News Round Up 2013
Post date: 28 Dec, 2013
It has been a very busy and productive year for all of us at CED and we would like to welcome you to our 2013 end of year Newsletter. As you can imagine, there are just too many things to mention in one round up, but we hope you enjoy the following selection.
We began the year with the launch of SuperCedec®, a welcome addition to our already successful CEDEC range. SuperCedec® is ideally suited for use in urban tree pits and footpaths, and after 2 years of trials and tests this ground breaking product has already been supplied for use in projects all across the UK. Click here to read more about this fantastic new product.
February saw the launch of Tier®Contemporary range at The Self Build and Improve Your Home Show in Belfast where this simple yet clever walling system was very well received. With the addition of the Tier Contemporary range to our existing Tier rangewe can now provide a high quality walling solution to suit both internal and external applications. Click here for the full story.
With spring on it’s way CED began to get very busy and in March, our Commercial department starts the season with a bang, with three large commercial schemes. The first, designed by BDP was the regeneration of Deptford High Street, Lewisham and the contractors were Maylim Construction. The second was to supply Granite and Basalt items to the Imperial Wharf Boulevard.
The third was for Oxford Brookes University. CED had been working on this scheme with designers, Land Use Consultants since January 2009 and we finally started supplied paving, setts and a whole range of bespoke steps, benches, bleachers and copings to Vetter UK, in March. It was a wonderful feeling to finally see nearly 4 years work come to fruition in such a modern design. Click here for story.
March was also the month we started to work with Flemings Nurseries on their multi award winning, innovative RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden ‘Trailfinders Australian Garden’. Working closely with landscape designerPhillip Johnson we supplied approximately 200 tonne of Gabbro Boulders, 60 tonne ofScottish Beach Cobbles and Pebbles, 20-30 tonne of Scottish Sandstone Walling, 40m2 ofCedagravel and 20m2 of Reclaimed Yorkstone Flags. This was the largest quantity of stone we have ever supplied to one garden at RHS Chelsea and some of the biggest Gabbro boulders we could find! Click here for the full story.
In April CED’s marketing team had the pleasure of visiting The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle, (where CED had originally supplied all the rockery and footpath gravels for the garden), to meet up with modern day ‘Plant Hunter’ Tom Hart Dyke. He is a truly inspirational man and his passion for plants is infectious. Established in 2005, the World Garden of Plants continues to grow and build year on year, adding rare and important botanical species to its collection. We would highly recommend you visit in 2014, you wont’ be disappointed. Click here to read more.
May and July were the months for awards, medals, travel and some large yorkstone orders! The first award was for our stand at The Balmoral Show which took place 15th-17th May, where we were very proud to have won ‘Best Overall Stand’. This could not have happened without the team efforts of MRM Garden Design, Ben McKee Landscapes, Smylie Sectional Buildings, Plantation Nursery, DW Kennedy Hardscapes, Brick & Stone, FR Cathcart,Emerald Lawns and Donegal Rapeseed Oil. All of these companies contributed their products, services and time to the CED show garden, for which we are very grateful. Clickhere for story.
Shortly after, this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show was a particularly good one for all who we supplied to. Having supplied to the prestigious flower show for many, many years, this year was no different. We supplied materials to eight different gardens and we are delighted and proud that seven of them won awards, including a ‘Commendation for high quality of presentation’, one Silver-Gilt medal, five Gold medals and The Best Show Garden. We would like to congratulate all involved as this was truly an exceptional result. Click here to continue with this story.
Also in May, CED won a half million pound order for 6000m2 of British yorkstone paving. This is being supplied over the course of 8 months to FM Conways for Whitton High Street.
June found Giles Heap travelling to the Far East for two weeks, after we took over the export market from a long established export company, CST International. With clients ranging from small, family owned businesses, to huge corporations all over the Far East, this growing market is fast becoming one of our more interesting projects!
At the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in July, we supplied a wide variety of natural stone products to three of the show gardens and all three were medal winners! The appropriately named “Hot Stuff Garden“, designed by Victoria Truman and Liz Rentzsch won a Silver Medal, as did Caspian Robertson’s inspired “Bugs in Boots Garden”. Matthew Childs’ superb “Ecover Garden” won not just a Gold medal, but also Best Show Garden. Click here for the full story.
In September, CED saw one of the most significant changes for the company in recent years, when Giles Heap officially took over the as Managing Director from his father, Michael who had held the role since founding the company in 1975. With over 21 years of experience in the industry, 18 of which has been CED, Giles aims to ensure that CED continues to be known as the market leaders in knowledge, quality, materials and service and is thoroughly looking forward to the challenges ahead. Click here for the full story.
November finds us exhibiting again at FutureScape 2013, as following the success from last years show we really couldn’t stay away. FutureScape began in 2012 as a one day event with excellent seminars, a demonstration area, outdoor nursery and various trade stands. Well organised by the team at Prolandscaper this event has a fantastic atmosphere and really is a worthwhile day out. Click here to read full article.
Also in November, CED became members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA)which comes with the added benefit of membership to The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL). To celebrate joining the HTA, CED decided to offer something back. From the 1st December 2013 we have been offering a 5% discount schemeto all members of the APL and BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) on any of our stock items, from any of our depots. Click herefor the full story.
To finish the year, as well as accepting orders for a whole range of streetscape schemes, including Dundee and Richmond, on Tuesday 10th December we had the pleasure of hosting our first ever APL Cluster Group meeting at our Head Office in West Thurrock. Although we were a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of attendees, this was a huge success and we know that it will be the first of many events with the APL. Click here for full story.
As you can see, 2013 was an eclectic, successful and thoroughly enjoyable year and we look forward to seeing what 2014 may bring.
From all the team at CED may we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.