International Women’s Day — the Otter Way

You are here: > > International Women’s Day — the Otter Way

Each year, International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women from many different walks of life.

In Devon, one much-loved business was founded back in the 1960s by a resilient woman with a passion for plants and growing.

Marilyn White was a force of nature from the start; when she and her husband Malcolm started Otter Garden Centres in 1964 they lived onsite in a caravan, growing vegetables for local markets and bedding plants which they sold directly to customers.

Fast forward 61 years and the business now has seven branches across the South West and Hampshire.

Her daughters, Jacqui and Cathy, were roped in from an early age, helping out before school and at weekends.

Jacqui says that her childhood was entwined with the business: “Apparently my first experience of the garden centre at Ottery St Mary was when I was just four days old! When I was seven, I began bunching cut flowers with mum, before moving on to make up hanging baskets. I enjoyed that, especially as I could earn some pocket money.”

In 2011 Jacqui became MD, responsible for the overall running of the business, with sister Cathy in the critical role of IT Director, keeping all the tech operations running smoothly.

We’re proud that our wonderful teams across our seven branches include so many inspiring women,
many of whom have been part of the Otter family for many years.






Family

It wasn’t long before the third generation came through. Jacqui’s daughter Sabine has put her heart and soul into Otter and is now Creative Director; she has a young daughter herself, potentially the fourth generation of ‘Otter’ women.

Her cousin, Cathy’s daughter Lara, has recently started her career in stock control.






Visual Team

Otter’s Visual team comprises 12 creative women, who strive to make every centre eye-catching and appealing to customers.

Headed up by Group Visual Manager Jo, they produce innovative product and display merchandising that provide an appealing in-store experience, especially at Christmas and during the Summer months.





Wendy, Furniture Manager at Ottery St Mary

There are many industrious women who have been fundamental to Otter’s ongoing success.

For example, Wendy, Furniture Manager, who has worked at Otter for 34 years.

She started out on the tills so she could fit work around her young family, eventually moving into the furniture department where she’s played a major role in the team that has made the department the success that it is today.





A message from Jacqui

“I do feel like the luckiest woman in business,” adds MD Jacqui.

“I get to work with my mum, my sister, my daughter and my niece, plus the wonderful teams across our eight branches that include so many inspiring women, many of whom have been part of the Otter family for many years.”

Related News

Newsletter

Sign up to receive our latest insights & news.