ELMTREE CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNISED AS AN INVESTOR IN PEOPLE

Elmtree Garden Contractors Ltd, Bristol based Landscaping and Ground Maintenance Services has been awarded accreditation in their reassessment against the Investors in People Standard, demonstrating their commitment to realising the potential of their people.

The company has grown over the past 50 years and is continuing to develop its landscaping and ground maintenance services to include contracts with housing developers as well as developing new markets including schools, hospitals and business parks. With offices based in rural Bristol, Elmtree has approximately 50 employees and is excited to be celebrating it’s 50th year of business. Elmtree have increased is size considerable within the last 5 years, and this has been challenging to do whilst at the same time supporting all employees and ensuring that the values of the company are not compromised and all staff feel respected. Elmtree strive to lead the way within their industry, for example becoming one of the first to have qualified Mental Health First Aiders within the company.

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results. Underpinning the Standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry. Working with clients across the globe, Investors in People enables organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Elmtree, Investors in People accreditation is the sign of a great employer, and an organisation committed to achieving success by realising the potential of their people. Elmtree should be extremely proud of their achievement.”

Commenting on the award, Paul Lynch, Managing Director said: “We are delighted to have our commitment to our people confirmed again. Investors in People has been a big part of our growth over the last 8 years, even prior to our first assessment in 2012. We have learned a lot as a company in how to manage our biggest asset (our people), ensure they develop to their potential and feel valued”.

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY…

Elmtree Garden Contractors are the proud sponsors of a life-size painted bear sculpture set to go on display at Wild Place Project this spring.

The bear will be part of a trail of 20 individually hand-painted 3D bears placed around the South Gloucestershire attraction, greeting visitors from April 6 until September 2019.

Visitors will be able to follow a route around the park, to discover the 6ft (1.8m) tall bears, each of which is now being individually designed and decorated by a team of talented artists.

‘Woody’ the bear has been painted by talented mural artist, Donna Newman who is based in the Midlands. The design chosen is a celebration of Britain’s woodlands and promotes the message of conservation. It features woodland creatures and threatened native species of wildlife.

Elmtree have generously sponsored the bear as part of a fundraising campaign for Wild Place Project’s exciting new exhibit, Bear Wood, which is now being created at the attraction.

Elmtree Director Marcus Bird said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Wild Place Project on this fantastic summer sculpture trail, and very excited to have our own bear designed and painted.”

Dr Justin Morris, chief executive of Bristol Zoological Society, said: “We are very much looking forward to unveiling our bear sculpture trail this spring and are very grateful to Elmtree for their support of this fantastic event. We hope these colourful sculptures will be enjoyed by thousands of visitors to Wild Place Project over the spring and summer months.”

The new bear sculpture trail is being run in conjunction with Wild in Art, who developed the hugely successful Wow! Gorillas trail with Bristol Zoo Gardens in 2011, to celebrate the Zoo’s 175th birthday.

Nigel Simpson, head of operations at Wild Place Project, said: “The bear sculpture trail is a fantastic collaboration between Wild Place Project and many of our partners and supporters.”

“It promises to be an exciting discovery trail around the attraction as visitors will be able to tick off the bears as they find them, and take part in activities associated with the trail. It will be a wonderful prelude to the arrival of real bears later this year.”

He added: “There is a great deal in store for our visitors throughout 2019 as Wild Place Project continues to grow and develop, and we are immensely grateful to all of our visitors, members, partners and supporters for helping us get to where we are today.”

The sculpture trail comes ahead of the arrival of real European brown bears at the attraction, as a new exhibit called Bear Wood opens at Wild Place Project July. All 20 bear sculptures have been sponsored by local organisations as part of a fundraising campaign for Bear Wood.

Work is now underway creating the impressive new exhibit, which will also be home to wolves, lynx and wolverine and which promises to be the best bear exhibit in the country.

Elmtree are busy constructing a raised timber walkway 800 metres long that winds through the trees where visitors will be able to see bears below them in the woods. Visitors will be able to walk through the seven and a half acre exhibit on the raised walkway. New, 180-degree, floor-to-ceiling glass viewing areas and ‘dens’ will give visitors an up-close view of the animals living alongside each other in British woodland as they would have done in years gone by.

Bear Wood will transport visitors back to a time when these magnificent creatures roamed the UK countryside, taking them on a journey through the ages, to the present day, while showing the effects of woodland loss on our native wildlife.

Bear Wood is the story of what was, where we are now and what is still at stake. It will inspire visitors to protect our woodland for the native species that call it home, whilst helping to preserve this vital woodland habitat for future generations to enjoy.

To find out more about the bear trail at Wild Place Project visit www.wildplace.org.uk/bearwood

THE PRO LANDSCAPER BUSINESS AWARDS

February may be typically known as the month where we celebrate love and appreciation of those nearest and dearest to us but for Elmtree it has become the month where we have been honoured to receive not just one but two awards that celebrate our success and recognises our contribution to the UK landscaping industry.

We were extremely excited at the beginning of 2019 to announce that we had been shortlisted for the Pro Landscaper Business Awards which took place in Canary Wharf, London 2019. It was the second-ever award ceremony, highlighting leading landscaping companies with over 15 separate categories. The awards showcased business which raises the standard of the UK landscaping sector.

To win was a complete shock! We are ecstatic and extremely proud to win not only the category that we entered (Landscaping Business with a £2-10million Turnover) but we were also presented with the overall prize on the day of Supreme Winner.

The awards mean so much to us all at Elmtree and we are so grateful for the recognition. The award entry paid particular attention to the way the overall business is run and looked at all areas from processes and development right through to commitment to the industry too and to staff training. It also looked at social responsibility and relationships with suppliers, all of which we strive to do in an exceptional way, giving our all.

Celebrating our 50th Anniversary in 2019, Elmtree believes we have really made a difference to the industry and to be awarded this prestigious award is a real honour. We have stood the test of time within the horticultural industry and through some difficult trading conditions and testing economic times. We are passionate about what we do, the customers we serve, and the people who ultimately enjoy the end products we work hard to achieve.

We have grown considerably since establishing in 1969, but we do not take this for granted: We strive to always deliver excellent customer service. We forge strong, long-lasting relationships with our clients, taking a partnership approach to collaboratively deliver great projects.

Our family ethos has retained a loyal workforce. We ‘re dedicated to supporting and upskilling our people. Our company-wide Teamwork Standard brings everyone together to achieve the company’s aims and objectives.

Elmtree is immersed in the community, we have a social conscience and overriding desire to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of people in the geographies we operate. This includes providing local employment, use of suppliers, volunteering and charity support.

It is for our staff that we entered these awards. They really are the best and deserve to be independently recognised for not only their commitment and loyalty to Elmtree but also their passion for the industry, always supporting and championing it. We can’t thank them enough and we are simply over the moon to achieve the accolade this award provides.

We would like to thank Jim Wilkinson and the staff at Pro Landscaper for putting on such a fantastic awards ceremony. We are extremely humbled to win and we would like to thank all those involved in the process, including the judges who said;

“This is an equal opportunities employer that is dedicated to continuous improvement of skills. Significant CSR activity at a range of levels. A shining example of a company that recognises that business isn’t just about profit. Elm Tree Garden Contractors and passionate about the landscaping and horticulture sector and are making a continued impact on the industry. Very impressive customer testimonials in a tough commercial sector.”

Elmtree would also like to extend a special thank you to the headline sponsor CED Stone Group for awarding us the title of ‘Supreme Winner’, out of all the other winners. It is a privilege and we are earnestly grateful for the recognition of our work and dedication to the industry and our staff.

2019 is a really exciting year, we look forward to sharing more with you during our 50th anniversary year.

https://prolandscapermagazine.com/winners-announced/

LIVEWEST CONTRACT RELEASE

Bristol based landscaping company Elmtree Garden Contractors has won a 5 year contract worth up to £240,000 per year to maintain the garden and open space areas around approximately 7000 of LiveWest homes across the region.

The contact, which covers 160 LiveWest sites in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath, will also help reduce fly-tipping in the region.

Elmtree’s largest grounds maintenance contract will start on the first day of the company’s 50th anniversary year and will create new jobs, including two apprenticeships.

LiveWest is a leading developer of housing in the South West, who help thousands of customers to get on the road to owning their own home, and translate their profits into social housing.

LiveWest has plans to build 16,000 homes across the region over the next 10 years, developing new homes of all tenures including low-cost rent and sale, market rent and sale, and a range of supported housing and intermediate housing products creating choice and flexibility.

Elmtree, who are based at Pilning, Bristol, were formed in 1969. They currently employ 45 people doing ground maintenance and landscaping for housing associations, local authorities, construction companies and commercial clients.

Elmtree were particularly delighted to win the contract after a lengthy three month tender process as only 30% of the winning bid was based on finance, with the remaining criteria focused on their approach to the contract, technical expertise, quality and innovation.

Managing Director of Elmtree, Paul Lynch said: “We are delighted to win the contract with LiveWest to deliver grounds maintenance to their portfolio of homes around the Bristol area. It reflects the hard work we have put in over the last few years to ensure that our dedicated team of operatives have the skills, equipment and training to leave our sites looking the best they can.”

“We are also lucky to have a great management team that thrives on aiming to exceed our clients’ expectations. It also could not have come at a more suitable time – the contract starts on the first day of our 50th anniversary year, 2019.”

Elmtree Grounds Maintenance Manager Simon Palmer said: “We look forward to working with LiveWest on this contract, and will be able to take on two apprentices as a result of winning it”.

LiveWest commented “We are pleased to award a new contract to Elmtree, who have been delivering a great grounds maintenance service to our schemes in Bristol area for the past 6 years. LiveWest are looking forward to develop a close working partnership with Elmtree to improve and enhance outlook of our estates to ensure they are safe, well-kept, tidy and a great place to live in and enjoy for our residents.“

APPRENTICESHIPS

UPHILL MANOR

Elmtree completed landscaping to the grounds of a former stately home in Uphill, Weston Super Mare.

The home was sadly damaged in a major blaze in 2016, during which much of the property was destroyed and not only by fire damage but also by a combination of smoke and water. The firefighters used 60,000 litres of water to put out the flames but the damage left behind was so detrimental that it was estimated to take three years to restore the building to its former glory.

The former stately home was taken over and run as a B&B before the fire. Needless to say it’s has been vital to ensure that the repair works maintained the original features of the historic building.

It’s taken nearly two years to restore to its former glory and Elmtree were proudly been able to carry out landscaping works to help reinstate it.

We created a new Bredon gravel pathway, added Granite gravel to the courtyard area as well as installing traditional Yorkstone paving. It was highly important to reflect the high standards that Historic England and the local community recognise so we ensured turfing, planting of shrubs, importing and spreading topsoil was done to the highest quality. We were also able to repair the damage made to the driveway by resurfacing with tarmac.

Elmtree were delighted to be part of this restoration which will enable the historical building to continue its venture as a B&B while staying true to its heritage and original features.

LANDSCAPE SUPERVISOR REQUIRED

Elmtree are looking to recruit a Landscape Supervisor to join our Bristol team. Mainly soft landscaping, but hard landscaping experience is an advantage.

If you are experienced in commercial landscaping, have supervisory experience, an eye for detail and have a passion for what you do, please contact us on 01454 633560 or info@elmtreegarden.co.uk

Salary approx £30k per annum plus pension depending on level of experience

EXPERIENCED LANDSCAPERS REQUIRED BRISTOL

We are looking for experienced landscapers to join our award winning team. Must have experience in commercial landscaping and a CSCS card.

Skilled and experienced landscapers are paid up to £10 per hour with plenty of overtime at time and a half

Please email your CV to paul@elmtreegarden.co.uk or phone 01454 633560 and ask for Marcus or Paul

CREDIT CONTROLLER REQUIRED

PINE TREE CRANED ONTO ROOF GARDEN

We went to Holland in March to select four Cloud Pine trees for the Crest Nicholson Bath Riverside B5 Roof Garden from a specialist grower. Here’s a video of one of them being lifted onto it’s final destination

Click Here to watch our Bath Riverside Crane Lift…