Growing media producer William Sinclair Horticulture has combined its retail and professional salespeople into a single team which it claims will bring service and logistics benefits to customers.
The move comes as the company commissions its new state-of-the-art, £15m growing media production facility at Ellesmere Port this month.

Commercial director Richard Carr said Sinclair's new hub made a unified supply chain advantageous in terms of efficiency, flexibility and service levels as the company gears up to ship a raft of major new products for 2015.

"With many of our customers buying both retail and professional products from us, and those products soon to be made and shipped from a world-class supersite, an integrated sales team will help both them and us," he stated. "In many cases, we will be able to ship both retail and professional products on the same lorry, so logistics benefits will accrue from a more dynamic, agile and efficient supply chain."

The restructuring has seen the appointment of Chris Hepburn, formerly with Hozelock, to fill the new cross-company role of horticultural sales director, while Jon Watson takes on the new role of national retail sales director with responsibility for national accounts.

Tony Nelson has joined from Westland to become northern regional sales manager while Tara Truman assumes a new role as southern regional sales manager.

Several existing sales executives have also been given more senior roles as cross-company area sales managers, nine of whom will cover the country with back-up from local distributors as needed.

Large growers who require more technical support will be serviced by three new dedicated senior professional sales managers.

The company, owner of brands including J Arthur Bower's, New Horizon, Growing Success, Silvaperl, DeadFast and Sinclair Professional, says retail and professional businesses will now be able to buy and sell both ranges.