PROFILE: AUSFLORA
Ausflora Pacific 40 years of bloom By Matt Ross Ausflora Pacific are celebrating their 40th birthday this year, we spoke to nursery managers Linda Sijpkes and Sarah Burgess, to find out a little more about the origins of the business and where they’re heading. Ausflora Pacific was established on a large site, occupying three blocks in Gembrook in 1981. It was part of a corporate enterprise named Austflower; a cut flower business that was soon struggling financially.
After experiencing a large hailstorm that destroyed many plants on the ground in the late 90s, they began to focus on propagating tubestock for flower growers and nurseries in Australia and overseas.
In 1982, Peter Sijpkes, emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands. Lured by the promise of an Australian Visa, he stopped looking after patients in his previous role as a nurse and took started working at Austflora.
Having sworn she wouldn’t work in the family business, Linda Sijpkes, Peter’s daughter, took on the management of the nursery in the final year of her apprenticeship in 2000. She set about growing the nursery production and improving the quality and variety of plants.
He’d always been a passionate gardener, having watched and learnt from his own dad back in the Netherlands. In the early 90s Peter took over the management, and subsequent ownership of the business, changing its name to Ausflora Pacific.
After over 15 years of dedication and loyalty to Ausflora Pacific, Sarah Burgess became a business partner, alongside the Sijpkes family in 2017.
The nursery was originally set up primarily for growing and developing plants for the flower plantation, two very popular flower varieties came to the fore; Protea Grandicolor PBR and the Gembrook Waratah PBR.
The nursery has a dedicated team of people many of whom have been with them for over 10 years. They believe that everyone should be challenged and empowered to do their best and that means creating a workplace that is fun and challenging.
Ausflora were responsible for supplying the Gembrook Waratah that were presented to Olympic medalists in their bouquets, at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The nursery now provides quality Proteaceae plants to retailers, landscapers, wholesalers and flower growers across Australia, and internationally.
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GROUNDSWELL APRIL 2021
