Taking stock Each month an HTA member offers an insider’s view of the world of horticulture


John Grayson Managing director of Fiskars


Fiskars is the global brand leader in garden tools and has its headquarters in Helsinki. The company, which is the oldest in Finland, has a history spanning almost 400 years. Production is based within a few miles of Fiskars village from where the business originally took its name. www.fiskars.co.uk


What made you choose a career in horticulture? Fiskars has an unsurpassed reputation for durability and product performance. This combination matches my personal aspirations for enjoying a career within a business that’s aligned to a dynamic industry. Us Brits love our gardening – I can’t see that ever changing, so it’s a great choice.


Over the years, how have you seen the industry change? Consolidation is a commercial inevitability and has changed the retail landscape in horticulture. The effect of fewer but larger groups presents retailers and suppliers with a number of challenges. Changes like this also provide independent and smaller groups with enormous opportunities to present a real point of difference.


What do you think the future may hold? Macro economics will inevitably improve, housing transactions will recover and consumers will, once again, enjoy increased confidence. We will be ready for the challenges that presents… just don’t mention the weather!


What have been your most successful promotions? The current Fiskars’ Weed Puller television campaign and the spring 2013 BBC Gardeners’ World magazine focus on Fiskars’ garden tools. The consumer feedback we’ve received has been phenomenal and reminds me why gardeners love our products!


Innovation and product performance are key to Fiskars’ success, says John Grayson


What will you be doing next month? Monitoring our performance post the somewhat delayed start of spring 2013. We’ll also be preparing communications for our 2014 new product launches.


Do you have any advice for anyone wishing to enter the business? Offer a point of difference: product, service, or a combination of both. There are enough ‘me too’ suppliers in this market.


How are you responding to environmental issues? We recently achieved ISO14001 accreditation at our Nottingham site and are constantly challenging how we approach our own activities in a more sustainable manner. The ‘green pound’, of course, is also a growing commercial sector that any business would be foolish to ignore.


26 HTAnews I May 2013 I www.the-hta.org.uk


What legislation has given you the biggest headache?


Legislation with regards to the sale of knives, which affects our Kitchen Devils range. We work closely with retailers to overcome the public’s concerns.


In an ideal world, how would you like to see the gardening sector develop? It needs to continue its evolution towards increased quality and choice of range. The digital age gives us immediate information: we read product reviews as they happen and we all want greater choice. As a company, Fiskars will continue its quest towards constant innovation and unrivalled product performance.


If you would like to feature in a future Taking Stock, email media.office@the-hta.org.uk


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