The Cenexflor group of suppliers – consisting of SGP, Winchester Growers and Moermans - has been selected by Waitrose as category manager for total horticultural supply into its stores.

Majority stakeholder SGP, which has been a major supplier to Waitrose for eight years, is creating a single horticultural centre of excellence to supply cut flowers, bouquets, pot plants, bulbs and shrubs into its stores.

The West Sussex-based grower, importer and supermarket supplier is investing £700,000 into purpose-built premises at Egham, Surrey, where a dedicated team of Cenexflor staff will handle the Waitrose business.

SGP managing director Roger Williams said the aim of the project is to create the best facilities and the best team of people to focus directly on the Waitrose contract. He commented: 'Waitrose came to the conclusion that with one group of people focusing on their business, a great deal more can be achieved, and that is the challenge we have been presented with.

'From our point of view, we want to ensure the best, most cost effective and most profitable supply chain in the horticultural industry'.

He added that, through Cenexflor, SGP will continue to work closely with Spalding-based bulb specialist Winchester Growers, pot plant supplier Moerman and other companies, to serve the Waitrose account.

Gordon Flint, managing director of Winchester Growers, added one of the key aims of Cenexflor is to develop the grower base and nurture specialist growers as sub-contracted suppliers in order to give a regional dimension to Waitrose offering.