Blue Diamond Garden Centres
| Private | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Gardening |
| Founded 📆 | 1904 |
| Founder 👔 | Percy Dorey |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | Guernsey, Channel Islands |
Area served 🗺️ | England, Guernsey and Jersey |
Key people | Alan Roper, Managing Director Simon Burke, Chairman |
| Products 📟 | Garden Centres |
| Revenue🤑 | £94m (2017) |
| Owners | Privately held company |
| Members | |
Number of employees | 1894 |
| 🌐 Website | www |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Blue Diamond Garden Centres, is a chain of 30 garden centres in England and Wales, and the Channel Islands. It is the third largest garden centre group.[1] in the UK by both turnover and number of garden centres, with each centre separately branded.
History[edit]
The company started in 1904 when it was founded as the Fruit Export Company in the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands. The company was created to export Guernsey tomatoes throughout the UK by a group of prominent local businessmen.
John W. Dorey was appointed manager and his son, Percy, was company secretary. the latter proved to be the driving force of the Fruit Export Company.[2]
Board
In 2015 the Company appointed Simon Burke as its first Chairperson. Simon, a fully qualified chartered accountant, has managed some of the most notable retail names in the UK.
For over 10 years Burke held the position of Chief Executive for Virgin Retail and Virgin Entertainment Group and in 1999 moved on to spend just over 4 years as Chairperson of Hamley’s Group Plc[3]. He has also been Chair for well-known companies such as Hobbycraft, Majestic Wine, Bathstore.com and Irish supermarket chain, Superquinn.
In addition to joining the Blue Diamond Group, Burke holds the position of Non-Executive Director for the BBC, the Co-Operative and the Light Cinema Company.
Sir John Collins joined the board as a non executive director in 2013. Before moving to Guernsey[4] Sir John was Chairman and Chief Executive of Shell UK. He then ran the Vestey Group, a family owned business comprising ships, farms, and food wholesaling.
He has also served as Chairman of National Power, Dixons and Cantab Pharmaceuticals and as a non executive director on the boards of Rothschild Bank, P & O, BSkyB and 3i Infrastructure. He has also chaired a number of UK Government committees
Locations[edit]
Trentham Garden Centre[5] was purchased in 2004, and lies within the Trentham Estate
In 2009, after a planning process that lasted more than a decade, Sir Geoffrey Rowland, Bailiff of Guernsey cut the ribbon on the brand new Le Friquet Garden Centre.[6]
Redfields Garden Centre became the 12th acquisition for the group in 2010.[7] It has since been significantly extended to become a destination centre.[8]
Fryer’s Garden Centre and Rose nursery was the 13th Centre to be added to the group in 2011 and brought about a return to growing plants.[9]
2013, saw the purchase of Fermoys Garden Centre, which is currently (2018) the subject of a planning process for a £12m redevelopment[10]
Trelawney Garden Centre was purchased, along with a further development site in 2014[11].
Harlow Garden Centre, formerly known as Harlow Garden Nurseries was purchased in May 2016.
Coton Orchard Garden Centre, near Cambridge was acquired in December 2016.[12]
East Bridgford Garden Centre in Nottingham joined the group in May 2017.[13]
Orchard Park Garden Centre in Gillingham became the 21st garden centre in the group in May 2018.[14][15]
On 16 August 2018, Blue Diamond completed the acquisition of eight garden centres from Wyevale, including Bicester, Cadbury, Cardiff, Endsleigh, Melbicks, Percy Thrower's, Sanders and Weybridge centres.[16]
On 30 August 2018, Blue Diamond completed the purchase of a further garden centre from Wyevale, announcing Nailsworth Garden Centre in the Cotswolds as the 30th centre in its’ portfolio.[17]
Fryer’s Roses[edit]
Fryer's has over 200 varieties of roses which are sold online and in Blue Diamond Garden Centres.
Fryer's have been specialising in roses for over a century, are internationally renowned and have gained prestigious awards from all over the world.
Arthur Fryer began growing roses commercially on a small plot of land in 1912 and from humble beginnings, his reputation as a supplier of excellent quality roses grew throughout the region. In 1928 the business relocated to its current site next to Fryer’s Garden Centre with more land and more roses.
In 1999 Fryer's were honoured to be one of the first recipients of The Queen Mother's International Rose Award. The award established by The Royal National Rose Society recognises outstanding achievement in the raising of new cultivars and continues to be a regular award winner.[18]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Latest Garden Retail Results (2017)".
- ↑ Chadwick, Ann (18 January 2015). "Diamonds Are Forever". The Guernsey Press.
- ↑ "Bloomberg".
- ↑ "Locate Guernsey".
- ↑ Wood, Jenny (3 August 2017). "Garden Centres Slowly Killing Department Stores". Daily Mail.
- ↑ "Le Friquet Garden Centre Finally Blooms".
- ↑ "Blue Diamond Buys Redfields Garden Centre". DIY Week. 3 June 2010.
- ↑ Appleby, Matthew (11 November 2014). "Top 100 Profile - Redlands". Horticulture Week.
- ↑ "Blue Diamond buys Cheshire Rose Centre".
- ↑ Clark, Daniel (21 December 2017). "New plans in to help make Fermoy's garden centre 'best in the west'". Devon Live.
- ↑ Gussin, Tony (19 November 2014). "North Devon Garden Centre Sold On To Industry Giant". North Devon Gazette.
- ↑ "Blue Diamond Acquires Polhills Coton Orchard Garden Centre". InsightDIY. 6 December 2016.
- ↑ "Blue Diamond Open Biggest Garden Centre of 2018".
- ↑ "Blue Diamond Buys Orchard Park Garden Centre".
- ↑ "Orchard Park Garden Centres set to grow".
- ↑ Garcia, Fiona (25 August 2018). "Blue Diamond To Take On Eight Wyevale Centres". DIY Week.
- ↑ Appleby, Matthew (30 August 2018). "Wyevale Garden Centres Sells Five Sites". Horticulture Week.
- ↑ Kerr. "Time to Smell the Roses".
Blue Diamond Garden Centres[edit]
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