|
Route
to Job: Things
were looking bad for Mark when his employer, Worcestershire
Blakedown Nurseries, went out of business over a year ago.
However, everything turned around when a former colleague
asked him to join him at Rupert Gooddy.
Mark, who left school at 16, started his career at Broadhouse
Farm Nursery, in Droitwich. He did a BTEC First Diploma in
horticulture. This was to ensure that when promotion came
knocking, he had what it took to open doors.
Typical
day: "Combining
paperwork with outside work is a fine balancing act, but it
makes for a varied day. Mornings start with me arranging propagation
schedules and working on the shrubs in our greenhouse or 14ha
site. I supervise five propagation staff and six outside in
the nursery.
"But
from 4.30pm to 6pm, I'm behind a computer. Right now, I'm
working on a programme for barcoding label cards. Filing paperwork
is a good way to end the day, but your mind never strays far
from the outside world.
"We propagate around 1.2 million plants from April to
the year's end and expect to lose around 15 per cent. The
aim is to produce around one million plants in two-litre pots.
Quantity is crucial, but so is quality and last year's rain
hit the industry hard.
"At the moment, we're looking at avenues other than those
in the traditional amenity sector. We're focusing more on
selling to garden centres, and this market could play a key
part in our development."
Best
aspect of the job:"I
enjoy propagation because it is so varied - you have
to know what to propagate and when. You also need to know
how to get the best quality."
Worst
aspect:
"Winter time, when you're cursing through your teeth
about the bad weather."
Ambition:
"To help expansion here, and maybe have my own nursery
one day."
|
