GLAS Special: Golden Years for Kildare Growers
GLAS 2017 and The Irish Nursery Stock Sector with The Kildare Growers has begun to see the green shoots of optimism
Print20 July 2017
Established since 1985, the Kildare Growers comprises of six of the leading nurseries in Ireland; working together to help promote our industry and to offer our customers a complete collection of exceptional quality plants.
The group’s strong roots have helped to nurture their growers through their fourth decade of growth.
Spurred on by those strong foundation roots, the Kildare Growers are themselves beginning to see their own shoots of renewal emerge from within the group with a second generation of growers bringing a new energy to our industry.
In the past few years, Tim Schram; Roy, Breen and Chris Rentes, and Matthew Lohan have taken leading roles within their family nurseries.
The calendar of events for 2017 has been as busy as ever with Rentes Plant Fair and two well attended IHNSA trolley fairs kicking off the spring season.
Bloom has come and gone and the recovering economy of 2017 have meant a record year for this Garden festival. The Kildare Growers were once again delighted to participate in Bloom with our garden for The Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
Despite the intermittent rain, the festival saw record attendances with retail stands reporting strong growth on last year, true testament to the recovering popularity of our industry.
Strong spring demand for plants has continued to carry into the summer. As a group, the Kildare Growers supply many of the leading garden centres throughout Ireland and have seen strong demand for colourful lines as well as a resurgence in more traditional lines such as shrubs and roses.
Exports amongst the group have also risen with a number of our Kildare Growers members exporting significant quantities of premium stock for The UK market.
The pace of growth in the landscape sector has also continued and an increase in demand for trees, shrubs, and colourful plants has led to a sense of optimism within the Industry.
The co-operation that Kildare Growers pride ourselves on forces the group to continuously evaluate and improve our businesses. The shrinking market of the past ten years has been a difficult path to navigate, however, that same shrinking market, has presented opportunities for improvement for our nurseries.
The focus on quality became front and centre amongst our members and today, our growers supply the Irish and UK market with what we believe to be plants of unrivalled quality.
We continuously strive to offer our customers only the best quality plants, true to form and climatically suited to the Irish garden. This year will see all members of the group invest in upgrading and constructing new high class growing facilities.
These investments coupled with similar investments in our staff, will ensure the continued commitment to quality and service that The Kildare Growers are known for.
The roots of The Kildare Growers continue to anchor the group deep within the fertile soil of the amenity sector and together, with the green shoots of a buoyant marketplace and an enthusiastic next generation of growers, we look forward to growing with you into 2018 and beyond.
Related Articles
GLAS Special: The Kildare Growers on 2023 →
Fans 0
Followers