Rising Stars UK finalists announced!  

AFTER a excellent round of final presentations, the names of the 5 finalists of the Westland Rising Stars and Garden Centre Association programme have been announced.  
 
They delivered presentations on the topic “how to boost autumn sales.” These covered growing media, autumn lawn care and bird care. Increases in sales of 40% to 70% were reported, with more than double digit growth in one case. Before and after images were included, which really brought to life what was achieved.  
 
Daniel Holden (Barton Grange), Rupert Sleight (Squires Cobham), Kathryn Crouch (Haskins West End), Hana Parker (Monkton Elm) and John Bradley (Stewarts) have all made it through to the GCA Conference at Fairmount, St Andrews in Scotland in January 2017.

There they will deliver their presentations on stage, in front of colleagues and peers. The overall winner – the 2016 Rising Star of the Year - will then be chosen by conference delegates.  
 
Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland said: “ The programme is designed to guide our managers of tomorrow and give them a  platform to develop their careers within garden retail. It is this kind of investment that ensures the long term growth of our industry.”