The combined resources of Deforche Construct and Thermoflor, who merged in 2018, can now offer UK garden centres and nurseries a comprehensive business to meet all their construction needs, whether it's new builds, expansions or refurbishment.
A garden centre specialist with 100 years of experience; a true family history is behind this. Around 1900, G. Grimbergen Senior became the first greenhouse builder of Westland. He created quite some interest from his smithy and workplace in Poeldijk by making high-quality metal glasshouses for mainly growing grape vines. The glasshouses become larger and larger as the years went by and developed to become greenhouses with several interconnected roofs. Most of these metal and glass structures have disappeared, but some of these Grimbergen's greenhouses are still standing proud.
Joining forces with Deforche Construct
Around 2018, Thermoflor joined forces with the Belgian company Deforche Construct. It clicked perfectly with this company that has also been in the same family for many generations. The companies became partners and Deforche Construct has taken over most of the production since then. The renowned Deforche Construct (www.deforcheconstruct.com) brand Forzon (www.forzon.com)represents sustainable and high-quality glass roof structures that fit in perfectly with the internationally famous Thermoflor quality. Together the are creating DCG (Deforche Construction Group) www.deforchegroup.be
Thermoflor and Deforche Construct were renowned on a global scale for their customer-focused expertise in their own right, but now they are, together, the reference with regard to the development of garden centres and the building of greenhouses. Commercial and technical consultancy, design, engineering, production and the actual building and completion of a garden centre that is ready for instant use ... Thermoflor has all disciplines in-house. Customers from Grootebroek to Vancouver can, moreover, count on the business-like approach for which Thermoflor is famous: a deal is a deal for all facets of a project ranging from scope, quality, (environmental) safety, sustainability, costs and time.
Thermoflor stands for the design, production and construction of innovative garden centres all over the world. We supply bespoke solutions aligned with the requirements of the client, the possibilities that the environment has to offer and the needs of the local consumer. We make it as easy as possible for our clients. Garden centres are delivered ready for service and offer long-term support both commercially and technically. We always keep an eye on the long term and sustainability in every sense of the word. The long-term success of our clients is what drives us. We therefore always also look at how it can be done better and we continue to innovate.
Building for the consumer
Thermoflor wants to be the global reference. The benchmark in relation to successful and modern garden centres. We therefore actively contribute together with our client and we always go the extra mile for the client. We develop technically leading garden centres that offer a total experience to the entire family. A light, inviting and evocative area that stimulates all the senses. We therefore primarily build our garden centres for the customers of our clients.
Coming to know each other thoroughly
We believe that a warm and endurable relationship is best when it comes to clients. We like to do business in a pleasant and personal way where we believe it is important that we come to know our clients and what their preferences and requirements are. We can then finely attune our services to this.
Developing and advising based on knowledge of the market
A garden centre has a specific function in its environment. Our challenge is to ensure we provide this function in such a way that the greatest possible added value is created. It is therefore very useful that we have extensive expertise in the field of garden centres and the market in various countries and regions. We provide tailor- made advice to our clients and assist in building up their garden centre (or to refurbish it) for business success. There is good reason why we use the following slogan: Your Place to Grow.
Do you want to build a garden centre? Thermoflor offers total solutions in garden centres ranging from the initial idea to the grand opening
To build a garden centre or, rather, to build a successful garden centre involves more than just producing building drawings, manufacturing parts and engaging contractors. As we extensively describe on our homepage, the added value of Thermoflor already starts well before the first building drawings when we carry out market research, provide consultancy services and insight into commercial opportunities and threats and consult about the optimum range for your local market and about the best way to present your items. And these are but a few key preconditions for your commercial success. When we build a garden centre, we are your consultant, project developer and contractor all rolled into one. Gathering insights into the client and the market is therefore a crucial first step.
Well-produced overall design with all technologies
Building a garden centre together with Thermoflor means, in principle, that you have but one point of contact for the entire project. We will not just design and build the shell of your building, we will also provide the climate systems and the systems for the supply and discharge of water. For kitchens and sanitary facilities, but also, of course, for professional spraying, irrigation and fertilisation systems and even the ponds and containers for the sale of water plants. All electrical systems for lighting and grow lights, shading screens, access systems and security and the IT network (tills). Plus, let us not forget, the very popular solar panels among clients and their customers. You will have one point of contact from concept to turnkey delivery for all of these issues.
Building a garden centre: design and production
Once we agree on what needs to be created and when the rough distribution of the areas is clear, our design teams can get going. Our architects have realised dozens of garden centres and therefore know exactly what is possible and what is not. Our preference is obviously to use standard dimensions for the greenhouse part as most commonly used in agriculture so that we can easily add modules later on. The production of the load-bearing elements and the glass walls and roofs takes place at our sister company Deforche Construct in Belgium that specialises in this. From this location, they are taken in containers to the construction site wherever this may be in the world.
Assembly of the new garden centre
Next, we have the stage when we actually build the garden centre. Now, everything is suddenly super-fast because all parts are delivered ready for use. Depending on the location, we may also be able to get parts from local producers. We, for example,
prefer to mainly have the glazing produced locally to limit transport costs and risks. In some countries such as the USA, there is also an obligation to use local suppliers for, for example, electrical systems. In these cases, we buy services and materials on location and we take charge of the role of local project manager. We also, for that matter, take charge of the entire interior design. Ranging from the 'welcome' mat and the store layout through to the till islands and the safe exit from the car park ... when we build your garden centre, it is ready for your customers upon completion.
After sale maintenance and service
We invest in long-term relationships so that we can still count on your trust after many years when you want to expand or when your garden centre could do with a facelift. You can count on our consultancy services and technical service that is ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any emergency repairs or maintenance.
Having a garden centre built - location and market
If you are thinking of having a new garden centre built, you probably already have a location in mind. Before we design, we will examine the market around your new garden centre together with you. We analyse the composition of households, distribution of income and travel distances of your potential customers. We will, obviously, also create a picture of your direct and indirect competition. Based on this information, you can take the decision to actually implement the project, to possibly adjust the concept or format or to wait for an alternative location. Our goal is not necessarily to build a building come what may. We want to create a place where you can grow!
Layout of your new garden centre
In addition to selecting a location and the area on which building will take place, the smart layout of your garden centre is also key. After all, there are rules of thumb about routing and presentation that will ensure that customers can easily find their way to the products that they want. And also the products that they were not looking for but would like to purchase. Together we will examine the needs of the market and the composition of a range that fits in with this and your personal preferences. Next, we produce a floor plan based on this range with the optimum number of square metres per product group. The routing that we propose using in your new garden centre will take into account the preferences of both hit and run and fun shoppers to guarantee the highest sales and an excellent return on investment.
What are the lead times for a garden centre ordering your products?
What support do you offer garden centres with regards to marketing/POS? Expanding a garden centre - more space for sales and profits
Do you want to expand your garden centre? Ensure that you consider your objectives carefully so that the expansion can be aligned with them as optimally as possible. The expansion of a garden centre may be due to wanting more sales in relation to a specific existing product group. The owner of the garden centre sometimes also wants to diversity and therefore add product groups. It does, however, make a huge difference if you want to, for example, sell paving, ponds or verandas and awnings. Sometimes, it can also be a good idea to take any possible future developments in the range into account when expanding.
Expanding a garden centre as part of a master plan
We were already anticipating in advance the expansion projects of some of our customers. What is more, we sometimes advice our customers to already take into account future expansions during the new build planning phase. If, for example, you have an area of 8,000 m2 available for building, it may be better from an investment perspective to start with 5,000 m2 for the presentation of a strong core range. You will keep the remaining 3,000 m2 as a backup in this way. If the garden centre does indeed run as it should and the optimum turnover has been achieved, you can expand by offering your existing customers more products. Such a prudent step-by-step plan ensures that large financial risks are prevented during the start-up phase.
Broad support when expanding your garden centre
At Thermoflor we not only understand design and construction, but also how to approach the market, product groups, target group research and general developments in the sector. All this expertise is available to you when expanding your garden centre.
Why should a garden centre sell your products?
You need architects, engineers and builders who understand what it is all about to build a garden centre.
Developing a garden centre is not the same as building an office building or greenhouse. You cannot even compare it to developing a supermarket or shopping centre. If you run a garden centre, you sell a unique combination of products including living plants and animals. Ranging from technically complex solar control systems and ponds with living fish to 24 kg bags of turf. From carnivorous plants that prefer a tropical climate to tulip bulbs that you would prefer to present cold and dry. And then we have not even mentioned veranda garden furniture, garden tiles, the hospitality section or the play area. A modern garden centre also sells an experience: a day out.
Have specialist develop your garden centre
Thermoflor has its own team of specialised architects who are fully aware of all the ins and out of the 'green shop'. They, for example, know what the best routing is to guide customers along the different product groups in the most enjoyable fashion: unheated greenhouse, outside area, heated greenhouse, catering, the tills ... our building experts will ensure the correct layout for the different climate and commercial zones.
For an exciting, relaxing and stimulating customer experience, but also for an optimum ecological and economic model. There are but a few architects in the world who have truly mastered this art. Several of these architects are responsible for the development of garden centres in the Netherlands and around the globe at our company.
Building garden centres with steel, aluminium and glass
The next step in developing a garden centre is to calculate the technical structure. The architect works closely together with our own structural engineers and draughtspersons who again specialise in garden centres, greenhouses and other large glass buildings. When building greenhouses, we base ourselves on standard sizes common to the sector so that we can easily make adjustments and perform maintenance later. It concerns specialised system construction using steel, aluminium and glass.
Bespoke parts from our own production facilities
When we develop and build a garden centre, about 80% of the complex is produced in advance in a made-to-measure manner at our partner Deforche in Belgium. More than 100 professionals work there in the expert production of steel columns and spans, aluminium frames, wall elements and other components. When building your garden centre on site, we use many internally developed tools including special construction site lifts that follow the roof slope for the comfortable and safe installation of roof structures.
What’s the next step for the brand?
Partnership
The relationship with our clients is given the highest priority in relation to everything that we do. This personal approach is in the DNA of the family-run company. As are honesty and working based on trust. We focus completely on the objectives of our clients, listen attentively to their preferences and foster dialogue. We take a constructive approach with the entrepreneur about his commercial goals and will together arrive at creative and effective solutions.
Total support
We believe in making it as easy as possible for our clients. We take a proactive approach during the preliminary process and carry out targeted market research. We provide advice and develop creative and result-focused overall concepts. We subsequently organise the construction, renovation and furnishing. So that at the end of the journey the client can simply start: turnkey delivery.
Expert
We are a global specialist in realising innovative glass buildings. We have developed to become the expert after trading for more than 100 years. We therefore know everything there is to know about a clean, healthy and pleasant indoor climate. And about creating an evocative and inviting environment that will deliver a unique overall experience.
Innovative
We think outside of the box when it comes to clients. We know exactly what is possible due to our many years of knowledge and experience. We can therefore cater creatively
with regard to specific requirements and situations. We can also every time set the trend in the market for garden centres with innovative concepts.
Sustainable
We believe the long term is important as a family-run company. We use our expertise and experience for the following generations and create future-proof companies. The relationship with our clients is often transferred from generation to generation. This means that we come to know our clients through and through. You can see that in our work!
