The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is an after work drinks event on Thursday, August 31 at The West Park Hotel in Harrogate between 5-7pm.
The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
Harrogate Town have announced a partnership with a Harrogate construction and plant hire firm.
Kitching Plant Hire has over 350 machines to buy and hire, including diggers, excavators, rollers and cement mixers.
The club said the firm’s commitment to innovation and quality mirrored its values.
Matthew Kitching, director of Kitching Plant Hire, said:
“We’re excited about our new partnership with Harrogate Town AFC, being proud supporters, we felt the timing is right to show our commitment to our local club.”
Joanne Towler, commercial director of Harrogate Town AFC, said the company’s support was “instrumental in driving our club’s progress”.
Harrogate and Boroughbridge companies help beautify York
A Borougbridge landscape contractor has partnered with a horticultural company in Kirk Hammerton to remodel the grounds of York Museum Gardens.
ATM Ltd, a landscaping, highway and maintenance company, has partnered with Johnsons of Whixley to supply thousands of plants to the 12.5 acre area of land as part of the recent Environment Agency flood defence improvements project.
ATM provided the project with all soft landscaping following engineering work to raise an existing flood bank, while the commercial plant suppliers selected plants to ensure pollination will thrive throughout the year.
The aim of the project is to rejuvenate the gardens, which were first established in the 1830s, and create a fresh and enjoyable space for the public.
Daniel McClaren, contracts manager at ATM Ltd, said:
“The plants were carefully selected with wildlife and seasons in mind. The gardens will be enjoyed all year round. ”
Eleanor Richardson, marketing manager at Johnsons, said:
“York Museum Gardens is on our doorstep, so it has been great to visit the site and see the hard work ATM have completed and see the plants thriving.”
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate business meeting to focus on cybersecurity
The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, 27 July at Banyan in Harrogate between 8-10am.
The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate business meeting is set to focus on cybersecurity.
Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce will host the event on Monday (July 10) from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Majestic DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.
PC Daniel Fawkes from the cyber crime division of North Yorkshire Police will be the guest speaker for the evening.
PC Fawkes will speak about business protection, social engineering threats and personal security considerations.
Meanwhile, Andy Morrison of Andisa IT Consultants will give a speech on how to implement security strategies.
Meanwhile, the evening will commence with a presentation from Harrogate Skills 4 Living at 6:15 pm, before the keynote presentation from the guest speaker.
For more information on the meeting and to book a place, visit the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce website.
Harrogate district plant nursery launches horticultural training scheme
A Harrogate district plant nursery has launched a 12-week horticultural training course.
Johnsons of Whixley has set up the programme in partnership with Askham Bryan College in York.
The course, ‘An Introduction to Horticulture’, will offer employees from Johnsons the chance to broaden their knowledge in various aspects of horticulture, from plant identification to planting locations and the impacts of plant choices, with a mixture of practical and theoretical tests.
Johnsons of Whixley employees with Askham Bryan College tutors.
The weekly sessions will be held from July to September at the college.
Steve Bassford, Askham Bryan curriculum area manager, said:
“The college is looking forward to having the opportunity to deliver the bespoke course and building on already formed relationships.
“Having a positive impact on a local business such as Johnsons of Whixley enables a commercial education partnership which will be mutually beneficial to all.”
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate’s Ashville College appoints head of prep school
Staff well-being and culture have rapidly risen up the priority list for many employers. At the next Stray Ferret Business Club we’ll hear from award winning employer, LCF Law, on how organisations can ensure their teams are productive and happy.
The lunch event is lunch at Manahatta, on June 29th at 12.30pm. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
Harrogate’s Ashville College has appointed Philip Soutar as head of prep school.
Mr Soutar will take up the role in September, having previously been head at Rosemead Prep School and Nursery in Dulwich, South London, for the past six years.
He is currently national chair of the Independent Schools Association. In this role, he serves on the Independent Schools Council, the overarching body of the seven associations representing over 1,400 independent schools nationwide.
Rhiannon Wilkinson, head of Ashville College, said:
“Philip’s passion for preparatory education, and inspiring and nurturing young people, shines through.
“He has dedicated the whole of his successful career to preparatory education and this unrivalled experience, coupled with his national high-level insight, makes him ideally-placed to lead Ashville through the challenges and opportunities in our sector.
Mr Soutar added:
“This is a return to the north of England for my family and I and we cannot wait to become part of the Ashville community.
“My philosophy is based around high academic expectations whilst achieving the balance of opportunity through art, sport, music and drama.
Founded in 1877, Ashville is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2-18 years.
Johnsons of Whixley supplies £130,000 worth of plants for holiday parks
Plant nursery Johnsons of Whixley has supplied £130,000 worth of plants for two luxury holiday park developments
The local horticultural business has been chosen as the primary supplier of plants for the project by Darwin Escapes, which will see one, two and three-bedroom lodges constructed in the grounds of the Blenheim Palace estate.
Johnsons has also received an order to supply the grounds of Plas Isaf Lodge Retreat in North Wales, another project by Darwin Escapes.
Eleanor Richardson, marketing manager at Johnsons of Whixley, said:
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Darwin Escapes.”
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate consultants donate to local mental health charity
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate building consultants has made a donation to a local mental health charity.
DSSR Building Consultants, which is based at Windsor House, made the £600 donation to Mind in Harrogate.
Representative from the consultancy firm presented the cheque to the charity this past week.
A spokesperson for DSSR Building Consultants said:
“DSSR Building Consultants are dedicated to promoting, improving and supporting the mental health of our staff. In conjunction with this commitment to our colleagues, we are delighted to be able to help and support our local charities and community.
“Even though 1 in 4 people have mental health problems, most of us don’t get the help we need. Mind in Harrogate District offers a number of support services to anyone struggling with their mental health.”
Plant nursery launches step challenge
A Harrogate district plant nursery has launched a 15 million steps challenge in aid of charity.
Johnsons of Whixley launched the campaign as part of Move More Month in April to raise vital funds for horticultural mental health charity, Perennial.
Staff at Johnsons of Whixley taking part in the April step challenge.
Perennial supports people in the horticultural industry, including those who work at Johnsons, with health and wellbeing advice, housing and financial support and debt advice.
Speaking of the challenge, Eleanor Richardson, marketing and office manager and qualified mental health first aider at Johnsons of Whixley, said:
“At Johnsons, we believe that taking care of our employees’ mental health is just as important as their physical health, so that’s why this challenge is such an important one for us.
“Not only will we be supporting Perennial, which has helped a number of our team members in the past, but we will be getting together as a team and building bonds across departments, getting some exercise and supporting one another towards a shared goal.”
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Business Breakfast: Knaresborough pest control company appoints new chief
A Knaresborough pest control company has appointed a new chief executive.
Alex Ashmore has joined Pelsis Group, which is based on Grimbald Crag Close.
Mr Ashmore, who previously worked for Delphi Technologies, will be tasked with continuing the group’s development in the pest control industry.
Martin Schwab, managing partner at Pamplona, Pelsis’ parent company, said:
“I am very pleased to welcome Alex to Pelsis.
“His deep, hands-on experience within complex global businesses makes him the ideal choice to accelerate Pelsis’ growth and capture the significant opportunities ahead of us, as well as continue to drive consolidation within the industry following the acquisition of Brandenburg and Sanitrade last year.”
Mr Ashmore said:
“I am delighted to join the Pelsis team at this exciting time for the company.
“Pelsis is known for its leading role in driving quality and innovation in the pest control market, and I look forward to working with our customers, suppliers and colleagues to address the needs of the industry, and continue to drive sustained growth.”
Minister visits Harrogate plant nursery
A government minister has paid a visit to a Harrogate district plant nursery.
Johnsons of Whixley hosted Trudy Harrison MP, parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, along with Nigel Adams, the Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty and Lee Lyons, a Defra civil servant.
(From left) Graham Richardson and Jonathan Whittemore from Johnsons of Whixley with Trudy Harrison MP and Nigel Adams MP.
Ms Harrison and Mr Adams were welcomed by group managing director, Graham Richardson to discuss issues including commercial importing and rising costs due to inflation.
Mr Richardson said:
“It was an honour to host the minister and other key individuals to discuss the key horticultural challenges facing our sector, the importance of our sector was acknowledged, and the challenges that the ‘retreat from peat’ brings in terms of a practical growing media alternative (in sufficient volume) and the associated timings are better understood.”
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Business Breakfast: Harrogate plant nursery staff take on leadership scheme
It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The third in our series of networking events in association with The Coach and Horses in Harrogate is a lunch event on March 30 from 12.30pm.
Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.
A Harrogate district plant nursery has trained up 12 potential new managers as part of a company training programme.
Johnsons of Whixley, which is based in Kirk Hammerton, has partnered with BHP Consulting to enrol some of its team onto the leadership scheme.
The programme, designed specifically to meet the commercial nursery’s needs, is part of Johnsons’ long-term commitment to providing opportunities for growth and progression within the horticulture industry.
The company also runs a rising stars programme, which looks to train workers to take on senior roles at the company in the future.
Luke Richardson, sales director at Johnsons of Whixley, said:
“As the business continues to grow and transitions to the third generation of family ownership, we believe that investing in and developing our management team is more important than ever, and we are committed to providing long-term opportunities for people in the horticulture industry.
“As a company, we have worked closely with BHP board advisor and training provider, Mark Roberts, for four years. Mark is well-versed in our entire operation and perfectly positioned to deliver the training.”
Mark Roberts, training provider and board advisor at BHP Consulting, added:
“We developed the programme to specifically help support the managers in their current roles. It included practical hints and tips that can be used in their daily business activities, we also had the opportunity to discuss some of the current challenges and develop some new ideas and potential solutions.
“Throughout the sessions, there has been a very high level of engagement from all participants, and it shows the business has a management team in place to support its future growth.”
Harrogate College hosts passive house course
Construction businesses are invited to find out how to create energy efficient buildings as part of a free course at Harrogate College.
Called Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management, the scheme is fully funded by government and lasts for four weeks as part of a one-day a week programme.
It aims to teach professionals about passive houses, which are built to rigorous energy efficient design standards to help them maintain an almost constant temperature.
The course will be run by Leeds-based passive house specialists Pure Haus.
Kevin Pratt, director of Pure Haus, said:
“Building energy efficient homes and retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient is the future.
“I’m so pleased that Harrogate College has embraced the future of the construction industry and this course is a really exciting project for us to be involved in.
“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college, too; it will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”
Danny Wild, Harrogate College principal, said:
“Creating more energy efficient buildings, and improving the efficiency of the ones we already have, is an important part of the fight against climate change.
“We are delighted to be partnering with local businesses and community groups to raise awareness of, and offer training in, skills like passive house building and retrofitting.
“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”
The course starts on Tuesday, March 7. For more information on the scheme and how to apply, visit the Harrogate College website here.
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Boroughbridge fashion brand to expand into US and Australia
Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.
Boroughbridge-based online women’s fashion retailer and brand Kit and Kaboodal is set to expand into the United States and Australia.
The company, founded in 2013, has posted a 48% increase in revenue on the same period the previous year, 20% ahead of target.
It’s now on track to surpass its annual target of £8m for the full 2022/23 financial year.
The retailer has now made the decision to trial international expansion and, from this autumn, it will launch specific sites and products in the US and Australia.
Helen Marsden, co-founder and buying director, said:
“We’re a family-run and family-owned business that began by making all our decisions around the kitchen table. Now we’re watching the orders grow daily and we’re reaching entirely new markets and customers.
“We’ve focused on building strong relationships with suppliers and customers and that has helped us navigate some of the most disruptive years in history and come out the other side with a strong business that’s fit for the future.”
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Harrogate district nursery supplies plants to luxury resort
Johnsons of Whixley are supplying plants to The Springs.
Johnsons of Whixley has supplied plants worth £135,000 for a multi-million-pound renovation at the 133-acre The Springs Resort & Golf Club in Oxfordshire.
The plants have been used to enhance the grounds of the Tudor-style hotel building, clubhouse, golf course and spa grounds and most recently used to landscape the modern lodges which include private outdoor areas with hot tubs and landscaped decking.
Johnsons has supplied a large number of hedging, shrubs, herbaceous, trees and grasses with varieties including mixed native hedging elements, Choisya, Geraniums, Heleniums, Hebes, Hydrangeas, Heucheras, Ilex, Lavender, Magnolia, Prunus, Stipa, Taxus, Viburnum and more.
Eleanor Richardson, marketing manager at Johnsons, said:
Harrogate district’s monthly business safari to be held“We are pleased to be working with Darwin Escapes once again, and are honoured to be their principal plant supplier. It’s great to see our plants adding the finishing touches to this ambitious project, the grounds look fantastic and will certainly entice people to stay.”
Harrogate District’s Chamber of Commerce is due to hold its monthly Business Safari event.
The members-only speed networking event will be held next week at St George’s Hotel.
You can sign up to the monthly agenda through the Harrogate Chamber website.
Plant competition for school children hosted by Johnsons of Whixley
Johnsons of Whixley in Harrogate is holding a competition for primary school children.
To celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee and gardening, £250 worth of plants will be sent to the winner’s school, including ten plants for their own home garden. Those in second and third place will also win a plant.
Children under the age of 11 can participate by drawing an imaginative Jubilee Garden. The form can be downloaded here.
Children must create a drawing of a jubilee garden as part of the competition
JW is a three-generation run family business which grows and supplies trees, shrubs and plants to UK-wide planting schemes.
The company plays an active part in the community, having collected donations for Ukraine and providing plants to Baby Rainbow Memorial Garden last month.
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Knitting show gives Harrogate economy £2m boost
The Knitting & Stitching Show has agreed a deal to stay at Harrogate Convention Centre for the next three years.
The show, which is open to the public, features hundreds of stands from retailers, more than 200 workshops, a theatre with live demos, gallery exhibitions and expert advice.
The economic impact of the show on the town is estimated to be £2 million over the three years of the deal.
Organisers predict 12,000 to 14,000 visitors will attend the four-day show from November 17 to 20, which will mark the 30th year the show has exhibited in Harrogate.
Paula Lorimer, director at the centre, said:
“This news follows on from a raft of other flagship events that have signed contracts to return to our venue for the next three or four years, including the Flooring Show, Home and Gift, the Bridal Show and Fashion Week.
“These are crucial as they mark the confident return of big exhibitions, which are such big drivers of the wider local economy.”
Harrogate firm completing £2m refurbishment of Leeds building
A Harrogate-company has almost completed a £2m refurbishment of a historic Grade II listed building in Leeds city centre.
Westcourt Group‘s upgrade of 56 Wellington Street, with the building dating back to 1873, will provide 10,254 sq ft of prime grade A office space over six floors in the city’s professional district.
56 Wellington Street
Tim Hodgson, managing director of Westcourt Group, said:
“This is a truly unique building that we have sensitively reinvented to provide grade A workspace with an attention to detail that that really accentuates the building’s heritage, whilst importantly bringing into the 21st century.”
Some of the staff taking part.
Johnsons staff pledge to walk 280,000 steps for Cancer Research UK
Staff at Harrogate district nursery Johnsons of Whixley have pledged to walk 10,000 steps each during March as they take part in Cancer Research UK’s Walk All Over Cancer challenge.
Throughout March, 28 staff members at Johnsons will walk a total of 280,000 steps combined, which equates to approximately 140 miles per day, 980 miles per week and an overall estimate of 5,000 miles for the month.
Marketing manager Eleanor Richardson has organised the challenge.
“The steps challenge is a great way to fundraise for the charity and a great activity for team building and general fitness. There are many benefits to walking 10,000 steps per day.”
You can support Johnsons walking challenge here.
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