Essex hospice a GYO garden
T & M's single-spud potato bags promise impressive yields
Ball Colegrave osteospermum wins best plant award at South-West Growers Show
Tory Chief Whip plants bulbs of Liberty at Kew
Planteria Manager
Garden Care Team Leader - Hertfordshire
Assistant Centre Manager
Nursery Site Manager - West Sussex
Garden Centre Manager - Hampshire
E-Commerce Marketing Executive - Worcestershire
Growing media sales still strong
Arrest in hunt for burglar of garden centre whose owner later died
Bosmere launch next-generation greenhouse heaters
Another record-breaking start for Darlac
New chair for careers campaign
Neudorff shortlisted for top sustainability award
Spook-tacular party at Trelawney Wadebidge
Nursery’s investment in transplants produces bumper crop
£12,000 dolphin is star at Aberdeen garden centre
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Situations Vacant
Planteria Manager
Circa £23k, Scotland
 
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Garden Care Team Leader - Hertfordshire
Up to £20,000pa
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Assistant Centre Manager
Circa £28K, Scotland
 
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Nursery Site Manager - West Sussex
Up to £25,000pa
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Garden Centre Manager - Hampshire
Up to £30,000pa
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E-Commerce Marketing Executive - Worcestershire
Up to £26,000pa
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Contact us with your news.  Email neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk, or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700

 


Family run garden centre installs solar – for free

Family-run Staunton Garden Centre near Tewkesbury has had 108 solar panels installed tree of charge under a solar power purchase scheme.

Owners Brian and Lynn Lewis will purchase zero carbon electricity at a heavily discounted rate from specialists Renewable Energy Investments (REI), who installed the panels. The centre, which is known for its giant geraniums, will then take ownership of the system in 20 years.

The roof-mounted solar 27-kilowatt peak (kWp) system will generate 24,5000 kWh of clean green energy per annum - nearly half of the centre's annual usage. It will cut an estimated £63,000 from the business's electricity bills over the next 20 years - as well as save about 9.8 tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere every year.

The centre would have had to pay £33,000 to fund the capital costs of the installing the system without REI's innovative funding model.

Brian Lewis, who started the two-acre garden centre near Gloucester 35 years ago, said: "Although well established as a business, we have always moved with the times. We started from scratch and over the years we've made many changes.

"It's a win-win situation as our investment was absolutely nothing and there was no risk as far as I am concerned."

Staunton Garden Centre, which has a gift shop, English wine centre and fully licensed restaurant on its site, employs 10 staff.

Zara Thorn, a business development manager at REI, which is based in Ferndown, Dorset, said: "We are finding increasing numbers of garden centres taking advantage of their large roof spaces.

"Because they don't incur any costs under our Solar Power Purchase Scheme, they can preserve their capital to spend on their core business.

"Brian and Lynn at Staunton Garden Centre have also already started to making significant savings from their energy costs, also reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to battle against climate change."

Caption: GOING GREEN: Staunton Garden Centre owner Brian Lewis and REI business development manager Zara Thorn.

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