None So Hardy Forestry

What None So Hardy Forestry does

None So Hardy Forestry Ltd. is a privately owned Irish forestry plant nursery founded in 1985 by John and Gillian McCarthy. The company grows and supplies forestry seedlings — conifers (Sitka Spruce QCI, Norway Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Nordmann Fir), broadleaves (Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Alder, Birch, Rowan, Cherry, Hazel, Whitethorn), hedging plants, and Christmas tree stock — primarily to Irish farmers, qualified foresters, landscapers, and Christmas tree growers. Operations span 530 acres across two Co. Wexford nursery sites (Donishall and Ballymurn), with a stated maximum production capacity of 25 million plants per annum, supported by cold storage facilities (8 million plant capacity) at the Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow headquarters, and an in-house delivery fleet.

The company's technical platform centres on agronomic genetic improvement and provenance-controlled propagation. Key proprietary assets include two seed orchards developed with Teagasc under the Forest Service Seed Orchard Scheme (an indoor Common Birch tunnel and a 2Ha outdoor Sycamore orchard using Plus Tree clones from Ireland and the UK), the Improved Sitka Spruce (QCI) variety claiming up to 29% higher timber yields, and a Native Woodland Scheme seed collection programme at Tomnafinnogue Wood operating under NPWS permission. Production is supported by purpose-built irrigation, two 2MW wind turbines supplying the national grid, and an annual catch-crop rotation on roughly 100 acres.

Commercial model is direct B2B/B2C sales of biological inventory — plants sold by unit quantity (per 100 or per 1000) at wholesale prices ranging from €85 to €900 — with orders placed by phone, fax, or email. Delivery is free for orders over €500; sub-€500 orders are collected from Shillelagh. Demand is structurally anchored to Irish government programmes including the Native Woodland Scheme and the new ACRES (Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme) under the EU CAP Strategic Plan, supplemented by commercial afforestation, landscaping, and Christmas tree growing customers. Revenue is generated as one-time transactions (plant sales), with no recurring software or service contracts.

Name

None So Hardy Forestry

Legal name

None-So-Hardy (Forestry) Ltd.

Website

https://nonesohardy.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

None So Hardy Forestry Ltd. is Ireland's largest private forestry nursery, operating 530 acres across two Co. Wexford sites with capacity to produce 25 million plants per annum. Founded in 1985, it supplies conifer, broadleaf, and hedging seedlings to Irish farmers, foresters, landscapers, and Christmas tree growers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Plant Nursery

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Tree Nursery Stock Production (Seedlings, Saplings, Clonal Material) (AFAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Nurseries, Seed Orchards & Genetic Improvement (AFAMAAAD), Forest Seed Orchards & Breeding Programs (AFAMADAB), Seedling & Sapling Production (Containerized) (AFAMADAD)

Keywords

• Forestry plant nursery
• Tree seedling supply
• Conifer seedling production
• Broadleaf nursery stock
• Hedging plant supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Shillelagh

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Forestry Plant Sales: Sale of forestry tree seedlings including conifers (Sitka Spruce, Norway Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Nordmann Fir) and broadleaves (Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Alder, Birch, Rowan, Cherry, Whitethorn, Hazel and more). Products sold at wholesale quantities (per 1000 or per 100 plants).
2. Hedging Plant Sales: Sale of hedging plants including Beech, Hornbeam, Whitethorn, Blackthorn, Laurel, Holly, Dogwood varieties for landscaping and farm hedging applications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

None So Hardy Forestry Ltd is Ireland's largest private forestry plant nursery, producing and supplying conifer seedlings (Sitka Spruce, Norway Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Nordmann Fir), broadleaf seedlings (Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Alder, Birch, Rowan, Cherry, Hazel), and hedging plants for forestry plantations, native woodland schemes, farm hedging, and Christmas tree production. The company grows its plants across 530 acres of nursery land at Donishall and Ballymurn in Co. Wexford, with a combined maximum capacity of 25 million plants per annum, supported by cold storage, seed orchards, and its own delivery fleet based at Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow.

Product overview

None So Hardy Forestry Ltd is a forestry nursery company offering a comprehensive portfolio of tree seedlings and services. The core offerings include conifer species (Sitka Spruce, Norway Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, and Christmas tree species Nordmann Fir and Noble Fir) and broadleaf species (Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Alder, Birch, Cherry, Rowan, Hazel, and hedging plants). The company specializes in improved/genetically selected varieties such as Improved Sitka Spruce (QCI) and maintains seed orchards for Birch and Sycamore. Supporting services include native seed collection (Native Woodland Scheme), ACRES/NTA scheme products, delivery services with their own fleet, and a bag recycling program. The company operates two nurseries producing up to 25 million plants annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conifers Conifer tree seedlings supplied to Irish forestry planters, Christmas tree growers and farmers in wholesale quantities (per 1000 plants), including Sitka Spruce (including Improved QCI), Norway Spruce, Lodgepole Pine, Scots Pine, Douglas Fir, Nordmann Fir and Noble Fir. For commercial afforestation, timber production and Christmas tree plantations.
• Broadleaves Broadleaf tree seedlings sold in wholesale quantities (per 100 plants) including Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Alder, Birch, Rowan, Hazel, Ash, Cherry and ornamental species for forestry, Native Woodland Scheme plantings and landscaping use.
• Hedging Plants Hedging plants including Whitethorn, Beech (including Copper Beech), Hornbeam, Blackthorn, Laurel, Holly and Dogwood varieties, supplied in units of 100 plants for stockproof farm hedging, boundary planting and landscaping.
• Improved Sitka Spruce (QCI) Genetically improved Sitka spruce seedlings grown from seeds selected for desirable timber characteristics such as fast growth rates, timber density, straightness, stiffness and low knot incidence, delivering up to 29% higher volumes of high-quality green logs and sawn timber in research. For Irish commercial timber growers seeking higher-yield planting stock.
• Native Woodland Scheme Products Native Irish tree species including Sessile Oak, Pedunculate Oak, Wild Cherry, Birch, Alder, Whitethorn, Hazel, Rowan and Ash, sourced from native Irish seed (including Tomnafinnogue Wood oak acorns), for Native Woodland Scheme plantings and biodiversity enhancement projects.
• ACRES & NTA Scheme Products Combined package of trees, hedging plants, tree shelters and stakes supplied to farmers participating in Ireland's ACRES (Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme) and Native Tree Area scheme under the CAP Strategic Plan, including Irish-origin/provenance plants.
• Delivery Service Own-fleet delivery service using lorries, trucks and vans operated by experienced drivers to transport plants from the Shillelagh base directly to planting sites across the Republic of Ireland; orders over €500 are eligible for delivery while smaller orders are collected from the Shillelagh base. Cold-store handling ensures plants arrive in peak condition.
• Bag Collection & Recycling Service Free collection service for co-extruded forestry plant bags, offered by None So Hardy since 2001 for recycling, ensuring used bags are not left on rural planting sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 29% increase in volumes of high quality green logs and sawn timber with Improved Sitka Spruce
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TeagasccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on establishment of seed orchards under Forest Service Seed Orchard Scheme. Teagasc researchers involved in Birch Improvement Programme and supported Sycamore seed orchard development through grafting scions onto rootstocks. Oliver Sheridan from Teagasc involved in birch programme. Dr Frank O'Mara, Director of Research at Teagasc, participated in programme launch.
• Future Trees Trust (formerly British and Irish Hardwoods Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSycamore seed orchard uses Plus Trees selected through the Future Trees Trust Sycamore Group from mature trees in Ireland (North and South) and across the UK. FTT has trial sites across Great Britain and Ireland testing offspring from superior parent trees.
• National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPWS manages Tomnafinnogue Wood. Local NPWS ranger Eamon Doran granted permission to collect native oak acorns and other seeds from the woodland, facilitating the native seed collection programme.
• Forest Service (DAFM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIssues permits supervising all seed collections and ensuring crops are recorded and certified. Operates Forest Service Seed Orchard Scheme. Tom Hayes, T.D., Minister of State (DAFM) with responsibility for forestry, launched birch programme commercialization phase.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coillte: Irish state-owned commercial forestry company that historically operated the State's forest nursery and manages ~7% of Ireland's land area. Overlaps with None So Hardy on species, customers, and Irish forestry supply, but operates as a much larger state-backed incumbent rather than a private commercial nursery.
• Hillier Nurseries: Long-established UK wholesale and retail nursery producing a broad range of ornamental and amenity trees. Adjacent competitor on hedging and broadleaf landscape stock but not focused on commercial forestry/forestry scheme customers.
• Barcham Trees: UK's largest container tree nursery, growing several hundred thousand trees annually for landscaping, commercial and amenity markets. Overlaps on broadleaf and hedging plant categories but skews to ornamental/landscape customer base rather than Irish commercial forestry.

Others

• Teagasc: Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority that co-developed None So Hardy's Birch and Sycamore seed orchards and the Birch Improvement Programme. Functions as research partner rather than competitor, but is also the state's applied agricultural research body.
• Future Trees Trust: UK and Ireland tree improvement charity that selects Plus Trees and runs progeny trials for species including Sycamore and Birch. None So Hardy is a research/development partner; FTT is an enabler of NSH's Sycamore seed orchard programme rather than a commercial competitor.

Direct peers

• Cheviot Trees: Northumberland-based forest nursery producing conifer and broadleaf transplants for UK commercial forestry. Comparable product range (Sitka Spruce, Norway Spruce, native broadleaves) and similar sales-led model targeting farmers, foresters, and Christmas tree growers.
• Maelor Forest Nurseries: Welsh forest nursery producing cell-grown conifer and broadleaf transplants for UK and Irish forestry markets. Comparable production method, customer base, and unit-volume sales model.
• Forestart: UK-based forest tree seed and seedling supplier selling conifer and broadleaf stock to commercial forestry and conservation customers. Comparable product mix, customer base (foresters, landowners), and species catalogue to None So Hardy, with similar wholesale unit pricing.
• Wykeham Nursery (Mature Plants): One of the UK's largest forest nurseries, growing conifer and broadleaf planting stock on a similar multi-hundred-acre footprint for commercial forestry and woodland creation. Direct comparability on scale, species mix, and forestry customer segment.

Regional players

• Cefn Fforest Nurseries: Welsh forest nursery producing cell-grown transplants for UK and export markets. Similar species mix and forestry customer base to None So Hardy but primarily serves the Welsh/UK market rather than Ireland.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NoneSoHardy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about None So Hardy Forestry