The nights are drawing in, Christmas is on its way, and you know what that means? It’s Poinsettia time! Once seen as old-fashioned and difficult to care for, the UK is now seeing a major Poinsettia revival which you can be part of...
The nights are drawing in, Christmas is on its way, and you know what that means? It’s Poinsettia time! Once seen as old-fashioned and difficult to care for, the UK is now seeing a major Poinsettia revival which you can be part of.
Now into its second year of EU funding, the pan-European Stars for Europe campaign to promote Poinsettias is going strong, taking every opportunity to remind consumers how stylish, versatile and essential to Christmas they are.
You’ll be seeing a lot of them in the consumer press this year – national papers, glossy magazines, and lifestyle blogs. Pretty soon, everyone is going to want one, and Stars for Europe have numerous ideas and free tools for you to use to help them fly off the shelves.
Brand new this year, you’ll find downloadable press releases on how to care for the plants which you can amend with your own details and send to your local media, giving them a great seasonal article with local expert opinion. Local papers often pick up on this sort of thing, especially if you include a gorgeous, high-res image. There are plenty to download on www.stars-for-europe.com.
The Stars for Europe UK team are here to help you use the tools, so if you have any problems, drop an email to hello@purplespotted.com or call 020 8939 6474
CAMPAIGN FINANCED WITH AID FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION AND STARS FOR EUROPE
Premier Decorations are dominating the Christmas Bestellers chart at the moment with 19 items in the Top 50, headed by their Battery Operated Cotton Snowman at No 2...
Premier Decorations are dominating the Christmas Bestellers chart at the moment with 19 items in the Top 50, headed by their Battery Operated Cotton Snowman at No 2.
The company also have the highest new entry – the Battery Operated Beaded Garland (pictured below) – coming in to the chart at No 13. They also have the highest re-entry in the Colour Your Own Christmas Hanger, 20cm, at No 25.
Other new entries from Premier Decorations include their Battery Operated LED House, 12 cm, and Card Holder Santa, Snowman and Reindeer at Nos 39 and 40 respectively.
The highest climber was the Sage Decor 14cm Hip Bunch Red, moving up 32 places to No 16, while History & Heraldry retain No 1 position with their Christmas Money Box.
See the full GTN Christmas Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
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Sandstone Design Solutions have moved into new premises at Millbrook Garden Centre in Crowborough, West Sussex...
Sandstone Design Solutions have moved into new premises at Millbrook Garden Centre in Crowborough, West Sussex.
Sandsrtone have been designing, landscaping, and making bespoke timber framed buildings in Kent and Sussex since 1998 and employ 10 full-time landscapers and four office staff.
This move allows them to take on more business and recruit more skilled workers.
Sandstone Design Solutions owner Ali Dempster said the past year had seen an unprecedented increase in the amount of design work and landscaping projects. “This continuing success, which culminated in a BALI award in 2011, led to the employment of three further full-time landscapers. The move to the new offices means our expansion can continue.”
The company will independent from Millbrook Garden Centre
Caption: Ali Dempster, owner and garden designer at Sandstone Design Solutions, with Tammy Woodhouse, MD of Millbrook Garden Centre in Crowborough.
Westland Horticulture will be reaching over 20 million homes between now and June 2013...
Westland Horticulture will be reaching over 20 million homes between now and June 2013 with their comprehensive communications plans for a variety of their well known brands.
The brand new look for Westland will be highlighted throughout the media campaigns, showing that Westland brings more life, more colour and more enjoyment into the garden. The new strap line ‘There is more life in the Westland’ ensures consumers know ‘the Westland’ is a world of abundance.
Throughout 2013 the advertising campaigns will focus on key Westland brands; Aftercut, Resolva and Gro-Sure. Aftercut will see a brand new television campaign created around the revolutionary brand new Aftercut Even-Flo spreader system which will be available in stores as early as February next year.
The Resolva brand will be on television screens during the key gardening months of April and May 2013 along with the Aftercut advert.
The Gro-Sure brand is set to become a key focus in 2013, delivering all the gardener needs to successfully grow their own. Promoted across various specialist press campaigns and in national newspapers Westland will be encouraging more people to take part in growing.
Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland Horticulture said, “For our Westland brands to reach an audience of over 85% of UK consumer homes during the next eight months will enable us to highlight the variety of products we produce. Our products deliver the solution for bringing life to the garden and all our campaigns will strengthen this message and encourage more people to take part in gardening regardless of their experience.”
National press advertisements have already started appearing in publications for bird brand Peckish which will once again see its catchy animated television advert seen on mainstream TV channels from January.
UK garden products are still in great demand across the globe, suppliers reported after the latest ‘Meet the Buyer’ event organised by Gardenex...
The latest Gardenex organised ‘Meet the Buyer’ event held in Sutton Coldfield on 15 November proved to be a day packed with valuable information on the US lawn and garden market and at the same time opened doors for many British suppliers to sell their products to overseas markets.
Early reaction from British suppliers of garden leisure items as they emerged from meetings with overseas buyers was that UK-made products are still in great demand. In all, 62 one-to-one meetings were held during the day with buyers from Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Turkey and the USA. The carefully targeted garden and leisure items presented to the buyers were well received and bode well for the future expansion of Britain’s garden exports. Many of the British firms in attendance are benefiting from overseas business as a result of earlier ‘Meet the Buyer’ days.
A key to the success of the meetings is the research carried out prior to the meetings by Gardenex in order to ensure that the visiting buyers are seeking the type of items put before them. On the day prior to the meetings, the overseas buyers were taken on a tour of local outlets to acquaint them with the layout and merchandise of a typical UK garden centre.
An illuminating part of the day’s proceedings was in the form of a presentation on the US lawn and garden market. No-one needs telling that the US land mass is far bigger than the UK – 38 times in fact - but the imbalance between the east and west coast in terms of garden retail outlets surprised many delegates. While the eastern coast of the country is saturated with outlets, the remainder of the US is sparsely served, making knowledge of distribution a key factor in reaching the market. The retail market in particular differs greatly to that of the UK. Take garden centres, for example, where the US boasts around 16,000 outlets but no one chain dominates the scene. However, outlets for garden items spreads far wider than garden centres, with hardware stores, supermarket/drug stores, feed/seed stores, gift shops, dollar stores and home centres all featuring strongly. Add into the mix the numerous on-line outlets and the television shopping channels and you have a huge and diverse market.
Helping British suppliers to find their way through the complexities of the market, the founder of Bosmere Inc from Charlotte, North Carolina gave an on-the-spot view of the market, and members of the Gardenex team provided their latest in-depth US report that includes tips on exporting to the US. Bosmere Inc already stocks a number of British products such as Haws, Spear & Jackson, Haxnicks, The Potting Shed and Bosmere Products, which it supplies to the garden centre, mail-order and internet sales sectors in the USA. Hopefully, many other UK made items will be added to the list following the latest buyer meeting.
Gardenex is the The Federation of Garden and Leisure Manufacturers Ltd, the trade association that works on behalf of British companies to help its members increase sales worldwide.
With winter fast approaching, gardeners are making the most of the autumnal conditions to get their paths, patios and greenhouses in fine order...
With winter fast approaching, gardeners are making the most of the autumnal conditions to get their paths, patios and greenhouses in fine order.
One product which has seen a surge in sales is Brintons Mould Magic, Ready to Use, 1-litre. It is the highest new entry in the Garden Products chart, jumping straight in to No 16.
Meanwhile Algon Organic Algae Remover Patio Cleaner has also seen an increase in sales, jumping 17 places in the chart to No 19.
Garden lighting is still selling well and there has been a lot of interest shown in the range of solar lights from Smart Solar.
The Smart Solar Owl Solar Light moves up 11 places to No 26 while the company’s Garden Bird Solar Spot Light is a new entry at No 39. The Country Bird Solar Spot Light is another new entry at No 46 while the Happy Hens version is at No 50.
Another bestselling company is Scheurich and its cover pots. It has three items in the Top 10 with the biggest riser being the Vero Rosso version (left), jumping 23 places to No 8.
The highest re-entry belongs to Woodlodge and its Spang Standard Pot, 5.5 inch, returning to the chart in No 31 position.
Other re-entries include: Oasis Brown SEC DryFoam Bricks at No 34; Bayer Boltac Greasebands, 10-12 trees, finds its way back into the chart at No 37.
One place below is Gardman Gard ‘n’ Fleece Bags (assorted sizes) in green, while Town & Country Secateur, Holder and Knife Set is at No 49.
There is still no change at the top of the chart with Fito Drip Feeder for Orchids holding on to No 1 position for another week. Gardman Frostgard, 17gsm 8m x 1.5m roll stays in second position.
The highest climber is the Gardman Round Rattan Lantern, moving up 30 places to No 15 while another of the company’s bestselling products – Tap Cover – jumps to No 11.
See the full GTN Garden Products Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
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WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
Fosseway Garden Centre at Moreton in Marsh has been granted permission to widen its product offering, despite local protests that businesses in the centre of town would suffer as a result...
Fosseway Garden Centre at Moreton in Marsh has been granted permission to widen its product offering, despite local protests that businesses in the centre of town would suffer as a result.
Cotswold District Council’s planning committee approved by nine votes to one (with four abstentions) the centre’s application to sell a wider range of oak furniture, pet products and Christmas goods.
The council received 67 letters of objection expressing concerns about the affect on town centre shops.
Tim Godwin, the garden centre owner, said : "We are a garden centre and we have no intention of being anything else. We are a local business trying to succeed and secure local jobs."
Councillor Margaret Rickman said she did not believe the application posed a threat to town centre businesses. “I think small businesses are always looking to blame someone for why they are failing."
Councillor Joe Harris said: "I don’t think tourists go to Moreton to go to the garden centre – they go to look at the heritage. If local business can’t handle this they might as well just close now."
The council will impose a condition that Christmas goods are sold no earlier than October.
The British Trust for Ornithology, has just reported that the number of woodland birds visiting gardens this autumn is 15% higher than in recent years, caused by the scarcity of natural foods in the countryside...
Gardman’s partner, the British Trust for Ornithology, has just reported that the number of woodland birds visiting gardens this autumn is 15% higher than in recent years, caused by the scarcity of natural foods in the countryside.
The levels of bird populations in gardens during October were similar to what is expected at the end of November as birds turn to bird feeders and berry-producing shrubs in the garden.
“This early seasonal rise in bird numbers in gardens with the likelihood of colder weather conditions when birds look for higher calorie foods is an opportunity for retailers to ensure that they are well stocked up on bird food and bird feeders,” says Ann Guest, Wild Bird Care Category Manager.
“Different bird species require different foods, whether seeds, suet blocks, nuts or berries, so it’s as well to stock a wide range of foods and the relevant bird feeders so that bird lovers are able to purchase whatever they need to help garden birds survive the winter.”
Viewers of Thursday’s screening of BBC1’s Young Apprentice series will have seen a London garden centre manager giving the apprentices a hard time when they asked for a discount on a 4ft olive tree...
Viewers of Thursday’s screening of BBC1’s Young Apprentice series will have seen a London garden centre manager giving the apprentices a hard time when they asked for a discount on a 4ft olive tree.
Garden Centre Guy, as the apprentices have now tagged him, refused to succumb to charm or persuasion. “Why should I give you a discount? Let's give the whooooole garden centre a discount,” he fumed, clearly enjoying the limelight in front of the TV cameras.
The encounter spawned a flood of Tweets, like “Will anybody dare ask for a discount in a garden centre after tonight’s episode”.
Who is he? We think we know, but we’re not letting on…Watch it on iPlayer and decide for yourselves.
Birkacre won Gold in the public voting category for large garden centres in 2011
The Greatest Garden Centre Team at Christmas This Award is decided purely by public voting. Register today for your all-important voting pack...
The Greatest Garden Centre Team at Christmas This category is all about the most important people in your business – the customers! It's decided purely by public voting. If you have a loyal, satisfied customer base, you're in with a chance of lifting the title – possibly the one that matters most of all.
Our Public Voting Pack, contains the posters, leaflets and voting forms you need to get your in-store campaign under way to generate customer votes. It is available to download in PDF format so you can print your own materials. To register for a pack, send an email to: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
The voting forms allow customers to tell us what they think of you – and if that isn’t the best piece of market research you’ll get this year, we don’t know what is!
If you have any problems downloading the pdf's of posters and voting slips please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 07973 504214.
We are pleased to welcome the Arena Group as sponsors of The Greatest Christmas Awards public voting category. Arena supply installations like skating rinks and pop-up catering structures for leading garden centres and public attractions.
The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Cooking the Christmas turkey or joint on a barbecue is a hot new trend in outdoor leisure. This new feature of The Greatest Christmas Awards recognises the potential for garden centre sales...
The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Cooking the Christmas turkey or joint on a barbecue is a hot new trend in outdoor leisure – as a number of UK garden centres have already realised.
We’re looking for the garden centre that has fully embraced the idea in a way that helps to sell barbecues and food hall produce – and perhaps even hot turkey sandwiches – at the same time.
Not all centres will be able to stage a live in-store cookery demonstration – but an imaginative static display could work just as well.
This could be just the idea to give you a local competitive edge this Christmas – and our judges will be looking out for centres who do it expertly. You can also self-nominate in this category. You’re always been urged to ‘sell the sizzle’ – now’s your chance!
We are delighted to have SOLEX AT THE NEC as sponsors of the first ever Greatest Christmas Sizzle Award. LOFA’s summer outdoor and indoor leisure event is now an established fixture in the trade show calendar, bringing together the world’s leading garden and leisure furniture and barbecue brands under one roof. The show moves from Telford to the NEC, Birmingham, next year (8-10 July 2013).
The Greatest Christmas Grotto Garden centres grottos generate impressive footfall and revenue. This award recognises the expertise of the teams who plan, design, install and operate them...
The Greatest Christmas Grotto We know how proud garden centres are of their grottos. They are a magnet for families, generating impressive additional footfall as well as revenue. This award is designed to recognise the expertise of the teams who plan, design, install and operate the Christmas grotto and will include ratings for marketing, the booking system, queue management – and, of course, the experience. Yes, our judges will want to meet Santa himself!
You can self-nomnate in this category by sending an email to: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk by close of play on Monday 26 November.
We are delighted to have the support of Kaemingk, leading suppliers of festive products, as sponsors of this category. Kaemingk, whose new showroom in Holland opens early next month, are acknowledged trend leaders in their field and will be exhibiting at Harrogate Christmas & Gift in January (stand M02-04)
The Greatest Garden Centre Festive Catering Team is a brand new category in The Greatest Christmas Awards – and it’s designed to find the garden centre where the coffee shop and restaurant play a full part in the Christmas experience...
The Greatest Garden Centre Festive Catering Team This is a brand new category in The Greatest Christmas Awards – and it’s designed to find the garden centre that has made the coffee shop and restaurant as much part of the Christmas experience as the rest of the centre.
We know that excellent catering is now a powerful draw for many garden centre customers. Standards have risen dramatically in recent years, with buildings and surroundings, food offering and service that are the equal of – and often better than – other catering sectors. But even the best garden centre coffee shop or restaurant needs a little extra TLC at Christmas time to get customers into the festive mood.
Among the features the judges will be looking for are:
Festive themes and ideas that help to sell your Christmas products
Good directional signage to the grotto, Christmas displays and trees area
Good promotion of festive offers and events
Well-presented Christmas fare menu
Imaginative use of light and sound
And above all…staff who are fully in the Christmas spirit!
We are proud to have Vision Commercial Kitchens as sponsors of this important new category. Vision have helped many UK garden centres to launch, enhance or re-fit their catering operations, offering everything from an initial expert consultation to a full installation. They pride themselves on helping garden centres make the right decision for their businesses.
The Greatest Christmas Houseplants Team Garden centres can beat the High Street hands down for houseplant sales at Christmas We’re looking for the very best...
The Greatest Christmas Houseplants Team Christmas is the biggest opportunity of the year for houseplant sales – an area in which garden centres can beat the High Street hands down. There are some outstanding Christmas houseplant teams out there – and we’re looking for the very best in this new category of The Greatest Awards.
This is about great plants, brilliant presentation, creative added value – and effective in-store marketing, serviced by knowledgable, helpful staff.
If that sounds like you, nominate your team today by sending an email to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk by the deadline, close of play on Monday 26 November.
The Greatest Christmas Display Team For visual merchandising teams, Christmas is all about the ‘wow factor’ – displays that stop people in their tracks AND inspire them to spend...
The Greatest Christmas Display Team For visual merchandising teams, Christmas is an opportunity to get seriously creative. It’s all about ‘wow factor’ – displays that not only stop people in their tracks but encourage them to spend. This tricky balance is not always achieved – but the centres who do it best are brilliant examples that inspire the entire industry.
The Greatest Christmas Display Team category is not restricted to large destination garden centres. Smaller centres who have used their team’s resources to produce stunning results are just as valued and will be judged accordingly.
To nominate your Christmas display team, send an email to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk by the deadline of Monday 26 November, and enter DISPLAY TEAM ENTRY in the subject line.
The sponsors of this category are Snowtime, popular suppliers of Christmas lights, fibre optics, illuminated décor, artificial trees and floral products. In 1995 they pioneered the supply of fibre-optic Christmas trees to the UK market.
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 and on the GTN website www.gardentradenews.co.uk.
Access is by subscription only. For £120.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most upto date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales. To subscribe call 01733 775700, or subscribe on-line here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
The Greatest Christmas Awards Party Book your tickets for the finale to The Greatest Christmas Awards for 2012 – the magnificent awards party to be be held at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on 13 January...
The Greatest Christmas Awards Party The finale to The Greatest Christmas Awards for 2012 is the awards party to be be held at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, on 13 January, the first evening of Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair.
Combine your buying trip to the fair with a great night out. You’ll be in good company – and if your centre’s team has entered, you might even receive an award.
Tickets for the evening are now on sale. They are selling really fast for what has gained a reputation as The Greatest Christmas Party Ever! So to guarantee your place, make a booking online below or call 01733 775700.
A superb meal, the company of industry friends and colleagues – and dancing to a great band. Thanks to our generous sponsors, we've also got some great raffle prizes lined up, including a barbecue valued at £1,000 from Weber.
Proceeds from the raffle will go to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, helping to grant wishes for seriously ill children.
See you there!
Prices include VAT
The Greatest Christmas Awards 2013 - Tickets
The Greatest Christmas Awards Party is generously sponsored by Premier Decorations, designers and importers of Christmas lighting, trees and decorations; garden lighting and outdoor living products; and Hallowe'en products and party decorations. Garden centres voted them Greatest Christmas Supplier of the Year in 2010 and 2011.
Westland saw its Decorative Mini Bark have a good week, with the 50-litre bag being the highest re-entry in the Growing Media chart, returning to No 27 spot. The 80-litre bag (pictured) was also a re-entry at No 31...
Westland saw its Decorative Mini Bark have a good week, with the 50-litre bag being the highest re-entry in the Growing Media chart, returning to No 27 spot. The 80-litre bag (pictured) was also a re-entry at No 31.
While the weather is still fine for outside work, gardeners are taking advantage to dig and enrich their borders and veg plots.
Scotts Levington Organic Choice Farmyard Manure, 56 litres, is the highest climber at No 11, a rise of 24 places. Westland Organic Farm Manure, 60 litres, is also still selling well, reflected in its No 3 position.
Another bestselling product from Scotts is their Levington Organic Choice Top Soil, 25 litres, which saw a 100% increase in sales, taking it to No 34.
See the full GTN Growing Media Bestsellers Chart here. Subscribers Only
To Subscribe to the full GTN Bestsellers Weekly Charts for only £120.00 per year click here
WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts can seriously improve your business. Only subscribe if you want to invest 15 minutes each week in improving your turnover and customer satisfaction.
John and Linda Stanley’s consultancy, conference speaking and training business has received a Western Australia export award...
John and Linda Stanley’s consultancy, conference speaking and training business has received a Western Australia export award.
It’s the second time John Stanley Associates have won the Belmont Small Business Awards Export Award. The first was in 2010.
“People at the awards asked us what products we sell, and I point to John and say ‘John’” said Linda.
John recently returned from South Africa, where he presented conferences, and is now heading to Paris to host the European Garden Centre Awards.
Perth-based JSA specialise in services mainly to retailers and the retail industry. Other recent sper=aking assignments include the International Shopping Centre Conference in Istanbul as well as at the Hangzhou Conference in China.
The couple look set for another busy year ahead, with bookings already for Botswana, China, Japan, USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Dubai, South Africa, Czech and Malaysia.
Premier Decorations have earned a Best Buy rating...
Premier Decorations have earned a Best Buy rating of 87% from Which? For an LED lighting string.
The magazine said the company’s 200 Multi-Action Supabrights White LV071255W 200-LED lighting string (SRP £25) had brighter LEDs than most and continued to work well after being subjected to rain and freezing temperatures. They also “withstood being packed and unpacked 10 times without getting into too much of a tangle”.
At 19.8m, Which? said, the product was 5m longer than the Best Buy Noma product, but had the same eight flashing permutations. Shorter and longer lengths are available.
The testers calculated the running costs as 0.07p per hour.
Labels and Packaging Ltd predict significant sales of their paper plant and seed pot covers in 2013. It has been one of their one of their most successful products this year...
Labels and Packaging Ltd predict significant sales of their paper plant and seed pot covers in 2013. It has been one of their one of their most successful products this year.
The printed paper cup pot cover (like a takeaway coffee cup) can show the grown plant with printed cultivation details for the variety growing in the container, or can be printed with a decorative design to suit the season or style of the plant.
The Plant Cup can also be designed as a Seed Cup, to contain seeds and growing medium within a sealed container and feature a colourful printed image and growing details on the outside.
“Unlike other similar products on the market ours are of superior quality materials that withstand wear and tear and have a better shelf-life,” says managing director Phil Griffiths.
“Being highly resistant to moisture loss they have the advantage of being tough but light and are very cost-effective for retailers.
“This is a quality product, unlike some cheaper types in the marketplace, and the longer shelf-life is a major advantage.”
QR (Quick Response) codes continue to be a major marketing tool and the company is producing them to order for major retailers in horticulture.
“Smart phones are becoming the norm,” says Phil. “They are developing rapidly and QR apps are fast and free to download.
“A quick scan of the QR code and customers have all the info on the plant together with hints and tips from the company that grew it.”
Based in offices in Colchester, Essex, Labels and Packaging Ltd specialise in labels for the horticulture industry. They are highly durable, created from recyclable materials – polypropylene and polystyrene. All UV-protected to prevent fading.
Phil Griffiths says the products are aimed at those who demand a high quality label from a supplier who guarantees a fast turnaround from order, through the design stage and to the finished product in the quantity required.
For retailers wanting to make their own labels, Labels and Packaging Ltd supply all the equipment, from the printers and inks through to a wide range of label types in different materials – suitable for pot plants, shrubs, trees and bedding plants.
They also supply a full range of price marking equipment, from pricing guns to price labels, ink rollers and a huge selection of self-adhesive labelling alternatives.
Labels and Packaging sales director Jacqui Dunford says the biggest current point-of-sale trend is “buy one get one free” and similar offers.
“Customers are bargain conscious at the moment and will snap up special offers,” she says. “We are producing more and more promotional material for retailers along those lines.”
She says the trend is towards brighter and bigger photographs of the finished plants. “Visual drama is vital to making sales.”
Point-of-sale material is available, including self-adhesive full-colour labels for all applications.
Staff name badges are now available in a range of re-usable badges. They can be pre-printed with a full- colour logo and house colours, and names and job titles can be added or changed by the customer using their own inkjet or laser printer. Software and consumables are supplied.
Thieves stole a safe containing £500 from Vincents Garden Centre at Scarisbrick, Lancs, this week – and made off with it in a wheelchair across fields.
Thieves stole a safe containing £500 from Vincents Garden Centre at Scarisbrick, Lancs, this week – and made off with it in a wheelchair across fields.
Staff discovered the break-in at opening time on Monday morning. The raiders had smashed a rear window and tried to carry their booty off in a plastic wheelbarrow. When the barrow buckled under the weight of the safe, they used a wheelchair kept for customer use.
Joint owner Zoë Bell said staff had been able to follow the wheelchair’s tracks through two farm fields, under a 3ft barbed wire fence and across a ditch to where the getaway car is believed to have been parked.
The thieves also took £40 from a till (found smashed in the field) and an Apple iPod Touch.
William Sinclair’s appeal against Salford Council’s refusal to allow them to resume harvesting peat at Chat Moss has been turned down by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson...
William Sinclair’s appeal against Salford Council’s refusal to allow them to resume harvesting peat at Chat Moss has been turned down by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson.
The council had argued that harvesting would lead to significant CO2 emissions. The minister said the release of peat resources in Chat Moss would “frustrate the move from peat to non-peat media and discourage the development and take up of peat substitutes.”
Sinclair’s CEO Bernard Burns, who steps down next year, said he was disappointed at the Minister's decision and viewed the government’s policy on peat as “incoherent”. The company would now now have to rely on more expensive peat imports, which will be in short supply for 2013 because of this year’s weather. Chat Moss was closer to consumers than alternative supplies, so shorter transport distances would produce lower emissions. Peat would still be required for many years to come during the phasing out process demanded by the government.
Sinclair is increasing its production capacity of SuperFyba, a peat alternative made from woody ‘oversize’ parts of green waste. Burns said the company was in an ideal position to take advantage of the move toward non-peat growing media.
Sinclair are still seeking compensation from the Government after agreeing to halt peat extraction from Bolton Fell.
Following their acquisition of the distribution rights for Haxnicks products, Smart Solar have recruited Nick Satchell to their product design and development team...
Following their acquisition of the distribution rights for Haxnicks products, Smart Solar have recruited Nick Satchell to their product design and development team.
Nick has a degree in Graphic Design from the University of Falmouth and has since worked at a number of branding and graphic design agencies in London and Bristol. With specific responsibility for designing the Haxnicks packaging and merchandising units, Nick will be working alongside Smart Solar’s Product Development Manager, Charlotte Styles, to develop the Haxnicks branding.
Smart Solar are selling the Haxnicks products alongside their solar garden products across the UK, France and Germany.
