A new chapter at Hillier Nurseries
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Robert Hillier photo Michael Butters
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George Hillier
Chairman Robert Hillier will be standing down from his position of Chairman of Hillier Nurseries and will hand the reins of the family-run business to his son, George Hillier, who will take the role of Chairman from 1st January 2024.
Robert will remain actively involved in the business as a Board Director on a part-time basis.
Hillier will celebrate its 160th anniversary next year and during that time there have only been four Chairmen. Robert has worked in the company for more than 50 years and has been the driving force behind Hillier since 1980.
Robert Hillier says “It has been a privilege to be at the forefront of this company for so long. I am extremely proud to be handing over to the next generation of the Hillier family. We are a business that has always looked to the future, so it is wonderful to see George take the reins and continue to build on the fantastic achievements of the last 160 years.”
George Hillier
George has worked in the company for 23 years and is ready to build on the strong foundation that has been laid down. He began as a Garden Centre Assistant and worked his way up to become Manager of Hillier Garden Centre Chichester, before progressing to Area Manager for three years and then into his current role as Director of Property.
He has managed the company’s recent property acquisitions and developments taking the portfolio from 12 to 22 garden centres, as well as acquiring additional land for growth in the Hillier tree nurseries.
George has also been instrumental in setting and delivering the company’s sustainability objectives, working with Planet Mark to reduce the business’ carbon footprint.
Discussing his new position as Chairman George said: “These are exciting times for Hillier following our recent acquisitions and our launch of online shopping… We have a strong and experienced team at Hillier… so we’re in a great position to look at what’s next for our business and continue the growth that my predecessors championed for decades. Of course, this is all while we focus on what we do best – trees, plants and great customer experiences!”