Congratulations to Steve Morton, our previous Despatch Manager, who has been promoted to Operations Manager and will be leaving the outside despatch environment for the office.
1. What will your new job role include?
My new role will involve looking after the operations team in the top yard. In the office, I will be processing and allocating orders. I will also be helping with recruitment for operation’s needs and a lot of problem-solving.
2. How will this differ from your previous role?
My last job in despatch was very hands-on and physical. This job is more office based.
3. What do you think the challenges will be?
Recruitment and interviewing as these are new challenges for me.
4. What are you most looking forward to?
All the new challenges ahead and staying dry and warm in the winter.
5. Tell us a funny story from your time at JOW:
I have a lot of funny stories at JOW but nothing PG rating.
6. Where would we find you on a weekend?
Spending days out with my wife and four children they all keep me busy.
7. If you had to be stuck in a lift with a star character, who would it be and why?
I would love to be stuck in a lift with George Lucas so I could talk Star Wars with him.
8. Proudest moment in life?
Having all 4 of my children with my wife, Natasha.
9. Drink of choice:
Apple Jack Daniels & Coke
10. Any Hidden Talents?
I would say very good at building Lego, but my wife will tell you it’s being a terrible snorer.
Posted 28th Jul 8:36am
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Congratulations to Matt Campey who has been promoted to Despatch Unit Manager from his previous deputy position. Matt joined Johnsons in 2016 and has worked his way up with various roles along the way. See what he had to say about being promoted below:
1) How will you be celebrating your new position at JOW?
Plenty of beer and enjoying the great weather we are currently having.
2) How will it differ from your previous position?
More responsibility in terms of managing the Despatch team, Internal Transport, Stock checking and ensuring all stock enters the correct delivery bays.
3) What are you most looking forward to within your new role?
I’m looking forward to the new tasks and challenges that the job role brings. Improving my overall plant knowledge and being a department manager for the first time.
4) What do you think the challenges will be?
The biggest challenge for me will be co-ordinating stock from all other sites (UK & Abroad) and getting the stock back to our Newlands site and into our delivery bays for loading.
5) A most memorable day at Johnsons:
That has to be the 20:30 finish that I had with Steve Morton and Chris Pickard. The longest and most tiring day I’ve had at JOW.
6) What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy sports, especially football and watching Leeds United. I like going for walks and getting out and about. I’m not one for keeping still, and I’ve always enjoyed exploring new places.
7) Tell us a random fact about yourself:
I have played football for both Leeds United and Middlesborough Academies.
8) If you were deserted on an island, what’s the one luxury item you would take with you?
A swiss army knife or an axe.
Posted 27th Jul 10:54am
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Earlier this summer, we welcomed Sarah Milana to our growing team. Sarah joined the Procurement team as an Administrative Assistant; find out what she had to say about her time at Johnsons so far below:
1. Tell us about your role at JOW; what does a normal day look like?
So, working in the purchasing department, means you are working with a lot of numbers/prices from many different suppliers. Whilst still learning many of the plants, becoming accustomed to the various names too comes in handy. You work closely with the transport team; this ensures that the product that you buy will come in on time when we are going for collections. When it comes to collection abroad. From putting orders through to go and collect from abroad to doing stock transfers from our cash and carry, you’re also working closely with the outdoor staff as well. This means you are also not always inside.
Additionally, I help with our non-conformities, so any product that hasn’t arrived or needs sending back I will work on the paperwork for, which then we can again, in the purchasing department, work with our sales team and get the correct product for the correct time for the customer.
2. What did you do before working at Johnsons?
Before coming to Johnsons, I worked two separate jobs: a bartender in the evening, and during the day, I worked for a broker firm, which dealt with trade waste.
3. What has been your favourite day at Johnsons since starting?
I would have to say when I worked outside for the first time, understanding how the product that we buy comes in from abroad and how you unload the plants and put them on the correct beds would probably be one of my favourite days since being here. Was nice and sunny too so was nice to help out the outdoor staff and have a feel of what they do too.
4. What do you like most about working in horticulture?
The fact that you are working with plants alone is most of the fun part, I love plants as it is, so learning all the different types of plants, herbs and trees that there are and having them imported in still from another country as well is what I would say is most thrilling.
5. What do you like to get up to on a weekend?
I usually tend to stay in if it’s a bit gloomy and just sit and draw/paint. Otherwise, I will spend time with either my other half or go see friends and contemplate which tattoo to get next.
And if I don’t go get a tattoo, then going out with my friends in town is always the next best thing.
6. Name one item you couldn’t live without?
Headphones for my music
7. Favourite holiday destination:
I would love to go to New Orleans. However, I would also like to visit Greece as well and go to Athens.
Posted 15th Jul 1:40pm
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A warm welcome to Hannah Holland, who joined our transport team as a Logistics Administrator earlier this summer. Find out what she had to say about her new role below:
1) Tell us about your role and what it involves:
I assist both Hannah and Katie in their roles. Planning, confirming EU paperwork, managing ferry bookings and communicating with drivers daily.
2) What have you enjoyed most about working at JOW?
The friendly, nice and kind people, alongside the week’s variety! No day is the same.
3) Where have you worked previously?
I have a degree in fashion buying and merchandising. I worked as an assistant merchandiser for the Baird group. And really disliked I. It was like the real-life The Devil Wears Prada. Throughout university, I worked at mint velvet and was regularly given free clothes/ shoes and accessories.
4) Tell us something you have learnt since joining the team:
I could now look at a postcode and, without google, have a rough idea of its location.
5) Night in or night out?
During summer, nights out during winter nights in watching films.
6) What do you like to get up to outside of work?
I spend a lot of time in the gym. I LOVE a spin class. Sometimes I knit and get my sewing machine out too!
7) Savoury or sweet food?
Mostly savoury, Indian, Italian and Thai. But sweets are good too, Coco Joe’s in York and Pateley Bridge have the best hot chocolate you’ll have ever tasted.
8) City break or a beach holiday?
Definitely, beach, when I go on holiday I want nothing other than sitting on a sun lounger worshipping the sunshine reading a book, listening to music and people watching!
Posted 14th Jul 4:16pm
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July often brings more sunshine, which in turn requires more watering and weeding, among many other jobs in the garden, from dead-heading roses to clipping evergreen hedging and quickthorn. Check out our full hints and tips below.
Water as soon as slowing growth rate shows that soil is drying out. Sandy soil requires half the water compared to clay soil.
Continue tying dahlias to their stakes and spraying aphids and insects as necessary.
Trim quickthorn hedges and continue hoeing and weeding hedge bottoms.
Dead-head roses, trim to appropriate bud in the axil of a leaf shoot with five leaflets when the blooms have gone over. This will have a strong bud growing in the leaf axil, which should point in an outward direction.
Always use sharp secateurs when cutting roses or pruning anything.
Feed both established and newly planted roses with a rose fertilizer at the rate of about a handful per square metre, other than for a 15cm dia. clear circle around the stem of each plant. Hoe the fertilizer into the soil surface.
Do not cut back paeonies which have flowered; just remove dead flower heads, as they need to die back naturally as a part of the ripening process.
Check the moisture level of hanging baskets every morning and water thoroughly if dry. Feed plants with a soluble liquid once per week and remove flower heads that are going over.
Clear foliage from ponds and remove weeds from around the edges and excess vegetation on water lilies.
Cut Delphiniums down to 12-15cm after flowering and keep moist. They should produce another flush of flowers in the autumn.
Evergreen hedges can be clipped this month (and some deciduous ones) but ensure no nesting birds are in the hedge. Cut laurel and Eleagnus hedges with secateurs to prevent cut leaves.
July is a good month to take heather cuttings. Choose young, vigorous, half-ripe, non-flowering shoots. Treat the bottom 5cm of the cuttings with rooting hormone and insert the bottom around the edge of a 9cm pot. Keep in a closed, shaded frame, ensuring that water does not drip onto the cuttings from the underside of the glass. Do not allow the cutting to dry out.
Prune pyracanthas by cutting back side-shoots to 2-3 leaves from their base for a good show next year. Wear gloves!! When the first flush of hardy geraniums and Alchemilla is over, cut them hard back for a spectacular second flush of flowers.
Once per week, go around the garden and remove all dead-heads from flowers and clear away all vegetables that have finished cropping.
The first week of the month is the best time to cut lavender for drying. Cut the whole flower stalk when it begins to show colour. Tie in loose bundles and hang in a greenhouse or warm shed to dry.
Posted 7th Jul 10:44am
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We have recently supplied over £25,000 worth of plants for the historic Yorkshire-based Aldwark Manor Estate.
Johnsons were appointed by the new owners, who purchased the historic Estate in 2019, to supply hundreds of high-quality plants as the venue undergoes a significant renovation and expansion program. The hotel is located less than 10 miles from Johnsons HQ making it an ideal partnership.
The plants will be used across the wedding garden, fountain bed and entrance to the estate.
Johnsons supply has included Trees, hedging, herbaceous, shrub and topiary plants so far including varieties such as Buxus balls, Lavender, Hydrangeas, Tulips, Nepeta, Astilbes, Fagus, Acers and more.
Since the acquisition, Aldwark Manor Estate has been undergoing an ambitious multi-million pounds extension and refurbishment project, with over £8m invested into phase one of the project which includes the total refurbishment of all the bedrooms, public areas and function suites. Phase two will see the opening of Bunkers in September 2022 with 11 bedrooms, a sports bar and restaurant, a golf shop and private room.
The overall program is set to be completed by the end of 2024 with plans for a new spa and leisure complex to include a mezzanine pool overlooking the estate’s 185 acres in the Vale of York, beauty treatment areas, a leisure pool and gym, a conference centre and 40 new bedrooms, exclusive rooms with balconies and hot tubs. The Manor’s facilities also include an 18-hole golf course that will be fully redeveloped by the end of May 2023 with the addition of a boat house, and boat and water sports activities.
Eleanor Richardson, Marketing Manager at Johnsons, said: “The team at Aldwark Manor Estate are currently in the process of implementing huge renovations to the historic estate and are creating a luxury experience for guests and visitors.
“The whole Johnsons team are excited to be involved in the project and helping them create a tranquil space in the grounds of the estate and we are looking forward to continuing to work with them as the renovations continue.”
Posted 7th Jul 9:31am
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