Bordon Hill Nurseries

What Bordon Hill Nurseries does

Bordon Hill Nurseries Ltd is a wholesale ornamental plant plug producer headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK, with a secondary 2 Ha production site in Offenham. The company operates 7 Ha of glasshouses in total and produces over 270 million young plants (plugs) annually across more than 2,400 varieties and 45 tray types, shipping well over one million trays per year to commercial growers and UK local authorities. Peak-season headcount reaches 250 staff between February and May.

Production is built around mechanised seeding lines, robotic gapping-up and transplanting systems, automated glasshouse environmental control (temperature, humidity, lighting, shading, ventilation), and a custom in-house coded production management system with barcode-based batch tracking that integrates directly with the exclusive distributor's systems. Environmental infrastructure includes a 4,500 cubic metre rainwater reservoir with biological filtration, reed-bed run-off treatment, a BioTower/BioBed system, biomass boilers delivering 3.7MW of heat, biological pest control, and an active peat-free compost research programme.

The business model is a single-channel B2B wholesale operation: 100% of output is sold exclusively through Ball Colegrave, the UK and Ireland distribution arm of parent Ball Horticultural Company, which acquired Bordon Hill in 2006. There is no direct-to-grower sales motion, no disclosed pricing, and no diversification of distribution channels. Certifications under OHAS, LEAF, and Plant Healthy schemes support buyer compliance requirements. End customers of the channel are commercial ornamental growers and UK local authorities purchasing plugs for further cultivation and municipal landscaping.

Name

Bordon Hill Nurseries

Legal name

Bordon Hill Nurseries Ltd

Website

https://bordonhill.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bordon Hill Nurseries is a UK wholesale producer of ornamental plant plugs, generating over 270 million young plants annually across 2,400+ varieties on 7 Ha of glasshouse in Warwickshire. All output is sold exclusively through sister distributor Ball Colegrave to commercial growers and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Ornamental Plant Production

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs) (AFAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Wholesale ornamental plants
• Plant plug production
• Commercial horticulture supply
• Nursery glasshouse production
• Horticultural growing media

Headquarters

HQ city

Warwick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Ornamental Plant Production: Bordon Hill Nurseries operates as a wholesale producer of ornamental plants, specifically plant plugs. The company produces over 270 million plants annually across 2,400 varieties, shipping well over a million trays per year. All production is sold exclusively through Ball Colegrave, their parent company's distribution arm, covering the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Bordon Hill Nurseries is a wholesale ornamental plant nursery producing plant plugs (young plants/seedlings) for commercial growers and local authorities. Operating 5 Ha of glasshouses at the main Bordon Hill site in Stratford-upon-Avon and a 2 Ha secondary site in Offenham, it produces over 270 million plants annually across 2,400+ varieties in 45 tray types and ships over one million trays per year. All output is sold exclusively through Ball Colegrave, which distributes to commercial growers and local authorities across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Product overview

Bordon Hill Nurseries is a wholesale ornamental plant nursery producing plugs (young plants) for commercial growers. They operate glasshouse facilities in Stratford-upon-Avon (5 Ha main site) and Offenham (2 Ha secondary site), producing over 270 million plants annually across 2,400+ varieties in 45 tray types. During peak production (February-May), they employ up to 250 staff and ship well over a million trays per year. Their plugs are sold exclusively through Ball Colegrave for distribution throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. The company employs automated seeding, gapping-up (robotic), and transplanting (robotic) systems, with in-house proprietary IT for production control and scheduling. Environmental management includes water recycling via reservoir and reed beds, biological pest control, peat-free compost options, and biomass heating (3.7MW combined).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ornamental Plant Plugs Wholesale young ornamental plants (plugs/seedlings) produced for commercial growers and local authorities, available across 2,400+ varieties in 45 tray types, shipped in volumes exceeding one million trays per year. Sold exclusively through Ball Colegrave for distribution across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Quantifiable outcome

• 270+ million plants produced annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ball ColegravecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBordon Hill Nurseries has been the major supplier to Ball Colegrave for 50 years. In 2006, when Ball Horticulture acquired Bordon Hill, the relationship continued with Bordon Hill growing exclusively for Ball Colegrave. All of the plants produced are supplied by Ball Colegrave, which distributes them throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dümmen Orange: Global breeder and producer of ornamental cut flowers, potted plants, and bedding plants with EU production; broader geographic reach but overlapping product categories (plugs, young plants) and customer base with Bordon Hill.

Direct peers

• Hawkesmill Nurseries: UK wholesale ornamental plant nursery producing container-grown and field-grown stock for the trade; comparable in serving commercial growers, landscapers, and local authority customers.
• Newey Group: One of the UK's largest wholesale ornamental plant producers with extensive glasshouse acreage producing young plants and finished ornamentals for the UK market, directly comparable in scale and customer base to Bordon Hill.
• Johnsons of Whixley: Large UK wholesale nursery producing ornamental trees, shrubs, and hedging for landscape and amenity customers; comparable in B2B wholesale model and supply to UK local authorities and landscapers.
• Ball Colegrave: The exclusive UK distributor of Bordon Hill's plugs and a Ball Horticulture affiliate; operates in the same ornamental horticulture supply chain, distributing young plants and seed to commercial growers and local authorities across the UK and Ireland.
• Kernock Park Plants: UK-based wholesale producer of ornamental plugs and young plants for the trade market, directly competing in plug production and serving similar commercial grower customers.
• Wyevale Nurseries: Major UK wholesale nursery producing a wide range of ornamental nursery stock for garden centers, landscapers, and local authorities; comparable in product breadth, B2B wholesale orientation, and UK market focus.
• Earley Ornamentals: UK wholesale producer of young ornamental plants and bedding plants grown in modern glasshouses, serving similar commercial growers and local authority customers as Bordon Hill.
• Pentland Plants: Scotland-based wholesale and retail ornamental plant grower with significant glasshouse production; comparable in product mix (bedding plants, ornamentals) and B2B supply model.

Emerging players

• Syngenta Flowers (now part of Ball Horticulture-related networks): Global seed breeder and young-plant producer in ornamentals; comparable in plug/seedling technology and B2B horticulture supply, with overlap in variety development relevant to Bordon Hill's 2,400+ SKU range.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bordon Hill Nurseries