NEWS
Christmas decoration competition attracts entries from across the industry
In what is becoming an annual tradition, GJ’s hardware store in Alfreton has once again been running a Christmas decoration competition which pitches major suppliers against each other in a bid to build the best display from a range of their own products. These can lead to some very creative and inventive ideas as you can see from the photos. This year saw 13 entries installed in GJ’s impressive shop that were all of a very high standard. Every entrant made a massive effort and there was
definitely some serious rivalry between them. Andrew Ballantine, COO of leading home improvement and garden wholesaler, Decco, viewed and judged each one, together with assistant judge, Noel Hayes also from Decco, and they selected the winner during a walk around the store on 6 November. Rebecca Nichols- Green of GJ’s accompanied the judges, explaining a little about each one, including who made it, what their idea was and also how some involved community groups and charities.
Details of this year’s entries are as follows: Smart Garden Products
This display was set up by Ron Craik and the Smart Garden Products sales team. The main focus for them was to kindly say that they were proud to supply GJ’s.
Belvoir Fruit Farms
This was worked on by Hannah Nichols-Pearce, channel manager at Belvoir Fruit Farms and Martin Allcock. It was designed using all their own products and merchandise for a very creative take on a Christmas Tree. Attention to detail with ribbons matching flavours made this the most stylish entry.
Status International
As an electrical company James Mathew, senior account manager at Status has created a light fitting, chandelier shaped Christmas tree display and decorated it with tinsel style flex and lots of their own products. Really quirky and simple, but very effective.
Red Gorilla
Designed and made by Chris Birch, sales manager at Red Gorilla. He had lots of enthusiasm from the start and a really difficult task to come up with something for Christmas out of trugs! Definitely pulled it off with this fabulous take on the much loved Flowerpot Men.
Ronseal Throughout the year Matt and the students from Alfreton Park Community Special School have been making and selling bird and insect boxes made from GJ’s products in store and painted with Ronseal paints. It was therefore a lovely idea from Ronseal to combine the two groups to create this seasonal display.
Select Hardware Lesley Wright, area sales merchandiser from Select Hardware involved her husband
and family in designing
and creating this true homage to an ironmonger’s Christmas. Definitely to be appreciated by all hardware shops throughout the country.
Everbuild This entry certainly does not need any introduction! Caroline Lister, business development manager for Everbuild Products designed and made this fabulous Santa at home and then transported it in her car to GJ’s. It even has concrete in his feet to weight this
enormous decoration down. Charles Bentley
In the design of this decoration what else could be used but a brush 6 DIY WEEK 08 NOVEMBER 2019
Above: Rebecca Nichols-Green of GJ’s and Andrew Ballantine, COO of Decco in front of the winning entry
www.diyweek.net
Below: Belvoir, Plastikote, Smart Garden, and FRS
to represent a Christmas entry from Charles Bentley? A lot of creative thought and work went into this oversized fun loving display.
FPS Richard Baron and Marie Bucknall from FPS products wanted to represent a few of their top suppliers in this amazing automotive take on a snowman. It also demonstrates that Autotek plastic primer will even spray onto car tyres!
Dulux Lenny Powell, territory manager from Dulux Paints has of course used the famous Dulux dog for their entry. They will kindly be raffling the dog and four puppies in store over Christmas for a local charity which is an added extra for all involved.
Silverline Tools Silverline really pushed the boat out and did a demo day within the store to make their Silverline Christmas Grotto. Adrian Broadhead came and set all
his tools up spending the day here involving
customers and even made all the furniture and decor for inside himself. Plastikote
Rhys Betteridge, commercial director for the Plastikote brand painstakingly sprayed, glittered and made hangers from Plastikote aerosol tops for their entry. These were mixed together with their range of products for a really pretty display.
Palace Chemicals After he was given the brief, James Broadhead, area sales manager for Palace Chemicals knew straight away who he wanted to work with on this project. Seagulls Reuse, an environmental social enterprise that works with local communities crafted this wonderful mosaic using Palace Chemicals adhesives and grout.
n For more information on GJ’s, visit the store’s Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/GJSALFRETON/
OVERALL WINNER
Choosing a winner was no easy task, but in the end Andrew Ballantine chose the Ronseal entry to be the best. It was a nice touch for the company to involve Alfreton Park Community Special School, the pupils of which made and painted the whole display using their products. The display even had a push button mechanism installed that set off a recording of the kids shouting “Merry Christmas!” Well done to all involved at GJ’s for running the competition
and thank to you to all the suppliers who took the time to take part and Andrew Ballantine of Decco for agreeing to judge the competition. And many thanks and congratulations go to Ronseal and the Alfreton Park Community Special School for their input on the winning entry.
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