Haskins Ferndown celebrates team leader’s 40 years of service
Kevin Holmes has been a cornerstone of Haskins Garden Centre’s Ferndown site for four decades.
Haskins Garden Centres is celebrating the longstanding service of outdoor team leader Kevin Holmes, 56, who has been part of the Ferndown team for over four decades. Kevin is currently the business’s longest-serving member of staff after the Chairman of the Haskins Group, Warren Haskins.
Kevin first started working for Haskins in September 1983, as part of a youth training scheme operated by the family business. The scheme has proven an immense success, as Kevin has progressed from an apprenticeship through the business to his current role as Ferndown’s outdoor team leader.
Warren Haskins conducted Kevin’s interview when he was first taken on by the business, reflecting the family values at the heart of the Haskins ethos. Since then, Kevin has witnessed and been integral to the brand’s transformation as it has evolved from a solitary site in Ferndown to a business that now operates five of the largest destination garden centres in the south of England.
Discussing his longstanding service for Haskins, Kevin said: “Haskins is a great family business that provides a new challenge every single day, and I feel so proud to be a part of the team at Ferndown.
“In the same way gardens evolve throughout the seasons of the year, so does our work at Haskins. It means there is always something new, and always something to enjoy.”
Initially based at Haskins’s original site at Trickett’s Cross, Kevin moved with the business to the current Longham site in 1994. After completing his apprenticeship, Kevin has progressed through the business, working in a variety of roles supporting the Ferndown team, until taking on his present role of outdoor team leader.
Kevin added:
“For the outdoor team, there is never a quiet time of the year. We experience challenges every day, but these positive challenges allow us to work together to make sure that Haskins’s customers enjoy the best experience possible.”
The Ferndown centre is also where Kevin met his wife, whom he has been married to for over 25 years. His son has also undertaken weekend work at the garden centre, making it very much a family business within a family business.
“The whole Haskins team here at Ferndown feels like one big family,” Kevin said. “The staff help to support each other, as we did during Covid, and especially through extreme weather patterns which can have a significant impact on our business.
“I enjoy my working career, and whilst I will look forward to retiring one day, right now I am looking forward to many more years working at Haskins and being a part of this family.”