We at Plant Production Ltd invite you, our valued client, to join the air of celebration with joy and expectation of even greater things to come as we celebrate 40 years of growing and serving the nations finest nurseries .

Let me turn the clock back to the 50’s. How did it all start?

With encouragement from his parents and loving grandmother Richard had his hand on plants at the early age of nine years, raising seedlings in his parents back yard, dropping them off at plant shops on the way to school. This gave him enough money to build his first glass house a small lean-too on the side of his father’s woodshed which gave him hours of endless joy. School years progressed and his dream to do the Diploma of Horticulture at Massey became a reality in 1960. At the completion of his Diploma he was offered the job in charge of propagation at Andersons Nurseries where he worked for seven years. At the same time building up a small propagation nursery in his parents large back yard, selling the liners to large Auckland and Wellington nurseries.

40 years ago along came Plant Production Ltd.

Richard’s vision of having his own propagation nursery was fulfilled the day he decided to go it on his own. He started full time with a part time employee Gladys a next door neighbour who could stick an exceptional number of cuttings per morning. Business increased at a phenomenal rate and it was soon apparent that the back yard nursery had to move. After much searching a block was found in the hills behind Napier which had an amazing growing climate High sunlight hours, a North facing aspect, virtually frost free, some 10 Deg F (in those days) warmer than the Hastings site on a frosty morning. A hill slope with great air drainage, that amazed most visitors, and a climate and growth that out performed most growing sites in the world.

It is from this site Plant Production Ltd has supplied some 60 million top quality liners over the past 40 years.

One of Richard’s passions is collecting new plants. As he traveled abroad he was fortunate to meet with many such collecting minded plants people who shared their new finds with him, many of these were unique new introductions which have included Cupressus Blue Ice, discovered by Richard in hedge seedlings he was growing. Coleonema Sunset Gold discovered in Sydney while looking over a propagators back fence at the first few, then secret stock plants, from Valmar’s. Then there was widely grown Genista Yellow Imp. The intrepid hunter bribed the coach driver to stop for five seconds on the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge while knife in hand he whipped a piece off the side of this little dwarf beauty.

Richard’s passion for Australian natives has seen many beautiful plants introduced such as Grevillea Bronze Rambler PVR , G Pink Pixie, G Drummer Boy, Many Crowea’s, Eriostemon, Helipterum Paper Cascade PVR , and latterly finds such as Coprosma Rainbow Surprise PVR , Coprosma Fireburst PVR , Pittosporum Silver Pillar PVR , Grevillea Pink Midget PVR. All these plants and hundreds more have been part of the 60 million plants that have helped our industry grow over the past 40 years.

Growth of Plant Production Ltd. over the past 40 years

The growing team at Plant Production Ltd has carefully been built up over a long period and is now privileged to have some of the best in the country committed to serving the nursery sector in all areas. Richard’s vision of a very strong and stable management team came to fruition over 10 years ago when Paul Chadderton joined the team. His excellent management skills combined with his growing expertise encouraged Richard to invite Paul into partnership, a union which has proved to be extremely beneficial for Plant Production Ltd. Paul now heads the day to day running of the Company dealing with customers, growing and staff, aided by the skills of Paul Treneman as growing manager, while Richard keeps an eye on servicing the nurseries many needs, handling the intellectual property side of the business and assisting many in protecting their new finds.

One of these success stories is Pittosporum Golf Ball brought in by a young local grower. Protected, tested, bulked up and marketed overseas on his behalf by Plant Production Ltd.

The future of Plant Production Ltd
Thanks to all who we have been associated with.

Our mission statement, here, still holds strong.

What of the future? Plant Production Ltd has always been an industry leader in innovation, helping to make our industry exciting and profitable.

We will carry on into the future with our new developments, be it our new Eskview 16.5 acre flagship stock bed and growing area, our many new plant introductions, new innovations and research into better ways to bring you a superior liner.

The progress of Plant Production Ltd into the future has been backed by 40 years of solid planning aided by the excellent people we have surrounded ourselves with.

It is now timely to pay tribute to our team of managers, leaders, and staff for giving excellence, integrity and honesty in all they do. To pay tribute and honour our customers, yes and all our many friends who have helped us on our way in this wonderful industry.

We at Plant Production Ltd thank you all. Please enjoy our 40th year with us and have a mighty year.

Richard G. Ware & Paul W. Chadderton
Directors of Plant production Ltd