Awards
Young Retailer of the Year Award
Each year, Green Profit’s magazine Young Retailer Award recognizes the top members in the garden centre industry under the age of 35. Garden centre managers and owners from across North America are eligible to be nominated. For 2009, Pathways to Perennial’s very own retail manager; Lindsay Mennen was crowned the winner in a special ceremony July 11th at the OFA Short Course in Ohio USA.
In April, the field of nominees was narrowed down to three finalists, two Americans and one Canadian. Finalists were then required to answer an essay question with their answers featured in June’s edition of the magazine. A panel of four industry leaders were chosen as judges and each finalist candidate was rigorously interviewed independently by each judge on a variety of aspects of their business.
“The essay question was what we’ve learned from the recession. It was tough because we only had 600 words to spill our guts and make an impression” says Mennen. “Once the magazine was released we then had the interviews. The judges asked great, tough questions and kept hammering away, you never really felt totally comfortable. All the while you were wondering what your competition said and how they did.”
“I think what sets us apart is our people are so passionate and we specialize in fun girlfriend garden parties with an environmental twist! We try to make visiting Pathways a memorable experience, filled with many interesting and unique ideas for both interior and exterior” say Mennen. Pathways to Perennials opened their newest outdoor lifestyle display center which is attracting a lot of attention.
Award of Excellence
Each year the industry hands out awards in a variety of categories to garden centres all across Ontario. In 2012, Pathways to Perennials was presented with Outstanding Display of Goods - Hardgoods.
Pathways Takes Home the Hardware!
For 2009, Pathways to Perennials was honoured with three awards.
We took home the honours for Outstanding Display of Hardgoods for The Pavilion Rooms.
This is the new display area that we just created over the past year, where many of you enjoyed your café lunches throughout the summer.
We also won for Outstanding Promotional Event for our Mother’s Day Extraordinaire “Party in Purple.” Thank you to all of our mothers, daughters and girlfriends who dressed up in purple attire and enjoyed a fun- filled afternoon of container plantings, salsa dancing and a few surprises!
Last, but not least, we won for Outstanding Print Advertising for our new “We’re into Gardens” brochures. We have been working with Larter Advertising to build a new brochure that would better help us to communicate who and what we are with you, our customers. A huge thank you goes out to all of our customers and clients as we couldn’t have achieved these great honours without your continued support and honest feedback so…
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Pathways Honoured with the Green Business Achievement Award
On December 11, 2008 the annual Business Awards were presented at the King Chamber Christmas Luncheon. The goal was to provide an opportunity for members to recognize business peers who have contributed to the business community in King Township. Pathways to Perennials was honoured with the Environmental and Green Award presented by The Township of King. We were recognized for our mission statement: to custom design and construct liveable landscapes that excite and enhance the families we serve in a professional, profitable manner while maintaining ecological balance.
"Pathways to Perennials is not just “Going Green”, we’ve been green all along...it’s what we believe in and it’s what gets practiced everyday” says co-owner Lorraine Mennen.
Go Green!
Pathways to Perennials Claims 3 More Awards of Excellence!
Each year Landscape Ontario members enter their projects into the provincial awards program. A panel of judges pours over the entries, giving points for creativity, and skills in design, construction and maintenance. With over 2,000 members in Landscape Ontario, the province’s premier horticultural trades association it is no easy task to win. For the year of 2008, Pathways to Perennials took home the hardware for Outstanding Display of Giftware, Outstanding Display Gardens over 500 sq. ft, and Outstanding Display of Perennial Plant Material! A special thank you goes out to our customers who allow us the opportunities to play with plants and fun accessories and for those who enjoy visiting and touring our display gardens…we couldn’t do it without you! It brings us great pleasure to bring plants and people together.