Businessman rescues two garden centres facing closure
A Milton Keynes businessman has rescued a second garden centre facing closure, saving a total of 40 jobs and vowing to invest in the new ventures to make them “a supplier of quality products to gardening enthusiasts.”
Just two months after taking over the Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre, businessman Ken Chen is the new owner of the Willington Garden Centre, the flagship operation of the Home & Garden Group which called in administrators in March when their operations got into financial difficulties.
Mr Chen has signed a 15-year lease with the local owner of the Willington site, strategically located in Sandy Road and convenient for Bedford, Sandy and Biggleswade communities.
Multi-lingual Mr Chen launched his Newbridge Premium Pots company based at Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes, in 2009.
Mr Chen told the Milton Keynes Citizen: “Having acquired both the former Home & Garden sites in Leighton Buzzard and Willington within the space of less than three months, we will be working with the experienced management teams we have retained at both locations to ensure these garden centres become the location of choice for horticulturists and gardening enthusiasts.”
