Victoria Poolman braved the traffic of the Cheltenham races in order to meet Rob Pope, the face behind the fencing of Greenfields Garden Services.

They say that a little bit of competition is healthy, but for Greenfields it’s the challenge that keeps them top of the pile. Rob Pope tells me, “The best business idea we’ve had was to keep each of our departments separate as it provides a degree of motivation for each section to perform at their peak.” And management certainly does keep their finger on the pulse by releasing monthly reports as to who’s outdoing the rest. “We usually come about second,” says Rob proudly - and no, that’s not out of two - Greenfields is divided into five main arenas: fencing, landscaping, ground maintenance, tree surgery and children’s play areas.  Each department has its own manager and the whole group is overseen by Managing Director and founder of Greenfields, Chris Snell.

The business wasn’t always run this way, with Chris starting out solo back in 1988 with, as the website states, “one push-along mower, a few hand tools and a small van.” However, the field soon flourished, with the business taking on more employees before becoming limited in 1998 with a tidy turnover of around three million pounds.

Rob Pope, manager of the fencing division, came onboard the Greenfields wagon three years prior to those developments. He tells me, “I came from an agricultural beginning, but as farming was at rather dire straits, I finished college and began labouring for a fencing contractor - which was ideal for getting to grips with the trade.”

After learning the ropes, Rob then went on to take a couple of supervisory positions working for larger companies. However, fencing in a less than personal environment and on a nationwide scale wasn’t floating Rob’s boat:

 “I realised there was a market around Gloucester for security fencing and I really wanted to work on a more local scale but wasn’t sure about going it alone at that stage.” And that’s where Chris came in. “He lived down the track from where my parents live, so I got to know Chris and came to a compromise by starting the fencing branch of Greenfields.” Since that point in 1995, the rest of the team have followed, giving Greenfields a good mix of expertise - and plenty of character to boot. 

Now working from a beautiful location at ‘Kite’s Nest Yard’, the business’ premises are tucked away down a country lane just a few miles outside Cheltenham. With a half acre site that is shared by all branches of the Greenfields enterprise, the company also rents some storage on a nearby farm. Working purely on a contractor basis, Rob’s timber and steel fencing comes from a range of sources including Forest Products, Ransfords and Hawkins-Salmon, as well as Walfords Timber and IAE, of which Rob has a very high opinion: “They provide us with a very good service indeed, doing the whole package – no matter how large or small the job.” But with the majority of business being councils or independent commercial properties, the orders don’t tend to be few and far between.

Rob tells me, “Our most popular products are the rebound mesh panels, with which we have recently fenced two local schools – jobs which have ensured we are in at least the top three this month!” Indeed, schools seem to provide much of the business, with Rob and his team recently erecting some convex mesh panels at the frontage of St Mary Redcliffs Primary School in Bristol: “It’s a really old building and access is virtually zero, so the job required us to carry everything in and out, which was hard work, but all the same, a really nice place to have one of our fences.”

As we all know, almost every business has its peaks and troughs throughout the year, but with Greenfields structured as it is, there’s always support when needed. Rob explains, “Each department will have its quiet times, but the nature of our business means that this will often coincide with another department being flat-out. For example, in winter, grounds maintenance can see a lull in activity, so those boys just go and help the landscapers with their workload instead.” It’s clear to see why this method works well, keeping competition friendly as well as lifting the spirits when there’s nothing to do except ‘The Sun’ quick crossword. In addition, the web of businesses-within-a-business is great for the customers, as when they need something doing, Greenfields is the only number they need taped to the fridge door.

Rob adds, “We are always looking at how we can improve each part of the company so that we can add to Greenfields as a whole. Since we have no real ‘hot businessman’, it’s easier to be objective and focus on the small parts, so it comes together in the large.” Far from intending that as an insult to the boss, Rob is keen to point out that Chris is very much as hands-on as the rest of the staff, running the play area division which has developed substantially over the last six years.

“We’ve got a lot to do in the coming future, as though our site is already quite the luxurious, palatial establishment (I detect sarcasm), we would like to completely redevelop the whole premises. But for the time being, we are focusing on replacing our equipment, vehicles and training the staff. All our guys are CSCS and all our landscape operatives have recently qualified with the equivalent ROLO cards, which we have worked hard to get.

Although the company seems to have its fair share of awards and certifications, including being certified by The Contractors health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), the Arboricultural Contractor Network, BALI and the FCA to name just a few, it seems that Chris and Rob have found it difficult to keep up with all the various requirements. Rob tells me, “Obviously, we’ve got to make sure we have the relevant plant tickets to ensure we can go out and do any job, However, it sometimes seems to me that people forget who these certifications are intended for – us, and our safety - and not simply as a means for companies to dictate.”

Still, quite the collection of boy scouts, Greenfields have worked hard to ensure they reach the standards, and as a result, have collected a rather impressive array of badges and awards on their website.

So, aside from the monthly competition and resulting arm wrestles, what’s in store for the future of Greenfields? “The whole management team are all the same age, around mid-forties, so the future of the business will be defined by the younger people who come through to take it on,” Rob says. But, no need to panic, the boss has already had his thinking cap on and with the assistance of wife Ruth, has ensured the company will never be short of workers, with six little Snells being harvested ready for the next batch of management roles. Competition may be healthy, but as for sibling rivalry? Now, that’s a definite way of upping the standards...