In This Issue
"New Gardeners", how are garden centres reacting to them, or not...
Back to the ‘New Normal’
Garden Pride are fully stocked and ready for Christmas
Paul Sykes departs Apta after a decade of growth
Autumn plant sales stay way ahead
Two-thirds more gardening this Autumn
Gardening grows green shoots of optimism
Greenfingers completes 59th and 60th garden projects
The lockdown gardeners – who are they and how do we keep them?
Dobbies and the HTA urge people to #KeepBritainGrowing
Gardenex, PetQuip and the CHA welcome rises in membership
Top selling tools from Darlac after lockdown
Burgon & Ball launches new designs for RHS Gifts for Gardeners range
Garden centre creates 24 jobs at new restaurant
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair moves to February
Smart welcomes new National Accounts Manager
Gardeners get active again and sales jump
RHS and Scholastic to launch new activity books for children
Christmas not growing as fast as last year
Digital edition of GrootGroenPlus 2020 hailed a success
From Liverpool to Cornwall - rich harvest for national wildflower centre
The best of last week's
When it rains... sales fall. Garden centre business as normal...
Rosebourne sign up Whalley and Ormrod
Tong applies for planning permission for a second site
Pet and garden store chain commits to the high street
Fire & water - Woodlodge adds to product line-up
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Pets Choice buys pet accessory business The Animate Company
Luxury dog accessory range launched
PATS Telford Best in Show revealed
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Paul Sykes departs Apta after a decade of growth

 

Paul Sykes, Managing Director of Apta, has left the company. Apta was acquired  by Ames in November 2019, prior to which Paul was the company’s owner. He led Apta since 2009 and has overseen the company’s transformation which saw sales triple over the period, entirely  through organic growth. 

 

Commenting on his departure Sykes said: “It’s been a huge pleasure to lead Apta for the last decade, and to have had the opportunity to work with wonderful people in the garden trade, including so many customers who have become friends. I am really looking forward to seeing Apta flourish as part of the Ames family. Ames have huge ambition for the UK, and as the worldwide leader in garden products Apta couldn’t be in better hands."

 

Paul North, Group Managing Director of Ames UK & Ireland, added: “We’re immensely grateful to Paul for agreeing to stay at the helm of Apta to oversee its transition into  the Ames family.  Apta is a wonderful business and we’re absolutely delighted its now part of Ames UK.  Thanks to the great work Paul and his team have done its extremely well positioned for further growth, and we look forward to cementing Apta’s position as the number one pot and planter supplier in the UK."

 

Ames had retained Sykes to assist them with strategy and business development via his management consultancy, Catalyst Consulting Group (enquiries@catalyst-group.co.uk).  “The transition has gone extremely well, and we’ve built a great deal of mutual respect, so I’m delighted to accept an invitation to continue a relationship with Ames in an advisory capacity to the Group."

 

Ames UK & Ireland comprises Apta, Kelkay, La Hacienda, Woodshaw, and True Temper in Ireland. The group has a turnover of £75m and is making significant investments to enable it to double sales to £150m within 5 years. 

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