BUSINESS
KENT WOMEN IN BUSINESS
SUE ALLEN AND TAMMY WOODHOUSE :
The Women Behind … Millbrook Garden Company
www . millbrookgc . co . uk
HEADING UP HOUSEHOLD NAME MILLBROOK GARDEN COMPANY ARE TWO EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN . NOT ONLY HAVE THEY PIONEERED THE WAY FOR MODERN HORTICULTURAL CENTRES AND BLAZED A TRAIL FOR OTHER FEMALES IN THE INDUSTRY , THEY ALSO JUST HAPPEN TO BE AN INCREDIBLE MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEAM .
Founder and chairperson , Sue Allen , who had worked on the business from the ground up , handed over the reins to her daughter , managing director Tammy Woodhouse in 2009 , and it ' s fair to say that both women have led the business from strength to strength . From opening their first Millbrook Garden Centre in East Sussex , to their second site in Gravesend in 1994 , and their most recent opening in Staplehurst in 2013 , it ’ s clear that this femaleowned , family run company has become much more than the local small business it started out as - though it has never forgotten its roots .
Who are the women that helped you along in your journey to success ?
Sue : Within the horticulture industry women are still in the minority , but my mum was always a great inspiration . She was an environmentalist before the word had even been created and I always respected her values . She was a strong and determined woman who worked hard to support my dad particularly during the war , and for many years ran his business with him .
Tammy : My mum . Both of my parents always encouraged me that I could do anything I wanted to do if I work hard enough . She has always been at the forefront of the garden centre industry – not just running Millbrook , but as Garden Centre Association chairperson , and has always been a great role model .
Tell us a little about the mother-daughter dynamic while running Millbrook ?
S : Tammy , myself and our other directors worked very closely together and spoke very frankly in preparing our succession plan from six years before I retired . I won ’ t say the transition was without problems or tears , but we all knew what we needed to achieve , and I am proud that the success of the business now shows it worked . I vowed I would never interfere or contradict a decision made by Tammy and it is hard to hold my tongue sometimes but , as she has developed into her role , I now have supreme confidence in Tammy ’ s judgement . Both my daughters are exceptional women and I try to remember to tell them that frequently .
What has your experience as a woman in business been like ?
T : Although there are still some old-fashioned attitudes out there , I have always found that it is better to ignore these attitudes and to push on . The garden centre industry is still quite male dominated and I have never felt uncomfortable with that , but as a member of the GCA executive board for the last 10 years there have been times when I have been the only woman on the board . This is gradually improving .
S : Before retiring as managing director in 2009 , I loved working in this industry and I ’ ve never felt discriminated against as a woman , instead being positively encouraged to take on roles both nationally and internationally which have led to more friendships and opportunities like judging garden centres throughout all of Australia and visiting Italy annually to inspect their centres .
How would you encourage other girls and women to get involved in the business industry ?
T : I think if you are passionate about business then the opportunities are there for women . Don ’ t be afraid to raise your head above the parapet , attitudes are changing and your voice deserves to be heard . Go for it !
What has been your biggest , proudest business accomplishment ?
T : Growing Millbrook over the last 20 years ; buying our Staplehurst Garden Centre in 2013 , which was the first addition to the two sites that mum and dad had opened and so a real milestone ; and finally , in February I take over as chairperson of the Garden Centre Association ( GCA ) as only the third female woman chair in our 56-year history . I am proud to fly the flag for women in horticulture and business and look forward to taking the organisation forward during the next two years .
S : Opening our first two centres against all the odds and then surviving ! Closely followed by becoming National Garden Centre Association chairperson and then international president .
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