Inverness garden centre hopes to run entirely on renewable energy
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Turnover increased by more than a £1 million for the owner of one of Inverness’s leading garden centres last year.
Simpson Highview – which runs Simpsons Garden Centre – also saw pre-tax profit more than double in the year ending January 7, 2023.
However, the firm highlighted there were risks due to increased energy costs, inflation and interest rate rises.
A strategic report accompanying the firm’s latest accounts stated: “We are extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication of our colleagues who deliver an exceptional retail experience which once again was recognised through the award of Scotland’s destination garden centre of the year.
“We are also very fortunate to have tremendously loyal customers who appreciate what we are trying to achieve and continue to support us through these difficult times.
“Like many businesses, we have seen a significant increase in energy costs. Our decision to move to green energy was made some time ago with a commitment to invest more than £100,000 in becoming a more sustainable and energy-efficient company.
“Small steps from changing our bulbs to LED, along with being more energy efficient, has reduced our energy usage by 25 per cent. In 2023, solar panels were added to our energy mix which has reduced our energy costs further, and eventually we hope to run the garden centre wholly on renewable energy.”
It went on: “The company continues to look at ways to reduce its carbon footprint and in addition to investing in new electrical vehicles, plans are in place to install charging hubs for our customers.”
Turnover increased from £6,859,491 in 2021/22 to £8,107,721 for the following 12 months. For the same period, pre-tax profit rose from £202,562 to £518,826.
Meanwhile, the average number of employees increased from 127 to 133 and staff costs rose slightly from £2,149,954 to £2,164,53
