Marshalls snaps up Scenic Blue
Chelsea Flower Show gold medal-winning company Scenic Blue (UK) Ltd has been acquired by Marshalls PLC, the UK’s leading landscape transformation business, for an undisclosed sum.
Faversham-based Scenic Blue is the UK’s first and only garden design and landscaping franchise business. Formed in 1997, it now has more than 30 franchises across the country.
Its sale brings to an end a lengthy involvement with the business for Desmond High, Maidstone-based director of EMC Corporate Finance Ltd.
Desmond, who has been the company’s part-time Finance Director since 1998, advised the Scenic Blue directors throughout the takeover.
He said: “The signing of the deal was a bittersweet day for me personally as it marked the end of an era. However, the directors feel that both the company and its franchisees will benefit hugely from Marshalls’ formidable marketing machine and financial resource.
“The company’s development and sale represents a classic case of how a part-time skilled resource can be used effectively to assist with business growth.
“My role has varied from simple business planning and overseeing of the finance function through to chairing board meetings and presenting workshops on financial matters to budding and actual franchise owners.”
Judy Behl, the driving force behind Scenic Blue, becomes Group Franchise Director for Huddersfield-based Marshalls and is looking forward to the challenge of running an entrepreneurial business within a plc framework.
She said: “Desmond and EMC have been part of our team for most of our business life, and made a huge contribution to the company’s development. We’ve had our moments along the way, with him trying to curb my wilder entrepreneurial zeal on occasions, but as with the best teams it is important to have that balance.
“Franchisees have been able to benefit from Desmond’s financial skills and we have also incorporated his EMC colleague, Martin Stanton’s, sales training programme into our franchisee induction process and hope to continue with that.”
Scenic Blue won a coveted gold medal at the 2006 RHS Chelsea Flower Show with an imaginative garden design that took its inspiration from the growing public concern for safety in the sun and the mounting environmental issues associated with climate control and diminishing water supplies.
Marshalls was one of the companies which supplied materials for Scenic Blue’s award-winning garden and is currently the main sponsor of the Chelsea Flower Show.