Former Dobbies CEO James Barnes has been appointed as chairman of the HTA

He will join the HTA board in January and work in conjunction with the president, the Board, the senior executive director and management team supporting the HTA's strategic direction.

During his tenure at Dobbies from 1989 to 2013, turnover grew from £4m to more than £150m. He led a management buyout in 1994, a flotation in 1997 and the sale of the business to Tesco in 2007. After six years with Tesco Group, he left Dobbies in July 2013, since when he has held a number of posts including chairman of Dunedin Smaller Companies Investment Trust Plc. He is currently a non-executive director of a number of small companies in the food and leisure sector, and also chairs a charitable trust charged with sustaining one of Scotland's premier castles.

HTA president Adam Taylor said Barnes’ wealth of experience and knowledge of the garden industry and business experience would the association continued to be in the strongest position to represent and assist its members.

Barnes said: “”I have always admired what the HTA has achieved for the industry and how it has grown in stature over the years. I am very much looking forward to taking on this new role and helping to foster the association's continued development.”