Wyevale Garden Centres acquires Golden Acres Group

Wyevale Garden Centres has grown to 148 centres after buying four centres in the Dorset-based Golden Acres Group.

The acquired centres include John Browns Garden Centre and West Parley Garden Centre in Dorset, Landford Garden Centre in Salisbury, and Cadnam Garden Centre in Hants. Combined, the centres have more than 10,000sqm of covered space and four new food and beverage offerings in areas that Wyevale says complement the existing Wyevale Garden Centres estate.

WGC chief executive Kevin Bradshaw said: "Golden Acres are well known as a passionate, family-run business where customer service and strong horticultural knowledge bring gardening inspiration to their loyal customers. Our mission at Wyevale Garden Centres is to be just such a passionate and inspirational gardening resource in the communities where we live and work, and we are extremely pleased to continue the legacy as we welcome Golden Acres employees and customers to our company."

Paul Richards, the former owner and managing director of Golden Acres Group, said: "I am very pleased that our employees and customers will have the opportunity to be part of a larger organization with a strong commitment to the gardening industry. I would like to extend warm thanks to my team for all of their invaluable hard work over the years, which has been key to our success."

Richards will continue to own and operate GAN's Badger Garden Centre in Redditch, which will operate under the name of Mappleborough Garden Centre.

Golden Acres gave up growing earlier this year, leasing its glasshouses to Dorset Plant. The company operated the GAN trade show until 2011. In November, Golden Acres Cash & Carry was taken over by the daughter of Paul Richards, Charlotte Richards. Her new company, Plants for Trade continues to serve cash and carry customers from the same site at West Parley.

Source : Matthew Appleby - Horticulture Week
http://www.hortweek.com/