What is David Austin Roses’ history in Japan?
We started here in 1993 with a licensed operation. A company called Rose of Roses was our sole licensee back then. This was the boom period for English companies and products. They did well and English roses became a known phenomena. The Takashimaya bag, for example, famous for its pink rose wreath on the white background, uses one of our English roses as its inspiration. We opened a direct office that started trading in May 2008 when our licensee failed to pay his dues and was forced into liquidation and it’s been all go since.
How has business been so far this year?
Our year runs from Aug-July, so for 2009-2010, the Japanese operation finished well up on the previous year, turning over some 1.3 million pounds, which isn’t bad for its second year of trade. This year so far: retail is up, wholesale is running a bit later than normal as we had added many new services this year and it took time to get these right. All the signs are there that we are on track for another good year.
Globally, we have never been so busy. The biggest challenge we are facing are all the internal headaches that happen when a small-medium enterprise becomes a medium-size company with multiple offices. Things like personnel, IT, process management, etc, suddenly become more critical. Something that you thought two years ago that you will leave for now because you have more urgent matters to deal with, come back and bite you hard in the proverbial.
What projects are you working on?
We have plans for an English garden, tea room and Asian headquarters in Osaka. We have been in discussion with Sennan City and the Osaka prefectural government now for roughly a year in getting an agreement finalized that will allow us to commit to a site near Kansai Airport. It’s a lovely location, right off the main highway exit on the outskirts of Sennan City itself, with a gentle winding road that leads to a secluded hillside. It feels like a rural location, although the town is just five minutes away and is easily accessible. Perfect for a quiet beautiful garden with adjacent cafe serving tea and scones.
How many staff work for David Austin Roses in Japan? Are you looking to expand?
Currently we employ directly seven staff and are looking for three more. We will need probably another 10-15 seasonal production staff this winter in Osaka and at least another 10-15 people when we open the coffee shop and garden center.
