Hunter buys second North garden chain

Mar 1 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

THE Scottish tycoon who bought the Peter Barratt’s garden centre group last year has acquired a second North East chain in a multi-million pound deal.

Sir Tom Hunter – Scotland’s richest entrepreneur – has acquired Heighley Gate garden centre in Morpeth in the latest expansion of his Wyedale group.

The sale of the £9m-a-year business, which employs 190 people, brings to an end a 45-year era for the Lishman family who set up the business on a small pig and poultry farm in 1963.

Founder David Lishman said the deal was an ideal opportunity to ensure the ongoing success of his family’s firm. He said: “The business was never put up for sale but after a number of approaches by Wyevale it was decided that the timing was right.”

David’s son Chris, a director at the firm, will remain at the centre during the handover process. He stressed he jobs of the centre’s 190 workers will be retained while the Heighley Gate brand will also remain intact. He said: “It’s an exciting opportunity for Heighley Gate to develop as a brand within a large organisation.

“But when you have grown up in the business which my parents set up 45 years ago, it was always going to be a hard decision.”

Wyevale, which owns over 100 garden centres across the country, made its first foray into the North East market last September with the purchase of the £20m-a-year Peter Barratt’s chain.

Wyevale’s executive chairman Jim Hodkinson said: “It is already a very successful business and will further strengthen our market leadership in the North East.”