The group managing director of commercial-grade nursery Johnsons of Whixley has hailed the gruelling body of work and resilience of his staff as the business recorded ‘ remarkable ’ sales figures despite the pandemic , uttermost weather and continuing uncertainty around Brexit .
Graham Richardson said everyone within the firm had been dead determined to maintain operations despite the unprecedented challenge of 2020 .
As Johnsons approaches its centennial in 2021 , Mr Richardson said sales of £ 13.2 m up to the year final stage on September 30th had been the second eminent in the company ’s history . A aggregate of 5.3 million works had been sell , with almost 500 raw customers on the books and 11,000 UK deliveries made .
An unprecedented slowdown when lockdown began in March , twin with daily changes in regulations , had brought a noteworthy response from the hands , who had not only adapted to new room of working overnight but had risen to the challenge of redistribute plants that would otherwise have go to consume . While some were given out in the community , new stock offer were created and previously untapped market place identified .
He say the challenge of 2020 had been both singular and significant but added : " So is our resolve and heart and soul strength . We have the furthest respect for our remarkable workforce , customers and suppliers and remain forever grateful for their allegiance , voiceless oeuvre and support .
" None of us jazz what the coming months will bring but severally and conjointly , we can turn together to limit the encroachment and maximise opportunity . This is what we did in the year gone and this is what we will do in the year amount .
" Our reaction and purpose to survey the rules , pair with a regimented sanitation regime and a course well - ventilate workings environment , have so far kept us mostly secure . Our resolve to insure caper surety for all by continuing to ship and make much - ask new works .
" The end result in our time of year 2019 - 20 is , in my opinion , more remarkable than the late year , that witnessed recording - break sales of over £ 14 m. Our sales event of over £ 13.2 yard are our 2nd highest ever . profitableness and cash genesis have followed and this make a dandy buffer for the remaining challenge of the pandemic and Brexit that lie in in the lead . "
Mr Richardson said that Brexit and the on-going pandemic would continue to create issues and were no less pregnant than the battles they had fought .
" We now face an issue from the European Union which offers fiddling but uncertainty , confusedness and increased cost , ” he added . “ There is a misconception that a mass will remove any potential limitations , and we will be able freely trade with our EU supplier in an unchanged manner . This is not the suit – new restrictions and regulations will limit what we can buy , will increase supply timescales significantly and will tot between five and 10 % to the cost of our plants , which might go on to have a limiting effect on what we deal . "
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