Sad news has reached the GTN Xtra office of the death of Alistair Lorimer last week after a long battle with cancer.

Alistair was involved in the UK garden centre and plants industry for over 30 years, learning his core retail skills within the innovative Jardinerie group.

He gained a certificate in Strategic Management whilst at Malcolm Scott Consultants and worked closely with garden retail clients throughout the
UK, Ireland, USA, Middle East and northern Europe.

He became the Buying and Marketing Director for the Blooms of Bressingham Group where he was closely involved in the development 
of Bicester Avenue, the first UK garden centre ever to achieve the Retail Week Retail Design of the Year Award and Retail Destination of the Year Award.

Blooms was sold to the Wyevale group in March 2007 after being built up to 10 centres with annual sales of £30m and a staff of over 400.

Most recently Alistair had been providing consultancy services for both retail and plant breeder clients worldwide.

No news is available about funeral arrangments at present.  We will publish those when they become available.

Our thoughts on behalf of the industry go to his family and friends.

If you'd like to add a personal comment about Alistair, please use the comments link below or send to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk


From Boyd Douglas-Davies, CEO Hillview Garden Centres:  "Really sad to learn of Alistairs passing. I've known him for many years and have great respect for everything he achieved in the industry. He's wisdom and encouragement will be sorely missed. I owe him a lunch and now I'll forever be in his debt, for many reasons."

From Carol Marks, Development / Marketing Specialist, Horticulture, Bord Bia, Dublin:  "I am so very sad to hear of Alistair's passing. I had the pleasure of working closely with him over more than ten years, as he carried out the assessments for the Bord Bia Garden Centre Quality Awards, and through the many workshops and seminars he presented to the Irish horticulture industry for me."

"His philosophy of always providing commercial, profit focussed and practical support to garden retailers was always delivered with enthusiasm, humour, honesty and integrity, and he was highly respected and liked by all those whose path he crossed. While he was unable to travel over the last two years, I had kept in touch by phone and email to check in. He was always so pragmatic and so positive."

"A true gentleman, a huge loss, He will be greatly missed.  Our thoughts, on behalf of the gardening industry in Ireland, go to his family and friends."