Make your Garden a Corker!

Corker Outdoors, based in Paddock Wood, recognised COVID as an opportunity to shake up their business, and perhaps even their industry. “We saw unprecedented demand for landscaping products, especially those centred on what’s known as RMI – repair, maintenance, and improvement,” Oliver Corkery, Operations Director, explained. “It became clear that people were embracing al fresco living on a different level and were viewing their gardens as a true extension of their house .”

But, with the construction industry affected by shutdowns and staff in isolation, Corker found their product sources and service suppliers unable to reliably fill the growing order bank.

It was Oliver who came up with a creative response to these potential threats. This year has seen Corker begin to import unique products and exquisite stonework directly. Furthermore, they have begun to market directly to garden designers to professionally showcase these products, exclusive to Corker.

Another hint at the exciting evolution of the business can be found in the fifteen show gardens at their Paddock Wood site. The spots in the show gardens are hotly contested, with the newest arrivals currently being installed. It’s very much a case of ‘watch this space’. The Corkerys have been hinting that there is much more to come, as they expand into more areas of the industry – from spectacular garden galas to new workspaces and service-orientated facilities. They feel it’s something bigger operations are missing.

“Developers and the construction industry as a whole need to rethink a home’s outdoor space, just as we are, to meet customer expectations,” Mick explains.

“People are using these spaces differently and have higher expectations than a patch of grass front and back. They want and deserve much more than that. We aim to give them all of that and more.”

One of the refreshing aspects of a visit to Corker is that their forward-facing, expansive vision has not compromised their family values. Alice – Mick’s wife and Oli’s mother, runs the front-of-house, delivering the impeccable customer service they have become renowned for. Their passion for their customers and what they do is infectious, something evident in the newest members of the team.

The enthusiasm and high-energy is evident the moment you step onto the Corker site. The smiles and greetings are genuine. There’s no pressured selling tactics – just helpful consultation and advice, often including a visit to a show garden to see exactly what is meant – and possible. If the future of the business is as bright as their outlook and approach, then it is not only assured, but bound to become a highlight of the industry.