WSGA Welcomes New Chairman-Graham Bryant

In February of this year I was honoured to be elected Chairman of the West Sussex Growers Association taking over from Colin Frampton who has done an excellent job for the last few years.

I feel I’m here under false pretences as I am now a training provider, however I have served my apprenticeship working with some of the great names in horticulture.

My career started at the age of sixteen working for two years at Thomas Rockford’s in the Lea Valley before going to Oakland College to study production horticulture. After three years at Oakland including a year with Emrys Lloyd in Titchfield growing AYR Chrysanthemums I joined Toddington Nurseries.

Thirteen happy years spent at Toddington Nurseries / Yoder Toddington

working under Keith Butter, Jo Gilford, David Hett and my personal mentor Mike Plummer.

At the age of thirty four I needed a fresh challenge so joined the Camelia Botnar Foundation running the nursery and retail unit working with 16 – 22 year old disadvantaged young people and this was the period  I developed my best management and business skills, the job satisfaction was tremendous.

At the age of fifty I found myself redundant and decide to take the opportunity to start my own business, plant supplying and landscaping and at the same time John Way asked me if I would like to join him running Growtrain and the rest is history.

So seven years on we have moved from partnership to limited company with our own premises.

I am passionate about our industry. It has given me a broad and varied career and my aim is to improve its image and encourage more young people into this fantastic industry.

 WSGA Chairman Graham Bryant