In This Issue
Haskins are buying Forest Lodge Garden Centre
Barton Grange and Fron Goch win top GCA Awards
GCA Conference raises £12,000 for Greenfingers
Your'e on the brink of a huge revolution Sir Tim Smit tells GCA delegates
Pictures from GCA Conference themed-party night
Garden centres receive top awards at GCA conference
AMES has ambitious targets in 2020
Klondyke Group acquire Garden Wise Plant and Garden Centre, Dumfries
GCA appoints two new members to team of inspectors
Great start to January sales in garden centres
Mike Burks to take over as GCA Chairman for 2020/21
Rising Stars prepare for finale at GCA Conference
Westland puts £500k behind Peckish radio and press ads
Tributes to John Ashley as Sue Allen takes over Greenfingers Charity chair
HTA pushes councils to pick up plant pots at kerbside
David Domoney named as Evergreen Garden Care brand ambassador
Hillier unveils plans for 'greatest ever' Chelsea exhibit
New ERP system boosts efficiency and planning at Wyevale Nurseries
Festive shoppers raise funds…to the tune of £2500
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Laurence Flatman dies
Snowdrop Festival gets under way in Scotland
Greening urban areas is priority for more Britain in Bloom entrants
Just days to go to beat scholarship funding deadline...
The best of last week's
Hayes Garden World announce sad passing of Elizabeth Hayes
Caulders buys Loch Lomond Homes & Gardens
Great start to the New Year, reports GTN Bestsellers
£1.5million investment in Kelkay's expansion
Planners approve major project at Hillier's Newbury site
Drive to Monte Carlo in an old banger to FUNdraise for Greenfingers
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
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GCA appoints two new members to team of inspectors

 

The Garden Centre Association has announced Phil McCann (above right) and Mark Taylor (above left) will be joining its team of inspectors.

 

The pair will be responsible for inspecting member garden centres in South Thames with Phil inspecting those in the Garden Centre category and Mark checking members in the Destination Garden Centre category.

 

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “We’re thrilled to have Phil and Mark joining our established team of inspectors.

 

“Phil has vast experience in the horticultural industry and graduated as a Plant Scientist and Mark studied at Writtle Agricultural College and has a HND in Commercial Horticulture.

 

“They will be integral in helping members to keep on improving standards and innovation through their annual inspection visits. The inspection process is very thorough and detailed, the GCA inspectors not only complete the inspection form during their visit but also give objective and honest feedback to the centres’ teams on the day before sending them their report.

 

“They will then make presentations at our regional meetings and during our annual conference in 2021.

 

“The 2020 inspections for member garden centres commence on March 16, 2020 and the inspectors are out visiting them until June 19, 2020, so those in South Thames can expect to see Phil and Mark soon.”

 

Phil graduated as a Plant Scientist and began his career in the horticultural industry as a Houseplant Manager at Prettywood Garden Centre near Manchester. He went on to become Plant Centre Manager at East Bridgford Garden Centre in Nottingham before selling seeds and young plants throughout the north and midlands for Unwins Seeds.

 

He then went on to sell Hillier Nurseries’ hardy nursery stock to garden centres across the north, midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland and has worked for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as PR Manager for Shows and Gardens.

 

Recently Phil has been involved in creating an online garden centre and provides content for a variety of gardening websites. He is also a horticultural researcher and assistant producer for BBC gardening programmes and is the author of five gardening books and one cricket book. He is also a regular contributor to the RHS The Garden magazine.

 

As well as a HND in Commercial Horticulture, Mark has merchandising experience at macro and micro level having worked for Sainsbury’s Homebase. He was also the Planning Manager at Wyevale Garden Centres, where he was responsible for drawing up plans for refits and independent layout changes.

 

Prior to joining Wyevale, Mark worked for garden centre suppliers Nortene and Westland.

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PHIL GRIFFITHS
Congrats Mark - long time no see!