George Mowbray
Operations Director at Frosts Landscapes
Has Experience working on infrastructure and commercial project in both hard and soft landscaping. Working closely with architects, engineers, contractors and manufacturers from initial concept to completion and handover.
How did you come to be involved in horticulture?
By starting at Frosts Landscapes. The previous Directors took a bit of a gamble on me as I didn’t come from a traditional Landscaping background. I was in the Military and then worked in Civil Engineering, the skills I brought were transferable and since my arrival, I have relished the opportunity to learn about trees, plants and soil. It’s interesting to see my garden develop in parallel with my knowledge and experience. Before starting at Frosts it was nothing more than a bit of lawn today it’s a different story, I feel very lucky to be part of some amazing landscape designs from which I have taken inspiration for my own home.
Tell me about your career with Frosts to date?
I joined in Jan 2020 as Operations Manager, just before the dreaded COVID lockdowns. It was probably the most challenging time for every company. We had to complete a number of critical projects for our clients which led to me returning to the site full-time to ensure we delivered against a challenging scope and program. It was a great opportunity to learn on the ground about soft landscaping and get in with our site teams, without it I would not have the relationships that were developed in those difficult times. On completion of those key projects I then returned to my expected role of overseeing the operational delivery of all construction projects and maintenance.
How do you see your role in the company?
We are not a big company and although no longer family-owned, continue to maintain the culture developed over the last 65 years. A key part of my role is maintaining the culture that we have inherited at and ensuring it’s not just ‘turn up and go home’ for our staff. As part of this everyone in the company has to wear a few different hats, mine have included the following; Operations Manager (now Director), Pre Construction Manager, Site Manager, HR Manager, Labourer and Chef. The last role is probably the most surprising, Fred Perry (now retired SHEQ Director) and I are both keen on traditional BBQ and decided to start an irregular Friday BBQ/Pizza cook-off for everyone a few times a year. This has included our annual ‘Bare Root’ BBQ of Brisket and Ribs as the season commences in November
What would you like to see in terms of Frosts’ legacy 10-50-100 years from now?
As we are now employee-owned the trust can last for 120 years, obviously, things change over time but I would like to think that we continue to deliver quality projects that leave a legacy. I love going back to projects that I have been part of in the past. It’s one of the best things about being in landscaping is that what you have planted will have grown and established into something bigger and better in the years to come. My hope for Frosts is the same, establishing itself and growing into something greater with a team that has been part of the journey from the start.
Frosts will always go the extra yard to push a job through. Frosts is honest. We have a real can-do attitude, and we’ll also tell you if something can’t be done.
What marks Frosts out from competitors?
I like to think we really care about what we do and will always deliver against our program. Sometimes that means we can be a bit difficult to deal with initially because we are trying to protect what we see as the most important part of the project. Often our clients (including main contractors) struggle to identify this until we get to finishing areas and then they see the value in what we do. We also have a huge amount of experience working in Central London on Roof Gardens and Public Spaces and can head off a lot of issues that might not otherwise be presented until later in the project.
Where do you see your core values and beliefs represented in what you do?
I inherited a number from my time in the Army but two really stand out for me. Integrity – Being honest about what can be achieved and putting your hand up when you’ve got something wrong, this can be pretty rare in the industry but it’s so important to build trust with a client or team to ensure we are all working towards the same goal. Loyalty – Generating and maintaining a feeling of support within the team is vital. Loyalty works both ways; if the team know I will support them even when they have made a mistake (so long as they put their hand up) then they will support me when I do the same or need extra effort to get a project completed for a specific deadline. Everyone is prepared to get their hands dirty if that is what is needed.
What’s great/important/matters about Frosts?
One thing, it is the people that matter. Some have been with the company for over 25 years, others started as a labourer and are now contracts managers, 15 years later. Generally, people either ‘get us’ and stay for a long time or realise it’s not working out and move on.
How do you get inspired/what inspires you?
I like learning something new, whether that is solving a problem as part of a new project design, working through an issue on site with the team or reviewing plant schedules and researching the species that I don’t know.
Frosts is a business that runs at a million miles an hour, multitasking 24/7. We wear lots of hats, and that won’t change.
Favourite tree/plant and why?
Arbutus Unedo – Strawberry Tree. I like its characteristics, evergreen with interesting bark and also because it provides a bit of a show in the Autumn but still keeps its structure throughout the year. I’ve got 2 in my Garden that I bought as small shrubs a couple of years ago and they are starting to establish themselves well.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Spending time with my family, my kids are growing up far too fast. Cooking outdoors whether is BBQ or Pizzas and cycling
