HORTITECH CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

By Ashley O’Hara

This year, Hortitech are celebrating forty years in the industry. That’s forty years of providing quality cover and crop protection solutions to the Australian horticulture industry; using Aussie smarts and technologies to combat our unique Aussie growing conditions.

But far from slowing down, we’re aiming to open sites in every State in a bid to supply Australia’s horticulture industry with all their cover and crop protection needs.

Michael Arnott established Hortitech [Pty. Ltd.] in 1982, following a move back to Victoria from the ACT where he had been working for 20 years. Returning to the state he was born and raised in, he settled with his family on a property in Monbulk; the heart of Victoria’s green-life industry.

“At that time, I didn’t know what direction to take, so to get an idea of business opportunities in the area, I took jobs working locally on flower farms and nurseries and it soon became pretty apparent to me that one thing that was needed was growing houses. At that stage, they had very poor crop protection.” And after he spent some time getting a better feel for the industry, Michael says he began to see the enormous potential in the market and the improvements that could be made to greenhouse design.

Since then, Hortitech has grown and flourished, seeing a few changes along the way including our new owner James, and most recently our name; we’ve always been Hortitech [Pty. Ltd.] trading as Monbulk Rural, so it’s not entirely a name change, it is more a case of going back to our roots.

With increasing demand for our products Australia-wide, we have begun to phase-out the name Monbulk Rural, a title tied to our Victorian location, and have replaced it with the portmanteau Hortitech; Horticultural Technologies.

Murray Valley Nurseries, VIC

We encourage our loyal customers, as well as new, to grow with us as we are building on what we’ve already accomplished here in Victoria. We’re still the same business; providing the same great customer service and quality products as before, now with an extended and national focus.

Hortitech’s immediate future sees us looking to expand our premises; the search for new sites in Victoria, as well as Tasmania, is underway. We’ve already begun work with the erection of commercial greenhouses in Tassie, and supply of greenhouse plastic and nursery equipment in Queensland and the Northern Territory. We are hoping to grow our team and resources to be in a position to send our crews interstate for construction. We have outgrown our current grounds in Monbulk, which comprises of a manufacturing workshop, rolling shed, showroom and office space.

We have found a strong demand in the Tasmanian market for what we do, and are excited to supply their horticulture industry with all their cover and crop protection needs. We have already established some solid relationships in the area, and with the addition of a permanent site, we’ll only continue to grow with these businesses and nurture their crop needs.

Grandview Monbulk, VIC

With our sister-company Horticraft already established and based in Gatton, Queensland, we have found that we are able to effortlessly and directly supply our goods to the State’s growers who would otherwise have to wait weeks, or even months, for large shipments to arrive onsite. The success of Gatton has proven to us that there is a need to have a warehouse in each state, something Hortitech aspires to achieve within the next 10 years.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across the horticulture industry in a myriad of ways, some good, some challenging. We are no exception, and have been hit hard by astronomical rises in stock and shipping costs, as well as an unparalleled shortage in stock availability and lengthy delays. This has led to us think on our feet and change the way we order and import stock from overseas, as well as beginning to source more local materials where we can. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers, as these blows are being felt across the whole industry. By working together with our suppliers of many years, we are able to maintain the lowest possible costs of products, something that would be near-impossible for businesses starting out in the industry.

As we move into our next forty years, Hortitech are excited to share our journey with our customers, and hope that the robust, long-term existing relationships we already have will continue to grow, alongside the new businesses and contacts we’re making in this new chapter.

As a special way to say thank you to our loyal clientele in helping us to achieve and maintain a successful forty years in the industry, we are offering discounts of up to 10 per cent on selected products. You can view this deal on our website or contact our office on 9756 6355 to place your order.

Change isn’t always easy, but sometimes it’s necessary and we’re looking forward to expanding the business throughout Australia.

More information

Follow Hortitech on Instagram (@hortitech_au) and Facebook (@HortitechAU) to learn more about the team, their work and their growth. Or visit hortitech.net.au