After more than 50 years, Flower Power credits its success to its loyal staff, some who’ve been with the family owned and run business for almost five decades.

Mark Chester started in 1979, bagging potting mixes and fertilisers. He now works in logistics. Mark considers Nick Sammut's sons, John, Mark and Collin (who now run Flower Power together with Michael Spiteri, Chief Financial Officer) good mates. Mark recalls the “good old days” as a team effort. “At times the only way to get things done was to work seven days a week and that’s often what we did - the Sammut family included.”

Internal auditor Fran Mastroieni is the longest-serving team member, having started in 1972 as an office assistant. Fran recalls a cheeky six-year-old Mark Sammut, son of founder Nick, sneaking a frog into her desk drawer. “I chased him down and gave him a good whack” she laughs.

Accounts payable officer Gai Curjak started with Flower Power in 1988 and was followed a year later by fellow accounts payable officer Doris Wilkinson, who only planned to fill in for a few days. Twenty-nine-years later, Doris and Gai haven’t looked back. “We’ve enjoyed the friendship”.

 

Clockwise from top left: (L-R) Gai Curjak, Doris Wilkinson and Nadia Kovtun; Charles Amato; Fran Mastroieni; (L-R) Peter Hobson, Ryan Bailey and Nathan Rowe.

 

Kicking off his career as a 17-year-old nursery hand, today Nathan Rowe is Flower Power’s Chief Operating Officer.  “The Sammut family and Michael Spiteri are very passionate about Flower Power. You can talk to them about anything.” Charles Amato mirrors that sentiment. Starting out in 1989 as a 21-year-old nursery hand, Charles is now Flower Power Glenhaven’s landscape manager. “I can call the Sammuts any time and they always help where they can. I couldn’t ask for a better place to work.”

Riding his bike to his first Flower Power job at age 15, Ryan Bailey has steadily worked his way up to become an area manager for several Flower Power stores. Group Strategic Buyer Peter Hobson also followed that well-trodden Flower Power career path, starting out as a nursery hand before becoming an area manager and then moving into buying. Having spent a large part of their life with Flower Power, both Ryan and Peter see fellow Flower Power staff as not just colleagues, but as family.

At Flower Power’s growing nursery in Glenorie, Derek Forsyth, glasshouse builder and unofficial jack of all trades is joined by his border collie, Jimmy and even got married at the nursery a decade ago.

Kayla McKay also started out as a horticultural apprentice. She now manages Flower Power Taren Point. Kayla believes the key to Flower Power’s success, together with the great staff and loyal customers, is the Sammut family and Michael Spiteri. “They have a lot of love and passion for what they do, and that makes you want to do your best”.

It’s thanks to the dedication of these Flower Power staff and many more that has helped Flower Power flourish into what it is today.