Ingram Barge Company, Paducah Bank, Window World, Paducah Cooperative Ministry, and many more were honored Friday night at the 85th annual Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Ceremony.
When Jesse Trimble and Melissa Lipscomb came to Culpeper County in August 2022, they were looking for a fresh start. Trimble came from Philadelphia in search of new opportunities and
“The same roses we brought in from England, we’ve now had to bring in from Ireland to top them up and they’re 20% dearer,” Mercer said. “Prices are going up.”
In the 80 years since Mercer’s grandfather founded the Hillmount Garden Center on the outskirts of Belfast, on Northern Ireland’s east coast, the business has never faced as many obstacles as it does now.
The past year of lockdowns has seen a demand for plants and garden furniture outstrip supply, while staff have been furloughed. Now, complicated post-Brexit trading arrangements are acutely hitting the horticultural sector.
Doing customs checks on Northern Ireland’s land border with EU-member Ireland was deemed politically sensitive and logistically challenging.