John Campbell, owner of the Landscape Centre, Donegore has received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Landscape Contractors, Ireland (ALCI).
Mr Campbell, who is one of Northern Ireland’s leading gardening experts, received the inaugural Bog Oak Medal of Honour for his outstanding contribution to the landscape industry over the past 30 years.
Since starting the Landscape Centre in Donegore, Co Antrim in 1980, Mr Campbell has won the ALCI’s Bog Oak Trophy for the best Landscaping Project in Ireland a record four times.
Speaking after being presented with his award at the Slieve Donard Hotel, Mr Campbell said: “It came as a great surprise but it was very good of them to give me this award. It is always great to be recognised by your peers.”
The medal was presented by Steven Thompson, managing director of the Landscaping Centre, in Ballyclare, who bought the landscaping side of the business when Mr Campbell decided to focus on the garden centre.
Mr Thompson paid a glowing tribute to his former boss’s generosity, adding that he has had the biggest influence on his career:
“John expected a lot from those that worked for him, but in return, he gave us opportunities, presented challenges and shared the responsibility. He understood that to keep the business moving forward he needed his people to have the skills and confidence to rise to those challenges and move forward with him.
“His contribution to the broader Landscaping industry can’t be understated. He along with a handful of others have set the benchmarks and defined the standards. He has been innovative, forward thinking and progressive throughout his career and never rested on his laurels.”
A trained horticulturist with a masters’ degree in landscape architecture, John Campbell began one of the first gardening and landscape centres in Northern Ireland on the historic slopes of Donegore in 1980.
In the intervening years the centre has grown from strength to strength, becoming a byword for quality, innovative ideas and expert advice.