Hillmount brings award-winning garden centre experience and 10 jobs to Carrickfergus with £1.5 million investment
A £1.5 million investment has created 10 jobs in Carrickfergus with Hillmount officially unveiling the latest addition to its garden centre portfolio.
Situated at Beltoy Road, the new centre sees the Mercer family extending their presence to five prime locations across Northern Ireland and England
The investment by the fourth-generation gardening business has transformed the former Sunnybank site into a vibrant and modern garden lifestyle destination.
The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman William McCaughey, joined family members and guests for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the centre which seeks to retain the original charm while offering an enhanced customer experience featuring an expanded plant area, extensive range of garden furniture and outdoor living essentials, barbecues, gardening equipment and giftware.
The newly introduced 60-seater Gardener’s Rest Café, with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating, offers visitors a serene spot to relax and enjoy refreshments throughout the day amidst lush greenery.
Robin Mercer BEM, managing director of Hillmount, said: "We are thrilled to bring the multi award winning Hillmount experience to Carrickfergus.
"Our family has been dedicated to the mental health and wellbeing of the gardening community since 1940, urging local families to connect with nature and share in the joy of gardening, and this new chapter in Carrick reflects our ongoing commitment to excellence, sustainability and community engagement.
“Already we have been inundated with well wishes from new customers of Hillmount Carrick and we are encouraged by the warm welcome we have received from the local community.
"We are grateful to the Mayor for performing our official opening and we are looking forward to building lasting relationships with our neighbours across the Mid and East Antrim Borough."
The expansion comes at a time when consumer interest in home gardening, outdoor living, and green wellbeing continues to grow, and Hillmount believes it is well-positioned to meet this demand.
The jobs boost has been welcomed by East Antirm MP Sammy Wilson. The DUP representative said: "This is a wonderful new venture for Carrickfergus and we congratulate Robin and his team on bringing new business to the area.”
Open seven days a week, the Carrick location joins the firm’s portfolio of garden centres in Ards, Bangor, Belfast and Cheshire.