Tontex Gardens, a serene floral farm, is transforming and rebranding the floral eco-system of Rivers State, through innovative approaches that translate to sustainable solutions, aesthetic deliveries, professional excellence, human capital development and income flow.
It is also helping to expand the State’s floral farming prospects and revenue generation potentials.
BusinessDay’s checks revealed that Tontex Gardens does not just plant flowers; it also produces the resources needed to grow them, like compost manure and pottery, a milestone made possible by a blend of passion and professionalism.
Jane Omuku, an industrial biologist/horticulturist and managing director of Tontex Gardens, in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay in her facility, explained that the journey to success had been marked by perseverance, determination and focus, amid occasional challenges.
“I’ve been here doing this business for nearly 30 years after I graduated from school. Though I’m an Industrial Biologist, I decided to veer into horticulture, because that’s interesting to me. By the time we started, it was like news. My sister-in-law gave me the front of her place in GRA to begin with a container.
“Then after that we moved to Olu Obasanjo, because a friend of mine gave me a property she was looking after and then we expanded. After about five years, the owners sold it and we started looking for another place until we got this place. It was far beyond what I imagined.
“We’ve been doing it for years. Staff had come and gone. Some have gone abroad, some have gone on to other things. It’s been challenging, because of that.
“However, God has been good in that when he gives me staff and I give the necessary training, they stay, they get to learn the job, so that even when they leave, they’re able to carry on life and live based on what they have learned”, she explained.
The Tontex Gardens MD said that for twenty years, she could not earn a penny from the business, but did not allow that to discourage her, while remaining focused on her dream of building a garden capable of providing innovative solutions to boost the floral and urban renewal eco-system of not just Rivers State, but Niger Delta at large, while creating job opportunities for people.
With her husband’s moral and financial support, Joy Omuku, would go on to achieve her dream beyond expectation, transforming Tontex Gardens from a one-container floral farm to a flourishing floral factory, producing real-life, urban -friendly flowers, compost and pottery, with over twenty-five workers earning good salaries monthly.
Tontex Gardens’ compost, well treated, planted, harvested and professionally packaged to meet international standards, is one of the floral farm’s most unique products and selling points, apart from its pottery products and landscaping outdoor services.
“We’ve been involved in producing plants and flowers creatively. We also do pottery and landscaping. People come here, they host weddings; we have two main lawns and what we call conservatory, under shade. People are always coming, take photos, do events.
“This is our selling point: We make pottery, because of exposure and experience, I know how things are done professionally in this area. Therefore, I can bring it to bear here. A lot of people don’t even believe that this is happening here.
“We’re believing that some day, some person or persons will recognise that there is something happening here that is noteworthy and profitable for many,” she said
The Tontex MD however listed inconsistent electricity supply, inadequate machinery, finance and mobility, as some of the floral factory’s challenges and appealed for support from government agencies and financial institutions for optimal performance, greater output and enhanced service delivery.