Westland Horticulture bought rival William Sinclair Holdings plc  yesterday after the administrators were called in at the troubled growing media group .

Northern Ireland-based Westland acquired the entire business and assets, including the new £50m Ellesmere facility, in a pre-pack deal which may see existing shareholders and many suppliers lose out.

Will Wright and Mark Orton of KPMG Restructuring were appointed joint administrators yesterday morning.

William Sinclair supplies a number of the leading retailers and large independent garden centres with products that include the J. Arthur Bowers’ and DeadFast brands. With headquarters in Lincoln, it employs 285 staff and has a number of smaller sites across the UK as well as the Ellesmere Port facility.

Will Wright said the cost of relocating the company’s principal operations to Ellesmere Port, and the dual-running costs incurred combined to impact the company’s bottom line.  “The board have been working hard over the summer to try and find a rescue solution but unfortunately there were ultimately no alternatives other than our appointment,” he said.

Dealing in Sinclair’s shares on the AIM was suspended earlier this week ahead of the rescue deal, which finally resolves Sinclair’s destiny after months of uncertainty.

Chairman Rupert King warned less than two weeks ago that the company was running out of cash and that talks with potential investors were not guaranteed to succeed.

The group had just reported a £5.3m increase in pre-tax losses to £3.6m, on revenues down £3m to £18.7m.

At the last quoted share price of 9.73p, William Sinclair would have been valued at less than £2m.

A statement from William Sinclair yesterday afernoon said: "The Board has exhausted a thorough process including an attempted share placing, transactions with trade and financial parties and disposals of individual assets but has been unsuccessful in obtaining the required additional funding. Therefore the Board has no alternative but to place the Company into Administration and accordingly has appointed Will Wright and Mark Orton of KPMG Restructuring as Joint Administrators."

Westland released the following official announcement late on Friday afternoon:

Westland says it’s ‘business as normal’ following its acquisition of one of the leading horticultural firms in the UK.

Westland Horticulture has acquired William Sinclair and has immediately taken them out of administration. The purchase includes the Ellesmere Port facility and additional manufacturing assets; Sinclair’s brands, J. Arthur Bowers, New Horizon, Growing Success and Deadfast, as well as Silverperl and professional growing media businesses.

This acquisition will bring much needed stability to William Sinclair’s business and brands starting from today. The focus in the short term will be to connect with all customers as well as to push forward with the exciting 2016 product plans due to be launched in September.

Edward Conroy, Managing Director at Westland Horticulture said: “We have always believed that Sinclair’s is an important part of our industry’s landscape, and we are fully committed to maintaining this for the long term.

“Sinclair’s is fundamentally a good business and our focus is to work together with all customers in the professional and consumer sectors to make the transition simple and clear to all involved. It is imperative that over the coming days we keep our lines of communication open with customers and stakeholders.

“Westland is focused on delivering a strong future for Sinclair’s business, infrastructure and brands, which can only thrive from being part of the Westland family.

“For now it’s very much business as usual for all concerned.”

Forest Garden, prominent exhibitors in the Glee landscaping category for many years, will have only a token presence at this year’s show – on the stand of its M&M Timber division.

The company says it is to rely in future on its new 5,000sq ft showroom at the Hartlebury, Worcestershire, HQ, where the 2016 product range will be showcased.

“The new facility also provides the perfect environment to meet with customers and give them dedicated time to discuss their plans for 2016,” said group chief executive Guy Grainger in a statement.

He explained that the size and variety of Forest’s comprehensive garden timber range meant the products could be difficult to demonstrate effectively to trade buyers.  “A stunning, centrally located product display and exhibition area has therefore long been something we wanted to set up, to inspire garden centre, DIY and builders merchant customers.  This new showroom now offers customers the chance to see our ranges side by side, as well as previewing some of our prototype ideas – with the chance to comment on them before launch!”

The Forest Garden team will be on hand on the M&M Timber, stand, which will showcase plant staging solutions, gazebos and landscaping products.

• Garden Products – down 12%
• Veg-2-Gro Products – up 6%
• Growing Media – up 2%
• All items index – up 7%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

• The highest climber is the Gardman Black Nickel Solar Mini Ice Orb, which has jumped 33 places to No 14.
• Gardman Solar Black Nickel Glass Marker Light is the highest re-entry at No 17.
• Stewart Smithy Patio Tub, Gun Metal, Small, has also returned to the chart after a particularly impressive sales week.
• Scotts Levington Tomorite retains the top spot.

The planned introduction of the so-called ‘living wage’ could force more independent garden centres to sell their businesses to large groups, according to a report in the August issue of Garden Trade News

The view was expressed of a number of centre owners attending the GCA Regional Awards in July.

The garden centre retailers didn't wish to be named but told GTN that the 'living wage' proposal would put huge pressure on smaller independent stores.

As reported in an earlier edition of GTN Xtra, the Horticultural Trades Association have admitted that the plan will present a huge challenge for the industry.

The managing director of Burgon & Ball, winner of two successive Sword of Excellence honours in the annual GIMA Awards, reveals the secrets of the company’s success in the August issue of Garden Trade News.

MD Heather Culpan says they include:

• Innovating new products from scratch
• Thorough field testing
• Delivering genuine benefits for end users
• Eye-catching presentation
• Unique point of sale ideas

“We regularly walk around garden centres challenging ourselves to see if we can come up with a way of making an everyday product a little better,” she says.

John Pearson, the chairman and co-founder of Burston Nurseries, Burston Rose & Garden Centre and Hertfordshire Fisheries in St Albans, has died, aged 87, after battling cancer for several months.

John was a pioneering figure in the industry from the 1950s onwards.  He was one of the first chairmen of the British Bedding Plant Association.  Burston Nurseries revolutionised the transportation of plants by manufacturing their own trolleys long before the days of CC trolleys.  John also worked closely with David Colegrave in the development and production of the first UK pictorial labelling for bedding plants in the early 1980s.

He remained actively involved in the business until February this year when his health began to deteriorate.  His funeral will take place in St Albans on 14 August when, as a mark of respect, all three businesses will close for the day.

Away from work, his passions were aircraft and flying.

Webbs of Wychbold are set to save more than £29,000 a year on their energy bills following installation of LED lighting throughout the store.

Ashbourne-based Nick Cash Agencies were briefed to enhance lighting levels, make significant energy savings, create lighting in keeping with a premium retail environment and reduce maintenance.

The installation of LED Carbonlights has cut energy costs from £30,270 a year to £5,848. Maintenance costs have fallen from £4,770 to minimal levels – a total saving of £29,192 a year.  The project cost was £95,607, so will pay back in just over three years. 

Homebase managing director Echo Lu has joined the line-up for the HTA Garden Futures Conference, which takes place on 30 September at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire.

Described as an ‘agent for positive change’, Echo joined the Home Retail Group board of Homebase in April 2015, following 10 years with Tesco for 10 years in various roles in Asia and the UK, including a non-executive director’s role for Dobbies Garden Centres.  She as joins Homebase shifts from a DIY chain to a home enhancement store.

The theme for this year’s conference, sponsored by Hozelock and Scotts Miracle-Gro, is ‘Embracing Change’ and the programme will include a panel session about what the changing landscape means for garden retail. Panellists include Matthew Bent, MD of Bents Garden & Home, Sam Bosworth, director of Choice Marketing and Julian Winfield, chief executive of Haskins Garden Centres.

Other speakers include Simon Jack, business and economics presenter for Radio 4’s Today Programme who will provide a topical overview of the current economic climate and Dennis Reid from Retail Performance Specialists who will look at how retailers should respond to the changing retail environment.

The conference gala dinner will include presentation of the HTA Pearson Medal and GTN’s The Greatest Garden Centre Team Awards. This year’s after dinner speaker is former BBC senior weatherman Bill Giles OBE, who will provide an insightful and entertaining look at the subject that everyone, especially those in the garden industry, likes to talk about.

The Greatest Garden Centre Team Awards Categories

• The Greatest Garden Care Retail Team of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre Customer Service Team of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre Training Team or Initiative of the Year, sponsored by MorePeople
• The Greatest Garden Centre Merchandising Team of the Year
• The Greatest Gardening Supplier of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre of the Year (Public Vote), sponsored by National Garden Gift Vouchers

As usual The Greatest Awards team of experts will be out and about meeting nominated teams, gathering information and taking photos of their work so that the Gold, Silver and Bronze Greatest Awards winners can be chosen.

Plus your team have the chance to become The Greatest Garden Centre Team of 2015 by involving your customers in the public voting later this summer.  The Greatest Garden Centre Teams, small, medium and large will be the teams that have the best relationships with their customers and generate the most votes (taking size of centre into account) and in the event of a tie, the centre with the most complimentary comments form their customers.  To take part in the public vote please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call The Greatest Awards on 01733 775700 to request an in store voting pack.

As this issue of GTN Xtra goes to press the expert judges are meeting to decide the winners of The Greatest Plant Retailing Team Awards in advance of The National Plant Show.  Make sure your Outdoor Leisure, Garden Care and Garden Centre teams are nominated for visits later in July and August.

The Greatest Awards would like to thank sponsors, Elho, National Garden Gift Vouchers, MorePeople and The HTA plus the event organisers at The HTA Catering Conference, National Plant Show, GIMA Awards and HTA Futures for agreeing to be presentation venues for The Greatest Awards ON TOUR 2015.  The date and venue for The Greatest Outdoor Leisure Awards will be announced in a future issue of GTN Xtra. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for product and service suppliers seeking to gain the highest possible exposure between now and November this year.  Please contact mandy.atkin@tgcmc.co.uk for details.

The HTA is to run its popular National Garden Gift Voucher children’s Design a Christmas Card competition for the fourth consecutive year.

The competition, for children under 13, aims to unite garden centres with their local community and encourage families to visit stores in the run-up to Christmas.

NGGV marketing manager Tony Stacey said last year’s competition attracted arouind 10,000 entries and generated extensive press coverage for participating HTA members. “We also found garden centres using the competition to forge really strong commercial links with local schools, Guide and Beaver groups, and other children social clubs,” he said.

The free competition marketing pack consists of entry forms, counter top entry form holders, posters and a 2m high ‘pop-up’ entry post box. Special school entry packs contain everything a school (or other community group) requires to participate.

The competition starts on the 10 August and the closing date is 18 October.

Packs can be ordered at www.htamembers.co.uk or call 0118 930 2092.

The winning entry will receive £150 of garden goodies and the design printed will be printed on a National Garden Gift Voucher Christmas card

Seven regional winners in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Northern England, Midlands, South East and South West will each receive a £50 National Garden Gift Voucher.

Garden Centre Manager | Small Chain | Staffordshire (ref:BP7541)

Location: Staffordshire
Salary: £28,000 to £32,000
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Garden Centre Manager 

The Business

My client is a small growing garden centre group with centres based throughout England. They are an innovative business that prides themselves on a different retail approach for the garden centre market. 

The Role

The role will have full responsibility for the day to day operations management of the garden centre as well as responsibilities with strategic decisions such as staffing and merchandising strategies.

The Person

The right candidate will have excellent retail management experience in an established garden centre, this does not have to be at site level but will be at least at department manager level previously. If you do not have garden retail experience but have relevant retail experience and a passion for horticulture you may still be suitable. Leadership is the most important skill we are looking for but candidates must display a good level of commercial acumen as well.

Please submit your CV in the first instance or to discuss further contact Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530

Assistant Manager | Independent Garden Centre | Surrey (ref:BP7537)

Location: Surrey
Salary: £30,000 to £38,000
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Assistant Manager

The Business

My client is a family owned garden centre based in the South of England. The business owns several successful sites bringing home awards for excellence. An independent business, this company fosters growth amongst its staff through training and accountability.

The Role

This role will take on a prominent position in the senior leadership team of the centre. You will be accountable for the day to day operations management of the centre and will be involved in staffing and buying decisions. This site is a large turnover business and requires a committed and innovative approach to retailing.

The Person

I am seeking a retail manager. You will have previous assistant management experience if not site management experience in a smaller centre. I am looking for an intelligent and committed individual with a good level of academic success preferably with either industry focussed or business based qualifications. This will serve to prove with your experience, a high level of commercial awareness that is essential to manage and grow this business. We are looking for a customer service champion, someone who preaches customer first and can drive a team to produce the best consumer experience possible.

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further contact Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530

Are you talented, enthusiastic and a team player? We are looking for a numerate, articulate and experienced person to join our busy buying team. You will have extensive horticultural and plant knowledge, with proven experience of buying and range planning.

You will be based at our Marlborough office in Wiltshire, but will need to travel to visit plant suppliers and horticultural trade fairs and events on a regular basis. You will report directly to the Managing Director.

Your role will involve keeping up-to-date with the current trends, developing new horticultural ranges, tracking competitor activity and ensuring our bulb, plant and seed offer is unique, exciting and commercial. It will also involve working with Sarah and her gardening team to log seed and plant trials and visiting Perch Hill approximately 4 times per year in key seasons to view trials as well as key horticultural shows and events. You will also work closely with our web and customer service teams to assist with the content posted on our website and on social media. You will have a keen eye for detail, be very proficient at Excel, have a clean driving licence and be keen to join a busy and fast-growing company.

Salary dependent on experience.

To apply please send an email with subject title ‘Horticultural Buyer’ with your CV, and current employment and salary details to sally@sarahraven.com.

Nursery | Production | Grower Manager | (ref:DS7527)

Location: Cambridgeshire
Salary: Dependent on experience
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Production Manager / Grower / Propagation Manager

The Business

Our client is a large, family owned nursery business that specialise in the propagation and production of choice hardy perennials destined for the garden centre market across the UK. 

Currently they are seeking an experienced Production Manager / Grower / Propagation Manager to be based at their Cambridgeshire site, someone to help drive the business forward in a competitive market place. 

The Role

This role will report to the Directors and the successful candidate will be responsible for up to 15 staff in peak season. Responsibilities will include:

• To be responsible for the day to day running of the new propagation unit.
• Monitoring and adjusting growing needs of the crops
• Estimating yields for labour and sales demand
• Supervision of staff

For this role they are seeking an ambitious, driven and focused grower who has a good understanding of supply chain management. Someone who has experience in leading and motivating a team and can continue to help develop the business along with the Directors. 

The Person

Desirable skills:

• Must have experience in Hardy nursery stock production
• Good Plant Knowledge
• Have an ambitious mind to fill this long term position
• Excellent planning and Organisational skills
• IT literate (ideally Excel / Word and Growmaster Program or equivalent)
• Formal training in horticulture - preferably commercial horticulture
• PA1 & PA6 spray certificates

Full time position / permanent 
Salary Depending on experience

Please submit your CV in the first instance or to discuss further contact Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 07929 013910

Interior Landscaping Regional Manager (ref:DS7544)

Location: East of England
Salary: £28,000 to £30,000
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Interior Landscaping Regional Manager

The Business

Our client is a leading Interior and Exterior Landscaping and Maintenance Company based in East Anglia who carry out a wide range of commercial contracts throughout the UK. They are currently seeking to recruit an experienced Regional Manager to oversee commercial interior landscaping contracts throughout their region. 

The Role

Reporting to the Operations Director 

The ideal candidate will currently be employed in a similar role or be seeking to take their next step into a more senior management role. Responsibilities will include 
Overseeing the implementation of contracts to strict deadlines and budgets
Assisting in development and bidding for new works
Liaison with clients
Implementation and management of health & safety and quality procedures
Supervision of teams
Maintaining contract files

The Person

The successful candidate should hold a relevant horticultural or landscape qualification, preferably with 3 plus years experience in the interiors sector 
A full driving license is essential.
They should also have significant experience in managing commercial contacts and be able to give superb customer service to clients. 

Ideal candidate should be based within one and half hours commute of Cambridge. 

Salary range: £30,000 depending on experience

Please submit your CV in the first instance or to discuss further contact Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 07929013910

We are a family run centre based in Lincolnshire and have been trading for over 40 years.

JOB BRIEF

We are looking for a resourceful Restaurant Manager to join us as we plan to re-invent our Restaurant to look after our existing customer base and introduce a new generation of customers, with new menus and a new atmosphere.

You will be responsible for meeting all restaurant revenues, profitability and quality goals. You will ensure efficient operation and maintain high production, productivity and customer service standards.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate the restaurant operation.
• Organise and supervise shifts.
• Estimate consumption, forecast requirements and maintain stock.
• Control costs and minimise waste.
• Manage health and safety and hygiene.
• Report directly to the directors of current and future operations and financial states.
• Create a positive working environment and lead by example.
• Respond efficiently to customer complaints. 

REQUIREMENTS

• Experience in garden centre catering or similar.
• Proven working experience as restaurant manager.
• Extensive food knowledge.
• Computer literacy and familiarity with restaurant  ‘EPOS’ systems.
• Strong leadership, motivational and people skills.

Nigel Wallis

General Manager

Christine Loader has been appointed by Suttons as technical advisor, fulfilling sa long-held ambition. She has wanted to work for Suttons ever since attending an open day at their trial grounds.  

Impressed by the trials and the knowledge of the staff, Christine jumped at the chance of applying when the job vacancy came up.

Christine says 'I knew that this was for me as soon as I saw the job advertised.  I have arrived at Suttons via a variety of roles in business and horticulture. My love and passion for plants has come from travelling and living all over the world.”

A month into the job, she is enjoying the challenge of dealing with enquiries from the gardening public.

• Taylors Autumn Planting Seed Potatoes top the Veg-2-Gro chart with Charlotte, Pentalnd Javelin and Maris Peer filling the first three places.
• Quantil Chard (Rainbow Mixed) jumps 41 places to No 7 to be the highest climber.
• Lettuce Mixed Baby Leaf is the highest re-entry.
• Chill Pepper Vampire is the highest new entry.

• Westland Top Soil (Value Bag) 35 litres moves to the top spot.
• Scotts Levington Organic Choice Farmyard Manure (56 litres) jumps to No 3 spot.
• GroWise Landscape Mini Chip Bark (100 litres) is the highest climber, rising 26 places to No 12.
• The highest re-entry is Arthur Bowers John Innes No 3 (25 litres) at No 25.
• STV International Bug Bat is the highest new entry at No 45.

A thanksgiving service in memory of garden centre pioneer Charles Notcutt, who died last month aged 81, will be held on Friday 11 September.

Those wishing to to attend the service - at 2.30pm in St. Mary’s Church, Market Hill, Woodbridge, IP12 4LP – should inform Margaret Bampton, at Notcutts, Cumberland Street, Woodbridge, IP12 4AF. She can be contacted on 012394 445301 or by email: bamptonm@notcutts.co.uk.

Charles retired in 2008 from the group chairmanship he had held since 1974, and became non-executive president of the group.

Consumers splashing out on new clothes helped push up retail sales in the year to July, but the pace of growth is expected to slow next month, according to the CBI’s Distributive Trades Survey.

The survey of 117 firms showed that year-on-year growth in the volume of retail sales fell back slightly from June, after May’s strong rally. Growth is expected to slow further next month, but sales volumes are broadly average for the time of year and are expected to remain so in August.

Orders placed on suppliers grew at a slightly quicker pace than in the previous month, but are expected to slow significantly in August.

Among the retail sub-sectors, grocers and department stores saw flat sales volumes, and footwear and leather goods sales volumes fell. Clothing sales volumes rose strongly, at their fastest rate since January.

Internet sales volumes remained in line with the previous month’s rate of growth, and are expected to rise at a stronger pace into August.

Sales volumes in the wholesaling sector rose strongly in the year to July, exceeding expectations and with further strong growth expected next month. Motor trades sales volumes continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace than in June.

Barry Williams, CBI distributive trades chairman and Asda’s chief customer officer, says summer trading is traditionally slower across the retail sector but warm weather can often provide a welcome boost. “Despite the upbeat outlook for the UK economy, retailers are still finding conditions challenging and it’s certainly something every shopkeeper will need to keep an eye on,” he added.

“Meanwhile, the recovery in wage growth should help support growth further down the line.”

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2013 as well as 2014 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for last week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for last week are here

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.