Botanical boss aims to put down fresh roots

Entrepreneur Gary Collinson protected his customers, employees and values when he sold his business to a suitor with a similar mindset.

Just as importantly, Gary obtained a full price for the horticultural services businesses he started from scratch in 1993. And he is now looking forward to using his business skills in other areas.

Gary, aged 53, decided to sell Blackburn-based Botanical Group Services after being approached by Surrey-based Nurture Landscapes.

“This was the right deal at the right time – otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” said Gary, who was advised by Jennifer Bell at law firm Forbes and Tim Mills at PM+M Corporate Finance.

“I was planning to exit in 2019, but was approached by Peter Fane at Nurture. It soon became clear that his values were similar to mine, which meant our customers would be well looked after, while our staff would have some security as well as good prospects. We’d had a good three years so the business was solid and commanded good value. When all these factors came together, the deal made a lot of sense.”

The national capability of Nurture will also present greater opportunity and security, as the horticultural services market shifts towards single source procurement.

Gary added: “I’ve been in horticulture since I was a 12-year-old kid and this deal gives me the chance to prove that my entrepreneurial skills can work in other sectors. I’m already planning one and possibly two business ventures and will also write a book about my business learning, linked to real life experiences. There will be humour and insights and I’m very much looking forward to writing it.”