Charlie Barker has joined Tong Garden Centre at Bradford in the newly-created position of finance director. He joins from Cranswick plc and brings a wealth of corporate finance experience.
Tong MD Mark Farnsworth said: “We are delighted that Charlie is joining the team. We have known each other for a long time and are confident that he will be a great fit for our team and business. We have had a busy two and a half years re-establishing Tong as one of the best garden centres in the area and are delighted with the progress that we have made. Now is the time to further strengthen our team as we look to the future.”
Barker is excited by the opportunities that lie ahead: “This is a great industry to be involved in and I am delighted to be joining the team who have achieved so much in such a short time. This is an ambitious business and I look forward to helping them to deliver the plans.”
Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson bought Tong Garden Centre in May 2015 for an undisclosed sum and have since invested almost £2 million in improvements. Turnover has more than doubled since they took over and the business has created over 100 new jobs.
