Dundonald Nurseries has invested £1m into an expansion programme supported by First Trust Bank.
The business has increased its garden centre and warehouse capacity, opened a new ‘Secret Garden’ gift shop and expanded its wholesale nursery offering.
Supplying Tesco, the Henderson Group and independent outlets and florists across Northern Ireland, 98 percent of all the plants sold are grown on-site in Dundonald.
Dundonald Nurseries was founded by the McCully family in 1963 and diversified into growing plants and cut flowers.
The family also runs a 125-seat restaurant on site and due to the popularity of its gift shop, a 3,000 sq ft expansion was created.
Dundonald Nurseries owner Malcolm McCully said: “Having started out with one small van, the wholesale nursery aspect of our business now requires four large lorries to service our wholesale customers across the country, reflecting the focus we have placed on a high-quality service and products.
“Over the past 55 years, the business has expanded steadily because we are continuously innovating to keep up with changing consumer requirements.”
He added that additional growth plans were in place to renovate the basement of the company’s restaurant into a function room to offer a new private space for hire.
Catherine O’Keefe, business manager at First Trust Bank, said: “The ongoing expansion programme has led to almost 60 jobs being created in the last five years and it’s great to see a family business become such an inspiring success story.”
