IN THE retail world Christmas is probably the most lucrative and anticipated time of the year, but for one Tamworth business the season holds even greater importance.

For it was in December, more than two decades ago, that a now large and successful family run firm was born.

Fresh from university and full of plans to start his own plant growing business, Gerald Ingram decided to sell Christmas trees at the side of the road to make some extra cash during the winter.

Little did he know at the time, but this enterprising venture would eventually turn into the hugely popular Planters Garden Centre.

From those first 300 trees has grown a chain of four garden centres, employing hundreds of staff members and each striving to stay at the top of the game.

"Back then I may have dreamt of this sort of success one day, but I didn't necessarily believe it was going to be as big as it is," the 48-year-old said.

The entrepreneur returned from Bradford University to the family farm in Freasley with a degree in Business Studies.

But he had already decided the corporate world wasn't for him and wanted instead to pursue a childhood interest in gardening.

His initial plan was to set up a nursery to grow plants to sell to the trade sector. But during the winter, while waiting for his first seeds to grow, Gerald bought some Christmas trees which he sold from the back of a trailer at the side of the road on his father's dairy farm.

This decision ended up changing the course of his life altogether.

"Because that was so successful I decided to expand and sell some bedding plants, shrubs and conifers that I was growing at the farm as well," the former Kingsbury School pupil explained.

"It was diverting from the initial wholesale plan but the retailing was going so well. I did that for four years on 20 weekends of the year.

"The rest of the time I was growing plants at the farm."

It was when Gerald's expanding customer base began commenting to him about how they wished Tamworth had its own garden centre that the seed of a new idea was planted.

So he applied for planning permission to erect a greenhouse on the family's land at Freasley and Planters was born.

Back then the business consisted of a 2,000 sq ft greenhouse – around the size of Clintons cards in Ankerside – and was staffed by various family members who agreed to help out at weekends, including Gerald's Aunt Sylvia who still works there today.

Twenty-one years on and the centre has grown to a massive 50,000 square feet, staffed by 85 employees, the winner of countless industry awards and boasting rising sales figures despite the economic backdrop – and all this from a man who has no horticultural training whatsoever.

"I was always a keen gardener and used to grow my own flowers from my bedroom window," Gerald said.

"I am not horticulturally trained in any way but I always had that interest and I am incredibly ambitious."

This year Planters has seen seven per cent growth in its sales figures which demonstrates one of the ways in which the business has excelled where others have failed.

Because despite being a garden centre, specialising in one retail area, the company has succeeded in creating and maximising a number of opportunities which have helped it keep ahead of the game.

The award-winning restaurant, for example, does a consistent trade throughout the year, children are drawn in throughout the summer with the 'Pirates Beach' activity and of course there is the highly popular Christmas display which attracts the crowds every year.

Gerald said: "Because the business started selling trees it has become tradition for many people to come here to buy their Christmas trees."

But the centre's reputation for all things festive has grown considerably since then and the amount of effort that is put into the festive displays is apparent as soon as you walk in the door.

"We do put a lot of work into it. The buying for the season is all done in January and February by 'Christmas manager' Ann Davies and her team. As well as going to trade shows at the NEC and Harrogate, they also go to Holland every year where 30 per cent of the stock is bought.

"It arrives in April and we start building the display during the August Bank Holiday to get it open for mid-October."

Santa has again set up his grotto in the festive surroundings and this year children will also be able to meet real reindeer.

And all the hard work definitely pays off because despite being a garden centre which should arguably be quiet during the winter, December has now become Planters' third most lucrative month after April and May.

Behind the scenes, Gerald – who is also Chair of Governors at Kingsbury School – says he is driven by his love of the job and by watching his staff develop and grow.

"I enjoy what I'm doing and seeing other people succeed. It's about investing in people and trusting them; standards have risen as a result and that's why we have won awards.

"I also get a great sense of satisfaction from looking at the daily sales figures and watching them grow."

Gerald now has three other centres, based in Swadlincote, Bretby and Stafford, which are each creating their own success stories.

He is supported in the business by his wife Christine, but his teenage son and daughter will be free to choose their own career paths.

In any case, Gerald has no plans to start slowing down yet.

"I love meeting people, which is what you do on a daily basis in retailing. I'm working most days and often well into the evening doing various things."