How many people now work for the company ?
Ninety-five .
What makes the HydroGarden employees so awesome ?
The best thing about the staff at HydroGarden is the level of care and attention to detail they all give . We place massive emphasis on customer service and developing relationships with the retailers . It ’ s something that gives us an edge in the industry , especially within the UK . Our team bond is fantastic ; there ’ s a real sense of cohesion , especially within sales , that I ’ ve yet to find in other businesses . It certainly makes working life easier on the more troublesome days .
What are some of your proudest moments ?
We ’ ve achieved a lot as a company over 21 years . After speaking to various people , this is the shortlist we ’ ve got :
• 2006 : Secured freehold premises that still operate as head office to this day ( with the support of two additional units )
• 2014 : This is one of my favorite moments at HydroGarden : we achieved a significant monthly turnover target , which resulted in all staff being rewarded with a holiday ! Myself and the other account managers chose to go to Ibiza .
• 2016 : For its twentieth anniversary , HydroGarden celebrated with special offers , champagne at the most popular exhibition in Europe , marketing campaigns , and the opportunity for customers to win a trip to New York .
• 2017 : Our commercial team designed and developed an indoor vertical farming solution : V-Farm . This year , the company won a national award for manufacturing innovation .
How has HydroGarden expanded since the beginning ?
We have been in our head office for 11 years now and since being here , we ’ ve added two warehouses , making a total of 120,000 square feet of warehousing space . We hold nearly 2,000 product lines in stock and are distributing in over 33 countries . Part of my job over in the States is to look at creating a presence for HydroGarden in the US market with four key product lines that we believe are a unique offering to US retailers .
What are these product lines ?
The four products we ’ re focusing on for the States are GoGro auto-irrigation system , Hyperion White Plessey LED , Spectron LED Boosters , and VitaLink plant nutrients and additives .
Where will you distribute in the States ?
When we are fully set up , we will be able to distribute all over the US .
What significant things have you learned so far about the US market ?
There are more similarities between the US and UK hydro industry than I first thought . Having the right product mix and offering unique USPs is essential over here , and it ’ s the same back home . There are a lot of competitors battling it out on the same product lines / types . Most importantly , what I ’ ve learnt is that the retailers ’ passion for the industry and helping their customers over in the US is incredibly strong .
Top : The HydroGarden office and manufacturing team . Bottom : The HydroGarden distribution team .
What have you learned about starting and growing a company ?
From seeing numerous retailers start up over the years , I ’ ve learnt first and foremost that it takes real commitment and persistence , especially in the early days , to make the business a success . Reinvesting as much as you can back into the store – stock — is vital , as well as building a solid customer base that trusts you and can rely on you .
Is there anything else you ’ d like to share ?
I ’ d like to thank all the shops in the US so far that I ’ ve called into for being so welcoming . It ’ s made adjusting to life over here 100 times easier and I really am grateful ! I ’ m looking forward to developing these relationships and providing the service that has made HydroGarden so successful within the UK and Europe .
We have some of the best reps in the industry . ( No , I ’ m not just biased ; this is genuinely the feedback we get in the UK ).”
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