Renowned family owned Northen Ireland garden centre Hillmount is blooming into Ards this autumn.  The third garden centre in the Hillmount family will open later this year at an investment of £1,000,000 with the creation of 25 new jobs.

The Mercer family has built up an unrivalled reputation in the gardening industry locally since opening their first nursery in Castlereagh almost 80 years ago and the growth into the Newtownards area is a natural development for the family business which also operates in Bangor.

The site of the latest Hillmount store is located in the former Thriving Life Church, at the junction of Movilla Road and Ballyreagh Road, and the Mercer family will breathe new life into the building with a wide variety of plants, trees and shrubs, as well as offering a range of exquisite gifts and garden furniture and accessories.  Diners in the first floor restaurant will be able to relax and enjoy views across north down from the unique feature window.

Alan Mercer, Managing Director of Hillmount, said:  “Now is the perfect time for us to expand our business for the next generation and we are excited to be setting down roots in Ards, a town Edith has always considered to be her home shopping town having grown up in Greyabbey.

"The building has such a beautiful perspective and we know Hillmount Ards will bloom with an amazing team helping us.

“We are committed to investing in the local area and to offering local jobs to local people, as well as providing the community in Ards the same great value and great choice that our loyal customers enjoy at our sister garden centres in Bangor and Castlereagh.”

In order to meet the opening deadline, Hillmount is recruiting full and part time shop assistants and full and part time café assistants.  Application forms are available from Hillmount at 56/58 Upper Braniel Road, Belfast, before 10 June.

The 10,000 sq ft of retail space has ample car parking and will have a 55 seater restaurant ‘The Gardeners Rest’.  There will be 30,000 gardening products to choose from, a Weber barbecue section and a wide range of garden furniture and equipment.  

Hillmount was established in 1940.  Almost 100 staff are employed across Hillmount in Upper Braniel Road, Belfast and Belfast Road, Bangor.

www.hillmount.co.uk, www.facebook.com/hillmountgardencentre, www.twitter.com/hillmountgarden