Q & A – Andrew Bell of GP Plantscape

At Maxim Park we are immensely proud of our fantastic green spaces and our investment made in landscaping right across the park. We recently caught up with Andrew Bell, Contract Manager at GP Plantscape – a key figure in helping us deliver our landscaping strategy.

Andrew, please tell us a little bit about your company and the services you provide?
GP Plantscape is a commercial interior and exterior landscaping company based in South Lanarkshire. We provide landscaping services, gritting and snow clearing and Christmas displays to businesses, large and small, throughout the UK. GP is a family owned and managed business with a focus on delivering excellent service, with our people at the heart of our business.

How long have you been undertaking work at Maxim?
I have worked at GP for 11 years and have been involved in working on the Maxim site for the last 6 years, initially as Exterior Operations Manager and latterly as Contracts Manager. I have also managed the gritting and snow clearing delivery on site for the last 6 years.

What are you currently working on at the park?
At Maxim we provide exterior grounds maintenance, interior landscaping and snow clearing and gritting services. Over the years we have also worked closely with the management team to continually improve the landscaping and to support the team in working towards its sustainability goals. Biodiversity planting, bird boxes and green walls are just some of the solutions we have worked on.

As well as green wall installations, we are about to install some eye catching, red containers featuring interior plant displays. Not only will these units add to the aesthetics of the reception spaces, the plants will add greenery to the buildings interior, introducing an element of biophilic design – biophilia being our innate need to connect with nature.

Tell us about some of the challenges of your job
As we provide a wide range of services to Maxim the challenges are varied, but when it comes to the gritting and snow clearing it has to be the Scottish weather! Over the years however, we have refined our service delivery model, introducing pre grits, subscribing to sophisticated forecasting systems, investing in kit, machinery and training and storing salt on site at Maxim to provide instant access and reduce travel time.

What do you like most about working at Maxim?
With a proactive approach to continuous development of the landscaping on site and close attention to biophilic interior design, it’s great to work with the management team at Maxim as they invest in the projects in the park and provide a fantastic working environment for tenants and their employees. The team are are keen to develop sustainable solutions and to ensure the landscaping in the park is both functional and aesthetic – providing a nurturing environment for the people who work there.

What are the main objectives for your work at Maxim over the course of 2022?
We want to deliver more solutions to continually improve the landscaping at the park and incorporate interior and exterior landscaping services which improve sustainability and wellbeing.

What has been your favourite working day at Maxim and why?
Over the years I have worked on several projects on site, but I particularly enjoyed managing the pond improvements outside the management suite. There aren’t many sites which have such expansive grounds as Maxim Park, incorporating ponds, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to work on the landscape project for this area, sourcing the best plants for the environment to enhance biodiversity and thrive in the conditions.

The services we provide are diverse and I also really enjoy the challenge of keeping the park moving all winter, providing our gritting and snow clearing services. Finally, one of the most recent projects I have been working on is installing a green wall at Maxim 8. It’s been great to have had more opportunity to work on interior solutions at Maxim and bring some of the outdoors in. Introducing greenery into buildins provides instant impact and can have a massive impact on the well being of the buildings occupants.