Bransford Webbs Propagation Manager wins top industry award at IPPS conference

On Thursday night last week Karl O’Neill, Bransford Webb’s propagation manager won the much coveted Rose Bowl at the IPPS conference held at Best westerns Premier Yew Lodge Hotel in Derbyshire.

The annual gathering of the UK and Ireland's top propagators and growers took place from Wednesday to Friday last week and is a great opportunity for them to exchange the latest in practices.

Thursday night saw the gala dinner culminate in the annual awards ceremony hosted by IPPS President David Talbot. This year the IPPS’s most prestigious award was handed to Karl O’Neill for professionalism in propagation and sharing and promoting ideas.

Karl commented “I was shocked to be awarded the prize, I had no idea that it was going to happen. It’s a great honour and I am pleased that my work is being recognised”

Karl has been Propagation Manger at Bransford Webbs for 9 years and has seen the move from an old propagation facility to a state of the art unit in 2006. And has been instrumental in the increase of in house propagation from 40% of Bransford Webb’s total production to almost 80%. Karl has also helped build close links between the nursery and local educational establishments such as Pershore College.

Karl said “ I am looking forward to the future challenges that Bransford can throw at me with new varieties we are adding to our range”