Meet The Team at Hortlands

Ben is the founder and managing director of Hortlands. He started the company back in 2010 originally naming it LCB. The company started off as a landscape and construction business and has evolved into the multi-platform company that it is today. Horticulture and business alike have always run though Bens veins. As a young teenager it wasn’t uncommon for him to sneak his dad’s lawn mower out to neighbouring gardens to exercise his entrepreneurial skills! Ben has a wealth of garden knowledge and genuinely knows how to get the most out of every outside space.

Alan is Ben and Bradley’s dad, and Hortlands tree and hedge know it all! He is a fountain of horticultural knowledge and has over 40 years’ experience in the industry. We are pretty sure Alan has tree sap running through his veins! Alan is the big guy when it comes to tree/hedge sales, frankly what he doesn't know about the business isn't worth knowing.

Paul is our resident irrigation specialist. He has over 20 years’ experience in the industry and there is quite literally nothing he doesn’t know about irrigation. Paul comes from an engineering background so is great at problem solving using a logical yet creative approach. Paul previously successfully ran his own irrigation business, he then joined forces with Ben after a long-term working relationship, to make Hortlands the force of nature it is today.

Bradley is the operations manager and deals with all thing’s logistics. He makes sure every part of the business is running smoothly and is the key contact for pretty much everything and everyone! Being Bens brother, Bradley has been with the company from the very start, on and off, but finally joined full time and hasn’t looked back since! As if he didn’t already have enough to do in his role, Bradley is also a qualified ambulance technician so the team is in very safe hands whenever he is around.

Lee is an all-round Hortlands legend! He has been Ben’s right hand man since day dot and helped grow the company to what it is today. He is always happy to get stuck in with any job but in recent years has been tasked with overseeing and managing the teams on the ground. Lee also has a background in plumbing so it was a natural progression to train him in irrigation.

Kyle is one of our longest standing maintenance team members, he is extremely dedicated to his profession and a key member of our maintenance team. Kyle has a wide and varied background in gardening with extensive experience in the industry. He joined us in early 2019 and his gardening gloves haven’t hit the ground since! He is the go to guy for all of our maintenance sites.

Steph is our brand manager, she deals with the marketing, advertising, brand identity, customer relationships, website and all things innovative for the company. Steph has a vast background in creative roles, as well as being a qualified florist, so her skills set and plant knowledge is perfectly suited to Hortlands. Steph is a brand ambassador for the company, so you will often see her out and about on sites.

Stu manages the teams on all the large projects we do, and is the lead salesman for landscaping. Loved by colleagues and clients alike for his hands on approach and willingness to get stuck in when needed. He has worked his way up in the company, starting as a planting operative and has since moved into sales. He also does some in-house design when needed, after embarking on a garden design course at the prestigious 'British Academy of Garden Design'.

Luke is our highly skilled top landscaper. He can turn any blank canvas into a work of art, specialising in hard landscaping. Luke treats every job as if he is working on his own property, everything is completed to an outstandingly high standard. Luke started with the company in August 2016 as a maintenance operative, and worked in this role for a number of years. He then moved across the country and unfortunately had to leave us. While he was away, he gained valuable experience in landscaping and construction. Luke then decided to make the move back to the area, so without a second thought we welcomed him back with open arms and the rest is history!

James started with Hortlands as an operative but we very quickly saw his potential and made him a team leader. He has extensive experience behind him in all areas of landscaping, soft and hard, so is a key part of all our large scale projects. Often leading jobs alone with ease. James is friendly, warm and always up for a laugh with teammates.

Chris started with Hortlands as a maintenance operative on our estates team, he quickly moved up to a team leader and now runs our nursery inhouse. He is a highly valued member of the Hortlands team. Coming from a firefighter background Chris is extremely hard working and sees every job through to the best of his ability. He joined Hortlands after a successful career in the fire service, always having a keen interest in gardening. He has continuously volunteered helping the park rangers in our local country parks, and has now been enrolled on an RHS level 2 course in horticulture by Hortlands to further his knowledge in the industry.

Ricky is one of our maintenance team leaders for Hortlands. He came to us with heaps of experience after working in the trade for many years. He has experience in hard landscaping as well as grounds maintenance. He is hard working and loves to work outdoors. If we were to describe Ricky in three words they would be: cheerful, friendly and chatty. We couldn't ask for more, and are proud to call him part of the Hortlands team.