The Irish connection

摘要

Peter Rogers catches up with Nick Smalley and discovers that his family run houseplant business has broken into new markets since winning its first Supplier of the Year award. For roger Smalley Houseplants 2001 saw continued expansion into its chosenmarket, the independent garden retail sector. The customer base is now around 200 strong and scattered throughout England and Wales. However over the last 12 months this family-owned company has broken into what for them was an entirely new market, Northern Ireland. In the space of a few months it contacted, delivered to and won over its first customer in Ulster. What followed was a succession of new clients so that today it has 18 with two more south of the border in the Republic and plans to expand further. As the only entrant to win a Nurseryman & Garden Centre Award two years running, this small business on the outskirts of Spalding in Lincolnshire naturally demonstrates attention to detail, quality control and product innovation.