The
APL Annual Members Meeting has taken place and chairing the meeting was David
Sewell, The Gardenmakers, who was officially sworn in as APL Chairman, taking
over from Rod Winrow at the end of his tenure.
David said of his
new role as Chairman, “I'm very excited to be taking over from Rod as Chairman
of the APL. This is a great privilege for me.
“Under Rod's tenure,
our Association has continued to grow and thrive, and I'm honoured to be
carrying on with that work. I'm also delighted that Holly has taken up the
position as Vice Chair. Holly is highly regarded, and her pragmatic and
thoughtful approach to our industry and the APL will benefit us enormously. We
have the most dynamic and enthusiastic committee I have ever served alongside.
Between them, there
is an incredible depth of experience and knowledge for us to draw on. And as
always, we have Phil Tremayne advising the committee with member feedback from
over 70 annual cluster meetings.
“The APL membership
is now higher than it has ever been. Our vetting procedure gives members peace
of mind that they are compliant with current regulations and provides a
fantastic selling tool when promoting their businesses. The cluster groups
provide an unparalleled community of members networking with other landscapers,
designers and suppliers. And our range of business tools and courses give
members the route to improvement and growth. We are incredibly proud of our
members, their workmanship and their professionalism. There has never been a
better time to join the APL and we'll all be working hard to keep up the
momentum.”
Holly Youde, Urban
Landscapes, was also sworn in as the first female vice-chairman of the
APL. Commenting on her new role, Holly said, “I’m really looking forward
to my involvement in continuing the great work the APL is doing to raise
industry standards and provide a supportive and enjoyable community for
members. Collaboration is high on my agenda and working alongside David and
Phil, hope to continue and build on good relationships with the wider
industry.”
Phil Tremayne, APL
General Manager, commented on the appointments, “It is always bittersweet when
the time for a new chair comes around. Rod Winrow stepped up to the role
earlier than expected and has been an enormous benefit to the Association and
membership alike. During his tenure, we continued to dominate in business
development, refine and improve our complaints resolution process, build some
amazing show gardens, forge excellent relationships across the industry, in
particular The SGD. He also supported me in the development of the fastest
growing offline community of landscapers in the country. So, David has some big
shoes to fill; it's lucky he has big feet!
“David Sewell of
“The Gardenmakers” brings extensive years and experience of the industry to the
table.
He is representative
of a vast majority of the membership; he has worked his way up to where he sits
now as a highly respected landscaper and landscape business in the industry. I
know David has some great plans for the APL over the next two years and I am
looking forward to supporting him with these.
“Of course, when the
Vice Chair moves up to Chair, a vacancy appears. After a brief election within
the committee, I was delighted that Holly Youde excepted the role. Holly also
has enormous experience in many areas of the industry including design. She is
a great networker and will bring a totally different slant to the role.
“I am as always
extremely grateful to the committee and these two roles in particular, as it
makes the Association a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, that is a
pleasure to work for and represent.”
The APL Awards 2020
Finalists were showcased at the Annual Members Meeting, with the full list
available online soon at https://www.aplawards.co.uk/
