What our staff say - National Careers Week

What our staff say - National Careers Week

This week is National Careers Week so we decided to question a few of our existing staff members about their careers at Johnsons, see what they had to say below.

Mick Huby 

1)What was the year you started at Johnsons? I started on the 15th June 1976, First job was hoeing conifers at Cattal with Bill Beasley, Harry Kettlewell, Eric Crowl and Jim Bryon.

2)What has made you stay here all these years? Still like the different challenges of growing new stock and seeing the good results. I like working outside. No one day has been the same and the friendships I have made with the other people who work here.

3))How has Johnson’s supported you in your career? From starting straight away from school way back in 1976 I have been helped and backed all the way by the company right the way through my apprenticeship and college years. I have been on many courses over the years from ploughing fields, grafting trees up to NVQ and management training.  They have also sent me on nursery visits not only in the UK but to growers in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany and Italy to help gain further knowledge on how the business works.

4)What makes Johnson’s a good employee? I think that even though the company as grown so big over the years it is still a family run business and because of that reason, it cares for its staff as one big team.

5)How has Johnson’s supported you in your career? From starting straight away from school way back in 1976 I have been helped and backed all the way by the company right the way through my apprenticeship and college years. I have been on many courses over the years from ploughing fields, grafting trees up to NVQ and management training.  They have also sent me on nursery visits not only in the UK but to growers in France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany and Italy to help gain further knowledge on how the business works.

Claire Horner

How many years have you been at Johnsons? Nearly 22 years.  I started work in the summer of 1999, I remember because it was the summer when we has a total solar eclipse.

1)What do you enjoy most about Johnsons? The thing I enjoy the most about working here at JOW is that there are never two days alike. It's certainly not boring.

2)How have Johnsons supported you? JoW has supported my career by providing access to training courses and arranging meetings with other growers in the UK and in Europe. This has helped me have a greater understanding of the ways a nursery works and how to manage people.

3) What’s your proudest career moment?  For me, my proudest career moment is being part of a really successful cash and carry team, which is going from strength to strength. I feel I belong to this team and think that what we achieve together is greater than any individual success.

My greatest personal achievement would be meeting my husband here at work. It was love across the muddy trenches; we met while working with the field-grown trees one winter; that was 18 years ago.

4) How do Johnsons show their appreciation?  I love all the special days we have which are oriented around foody treats. From fish and chips to our month-end butties, it may not seem like much but these treats are what make me feel appreciated.

Tom Watkins

1)Length of service? Coming up to three years

2)What do you enjoy most about being employed by Johnsons?

I have always got great satisfaction from growing plants; understanding plant biology, refining plant husbandry techniques and experimenting with different IPM strategy. Being employed by Johnsons has allowed me to home in on these skills. With each day comes different challenges and obstacles to overcome, which allows for a steep learning curve.

3)How have Johnson’s supported you in your career?

I have always been given help and advice from the experienced members of staff that work for Johnsons. Any queries I have had have been met with a willing and helpful response. From this, my knowledge has grown considerably. On the other hand, any ideas I have had for trials or projects have always been supported.

The company has also given me the opportunity to work with one of our Dutch young plant suppliers. This was a great experience for me as it allowed me to understand the importance of building a good relationship with other companies that we do business with, as well as being able to work with highly skilled growers and improve my knowledge of young plant production.

4)How does working at Johnson’s compare to previous jobs you’ve had?

Every company is different, and the fact that Johnsons is a family run business has been reiterated by the ethos of the company. I have always felt that everyone I have worked with has been willing to get stuck in together to get each task done. Help is always there when needed and, although the company is split into several departments, we all sing from the same hymn sheet.

If you are interested in a career at Johnsons, keep an eye out for new positions on our careers page, or click here

Posted 4th Mar 2:58pm