Grower 'Hollyoak Orchid' blossoms with Barclays

You may have heard of a bank manager being called many things during the recent financial turmoil but one Worcester business has decided to name its latest "Orchid" after his Barclays relationship manager to demonstrate the support he has received over the last 18 months. The "Paula Mary" was officially unveiled this week and will be available through branches of Waitrose and garden centres across the UK later this year.

The business which is only one of four Orchid growers across the UK employs five staff and supplies over 1200 orchids a week to retailers across the UK.

Established in 2003 by husband and wife Tim and Janet Morris the business imports young orchid plants from German supplier Bremkens Orchideen de. before nurturing and growing for another year, when they will finally flower and be ready for market.

Tim Morris, Company Director at Hollyoak Orchids Ltd said, "My wife and I met at Pershore College of Horticultural and both have a passion for Orchids, so growing them commercially just seemed the natural progression. We currently have a rolling stock of around 30,000 orchids at various stages of development and demand will now peak as Christmas approaches. We decided to name our new orchid after "Paula" due to the support she provided to our business during some difficult times. We had lost over £100,000 of stock due to a rooting problem and if Paula had not stepped in and refinanced our business we may not have been here today. Despite what you hear there are some banks and local managers out there who are prepared to listen and step in when required. We were very pleased to be able to name an orchid after her."

Paula Haycocks, Barclays Business Manager, said, "I’m truly honoured to have this beautiful orchid named after me but the biggest thrill I have is watching this business continue to trade and grow in every sense of the word. Barclays research identifies the significant role "entrepreneurs" play in the economy and is committed to supporting such propositions. By using our knowledge and experience within the local market, Barclays Business has been delighted to support Hollyoak Orchids Ltd and wishes the business every success for the future."

Tim continues "Future plans include expansion into other retailers and making the beautiful orchid, the number one pot plant in the UK. We grow our orchids as naturally as possible, using nature as a bouncing board with a little tender loving care from ourselves to produce a top quality product. Running your own business is demanding but the freedom to make your own decisions and implement your own creative ideas is hugely rewarding. We have recently produced our own orchid feed, which we will be retailing via our existing distribution network and making available online in 2011."