Barry “Turtle” 66 years old, is a man who has been in the landscaping and nursery business for the past 41 years, and he shows no sign of slowing down.

Opening up his first trucking business on July 1, 1975, which is also his birthday, with his late wife Jan, he trucked soil, shale and sand locally around the region as well as a number of other industrious materials off wharves around Sydney.

The very first truck Barry owned was a 1969 AEC Mammoth Major, an eight wheeler tipper with a two axel dog on the back.

Together Barry and Jan opened their first nursery and landscape supply yard in 1979 on Worcester road, rouse Hill, and the couple quickly expanded their flourishing business.

In 1992 the pair opened up a new yard, on the corner of Windsor road and rouse road in rouse Hill, and turned it into their main business front.

Though even with the expansion in 1992 Barry said the business nearly went under due to the recession that year.

“The business has grown over the years having normal up and downs but the worst year was 1992. That was the year when we were having the ‘recession we had to have’, that was nearly curtains,” he said.

In 2002 Barry’s wife Jan passed away yet Barry, a true battler, continued the business he and Jan set up.

Remarrying in 2004 to June, Barry kept working hard and in 2010 he went on to open up yet another landscaping supply yard and a nursery, growing the business even further.

After running his own business for 41 years Barry shared some tips on how he has managed to keep his staff happy in their jobs.

“It is pretty easy all you need to do is say please and thank you. When they come in you say good morning and when they’re leaving you say ‘thanks for today’. It is pretty easy I say,” Barry said.

Together with his three sons, Mark, Peter and Paul, he has kept the business going strong for the last 41 years and through all the trials and tribulations there is certainly no sign of Barry slowing down.

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