Gardening enthusiast Boyd Douglas-Davies advocated for the resumption of garden centre operations amid the pandemic crisis.
Boyd Douglas-Davies: A Trailblazer in the Horticultural Industry
Boyd Douglas-Davies, a prominent figure in the horticultural industry, has had a career spanning over 40 years. His journey began at the tender age of 16 when he left school with eight O levels, marking the start of a remarkable career.
Douglas-Davies' first step in the industry was working for Richard Hall at Webbs Garden Centres and wholesale nursery. In 1991, he was offered the position of sales manager at Webbs by its owner, Richard Webb. Over the next two decades, Douglas-Davies rose through the ranks, becoming CEO.
However, despite his success at Webbs, Douglas-Davies harboured ambitions of taking over the family business. Yet, he found buying it too daunting. Instead, he chose to venture out on his own, leaving Webbs in 2011 to start his own chain, Hillview Garden Centres.
The move proved to be a shrewd one. Douglas-Davies spent two years visiting successful garden centres to harvest their best ideas, and in 2011, he launched Hillview Garden Centres. Over the years, he grew the business from one centre to 11.
In 2019, Douglas-Davies joined forces with Charles and Robert Stubbs to become the largest garden centre group in the country. His tenure as president of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) from 2016 to 2019 further cemented his status as a leader in the industry.
During the pandemic, Douglas-Davies argued that garden centres were an essential service, selling perishable goods. His persuasive arguments led to their re-opening. He also launched Garden Re-Leaf day as part of Hillview Garden Centres, an initiative that has raised over £1 million for the Greenfingers Charity to date.
Douglas-Davies' grandfather was a seed merchant in Lancashire, and it seems that the green thumb runs in the family. Today, he is the recently appointed chair of Greenfingers, a charity that makes gardens at children's hospices.
Throughout his career, Douglas-Davies has been instrumental in transforming garden centres into modern stores. His contributions to the horticultural industry are significant and continue to shape the sector today.
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