Our team

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  Phil Birtwhistle (Managing Director) and Roger Birtwhistle (Co-Founder)

  Managing Director of PGS, Phil has been part of the team since he was 14. Fully qualified in horticulture, Phil is continually bringing new ideas and developing PGS to make it the best it can be. Roger with over 50 years of experience retired from the field in 2010 but not from the business. He now acts as our consultant and helps with the ongoing apprenticeship scheme that Priestgate continues to run. He is also the author of the Plant Guide and the Blog and Advice sections of this Web Site and our ‘Go To’ for lots of things.

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  Mary Birtwhistle (Co-Founder) and Phil Birtwhistle (Managing Director)

  Mary and Roger set the company up from scratch, with Mary encouraging Roger to believe that it was achievable. And with equal enthusiasm she is still helping the company to grow to what it is now.

  Mary has run the accounts and answered the phones for Priestgate Ltd. Since day dot, and your journey with us will most likely start with a chat on the phone with her. With many years of experience in running an office, she is always only too happy to help.

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  Jake Idiens

  Jake completed his apprenticeship with us in May 2021 and has become a key team player for PGS. We are very pleased with how much Jake has progressed in the last couple of years and look forward to seeing which path he takes with us for the future.

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  Danny Jewkes – Head of Grounds Maintenance

  Danny joined us right before the COVID-19 lockdown and has since been given a great deal of responsibility along with his team mate James. His knowledge and working methods hold a lot of promise for the future of PGS. A very welcome addition to the team.

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  James Stephan

  James joined just before the COVID-19 lockdown. He offers a great deal of experience and friendlyness to his work. James now helps to manage the maintenance side of the business and is a very welcome addition to the team.

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  Jay Hutchinson – Head Of Landscaping

  Jay joined us in 2019, with his practical background as a mechanic, he has picked up the job very quickly. He is now our key landscaper, with an ever growing number of beautiful gardens that he has helped to build. We feel very fortunate to have him as part of PGS.

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  Alec Waite – Head of Lawn Care

  Alec has rejoined the team after leaving us back in 2004. With his years of experience and knowledge in the field, he is a great asset to the PGS team, and has fitted right back in.

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  Richard Lowe

  Richard joined the team with a background of working in an Adventure Activity and Education Centre. Keen to learn and full of energy, Richard brings fantastic qualities to the Company and is a great addition to the team, offering his input in tasks as he goes, making him an already valuable member of the team.

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  Martyn Nickless

  Martyn joined the team in May, and since has made a fantastic addition to our landscaping division. With his hands on experience from past work with DynoRod, it’s fair to say he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and muck in. We are very proud of Martyn and how much of a key team member he is becoming.