A Shropshire wholesale plant nursery has seen its business as well as its products grow, having taken on two new members of staff and invested almost £40,000 in a new polytunnel.

Boningale Nurseries on the Holyhead Road, Albrighton, has employed a new sales trainee, and created a new position, of stock controller.

Kayleigh Pountney has joined as a trainee sales representative, having previously worked in retail sales and a reclamation business.

She is currently learning all about the Boningale operation, how the current systems work and the day to day running of the business. Kayleigh, who lives in Codsall, will be based in the office, dealing with customers who visit the nursery site.

Neil Perry has been taken on as the stock controller.  His role involves maintaining the stock control system, monitoring home-grown stock and working closely with purchasing and sales. This new role will help ensure less orders leave the nursery incomplete.

Mr Perry, who is married with a young family and lives in Pattingham, previously managed a Focus DIY store for more than 20 years.

The new polytunnel covers 725 square metres, and will be used to store plants needing extra protection which have been brought into the nursery. This will also be effective in acting as a quarantine area, to ensure any pests or diseases that may have been brought in on plants will not spread to homegrown stock.

Depending on the size of the pots, the tunnel will hold between 5,000 and 20,000 pots, and the height of the new structure means that stock can be brought in and moved around by forklift, thereby saving time transferring them around the large nursery site.

The tunnel also means the nursery has more room to grow plants, as the area previously used to store brought-in pots is now available as growing space

Frank Sandford, sales director at Boningale, said the additional staff, and the new tunnel are really positive signs for the business.

"We're delighted to have taken on Neil and Kayleigh. Neil's many years' experience managing a large business will stand him in great stead for taking on the new role here, and help us improve the efficiency of stock movement through the business.

"Kayleigh is a welcome addition to our sales team, and is already proving a big help in our office as one of our busiest seasons gets under way.

"The new polytunnel represents a big investment in our stock production, and will free up much-needed growing space to allow us to expand our home grown stock, as well as having the facility to house large specimens.

"Whilst many domestic gardeners may have a lot less work to do at this time of year, for the commercial landscaper it's the busiest time of the year as the plants are dormant during the colder months, and can therefore be moved more easily with less distress brought to them, so the new staff members and the extra storage space is really welcome."