Meet the Team - Chelsea 2009

Andy McIndoe – Managing Director

Andy is the designer of the Hillier exhibit and has been coming up with fresh ideas and concepts for the last 20 years.  Andy works in horticulture to pay for his bar bill and his children’s education.

Kevin Hobbs - Production Manager

Hillier Nurseries Production Manager, currently responsible for producing fabulous Hillier plants and about to become Director of the Wholesale Nursery.  Plant enthusiast Kevin, is the perfect person to identify the tremendous range of plants on the exhibit and ensure the labelling is accurate.

Nigel Roman – Landscape Contractor

Trained at Hillier Landscapes and now running his own Landscape business.  Nigel made 135 mixes of mortar for the walling and paving on the exhibit.  Once the bricks and mortar are in place Nigel moves on to ensuring the rest of the hard landscaping is ready for plant staging and makes sure we have somewhere nice to eat in the evenings.

Pip Bensley – Garden Centres Plant Buyer and Magazine Editor

Before arriving at Chelsea Pip was busy preparing the Hillier Live magazine.  As well as being a regular at Chelsea, Pip is a talented floral designer and NAFAS judge, making her the ideal person to lead the team styling Surviving Suburbia.

Stuart Beasley - Garden Centre Manager at Redditch

Stuart was a talented garden landscaper before joining Hillier and has not lost his enthusiasm and eye for design.  Stuart has a growing family at home and has designed Coping with Kids here at Chelsea and is now building his design.

Sue Robinson – Training Manager

Sue splits her time at Hillier between staff training and visual merchandising.  Before Chelsea Sue gathers the accessories and ornaments that help set off the plants on the exhibit.  At Chelsea Sue is staging ‘Losing the Plot’ and helping everyone else not to.

Cindy Castle – Nursery Marketing

Cindy has been at Hillier for over 30 years and still looks younger than everyone else in the office.  In addition to interests in fine wine, muscular men and shopping, Cindy has wonderfully neat writing and every year at Chelsea writes the 750 labels needed for the plants on the exhibit.

Ricky Dorlay – Master Plantsman

In the months before Chelsea Ricky can be working any time of day or night to make sure the precious Chelsea plants are maintained in perfect condition.  Every year Ricky rises to the challenge and provides the team with Gold Medal quality plants.  Ricky is staging ‘Grand Designs’.

James Godfrey – Potential career in modelling

James is a professional landscaper who maintains the Hillier grounds.  James is very popular with the ladies in the office, particularly on hot days when he gets his top off and shows off his tattoos.

Steve Austin – Plant Area Manager

Steve is Plant Area Manager at Hemel Hempstead Garden Centre.  This is Steve’s third year at Chelsea working with both Hillier Landscapes and Nurseries in the past.  Steve has a fantastic enthusiasm for plants, enjoys sharpening his secateaurs and is particularly fond of hamamelis. 

Andy Hillier - Design Consultant
Andy joins the team for the final weekend.  A fresh pair of eyes to check on the detail and a another able body to help load and unload the three lorries that come in on the last Saturday. 

Neil Robins – Section Leader in charge of most of the Nursery

Neil is a stickler for detail and makes sure everyone works safely on the nursery and in the bustle of the busy Chelsea exhibit.  As well as managing the Hillier exhibit, Neil drives one of the few forklifts at Chelsea, making him very popular around the show.

Richard Blakesley – Major Accounts Manager

Not your typical sales rep, Richard loves driving steam trains at weekends and rambling for miles on end.  That must be what gives him the energy to keep up with the youngsters in the team.

Aline Maylan – Student

Aline is a Swiss student nearing the end of a year with Hillier and at Chelsea to gain experience.  Aline plans to start a garden design school when she is not out snowboarding or playing the accordion.

Julia Parker – Time for a change

After 15 years with IBM Julia wanted a change and found it at Hillier.  Julia now works part time at the Nursery’s Container Unit and even harder at home looking after the family.

Matt Bartlett – Heavy Goods

Matt deals with all the deliveries and heavy goods at the Plant Centre in Braishfield.  Matt is also a computer expert and enjoys fishing and outdoor pursuits.  Matt is a practical stager at Chelsea, always coming up with the solution to problems.

John Hillier – President

Although retired, John is still a huge presence at Hillier and knows more about what’s going on in the company and in horticulture than nearly everyone else.  John has been coming to Chelsea since childhood and continues to plays a central role in the staging of the Hillier exhibit.

Chris Rawlings – Garden Centre Manager

Chris is a regular at Chelsea and well known for living life to excess.  This can mean he struggles to get up the morning after.  However, once up he is always the most enthusiastic person and keen to get stuck in.

Gary Newell – Plant Area Manager

Gary is Plant Area Manager at our busy Chichester centre.  Gary came to Hillier after studying for a degree in Garden Design and has just done up his first home and designed the ‘First Base’ section of the exhibit.

Emma Dorlay – Landscape Cash & Carry

Emma is following in her father’s footsteps working in the Landscape Collection section of the nursery and becoming an important part of the team helping to produce the plants for Chelsea.  There's more excitement for Emma after Chelsea as she prepares to get married next month!

Dave Bensley – Working for the Boss

It’s a family affair for the Bensleys.  Dave is Pip’s long suffering husband who does as he’s told by Pip during Chelsea.  Chelsea is a wonderful mix of characters from all over the World and Dave is the first to start a conversation and find out what all our neighbours at the show are up to.