Tong wins Outstanding Employer award

The team at a Bradford Garden Centre are celebrating after winning the Outstanding Employer award at the 15th annual Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business awards.

Tong Garden Centre's Head of People and Culture, Neil Barwise-Carr represented the team at Tong in a unique online awards ceremony that was hosted by former BBC news presenter, Harry Gration.

"The Outstanding Employer award celebrates employers who value and reward their staff and empower employees to play a role in moving the company forward, so we're absolutely delighted to win the award," said Mr. Barwise-Carr.

A raft of initiatives

Tong Garden Centre employs 196 local people at its Tong Lane site. Mr. Barwise-Carr and his colleague, Becki Smith have spent the last 18 months developing a raft of initiatives including e-learning platforms, enhanced staff benefits and improved communication and employee engagement to ensure that Tong continues to be a great place to work.

The Tong Lane business faced strong competition from fellow Bradford business, Exa Networks; Leeds business, Thrive Law and South Yorkshire companies, One Medical and Mechanical Facilities.

Tong Garden Centre occupies a 19 acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest independent garden centres with 125,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 700 cars.