LET’S HEAR IT FROM...
Let’s Hear it From...
Dan Flynn
Dan Flynn, founder of gardenlink based in the south of England tells Pro Landscaper about his career in landscaping and how his company diff ers from others in the industry
How did you get into landscaping and was it something you always wanted to do? I got into it fi rstly through my father who was a keen gardener and I had always liked being outside. We had a relative who had a landscape business in Jersey, and although I had wanted to go abroad I couldn’t speak any other languages, so I went over to Jersey to work. I later realised that you had to get some qualifi cations to do things properly so I came back to go to Merrist
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Wood College and did the NCH with the view that I would go back to Jersey afterwards and carry on. I fi nished the course with a distinction in 1986, but during my year out I had started a landscaping business which had become busy and within six months I had four people working for me.
Why did you choose Merrist Wood? At that time it was very well known and was probably the best college for landscaping.
What was the business you set up? It was a landscape construction business based around Reigate which I ran for four years. I met my wife to be, Maxine, and we went
travelling for a year and when we came back I started working for Clifton Nurseries as a basic landscaper (2001) and within two weeks I was promoted to foreman. Three years later I was made contracts manager where I became responsible for around 25 staff. When I left after six years they were turning over £5.5million on the landscape and maintenance side, so they really did get the best jobs then. Unfortunately some key people left, but now Matthew Wilson is building it back up again. I had interviews with various other construction companies and was offered jobs with each but thought about a concept for gardenlink – an idea that hadn’t been done by any other businesses in the market.
August 2013 29
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