Whether it’s creating dream gardens in summer, designing outdoor spaces that work for families all year round, or keeping business premises safe during icy winter conditions, Gareth Mitchell’s Geko Group has built a reputation for being a business for every season.
Now the Newcastle entrepreneur has strengthened the company’s growing commercial winter maintenance division with a major investment in a powerful new 100-horsepower Kubota tractor.
The latest addition to the fleet will support Geko Grit, the commercial arm of the business that helps businesses, retail parks, office developments and industrial sites stay operational during severe winter weather.
“It’s a significant investment for us,” said Gareth. “The tractor helps us load our gritters and manage our rock salt stocks, but it also gives us the capability to clear snow quickly and efficiently when conditions become challenging.”
Based in Wide Open near Gosforth, the Geko Group comprises three complementary businesses. Geko Landscapes creates bespoke outdoor spaces for residential and commercial clients, Geko Design helps homeowners and businesses plan and visualise their ideal outdoor environments, while Geko Grit provides proactive winter maintenance services across the region.
The gritting division uses specialist forecasting technology to monitor conditions at individual client sites, allowing preventative action to be taken before ice forms.
“We don’t simply wait until temperatures drop and react to problems,” explained Gareth. “We monitor site-specific forecasts and make informed decisions in advance. The aim is always to keep people safe and businesses operating as normal.”
The service also provides clients with detailed digital records, photographic evidence and real-time reporting, helping organisations demonstrate that they have fulfilled their duty of care.
“Many businesses don’t realise how important record keeping is until an incident occurs,” Gareth said. “We provide complete transparency, so our clients know exactly what action has been taken and when. Our aim is to keep the North East safe from ice related accidents this winter.”
To help with this, Gareth is planning to hold a seminar for local businesses in September specifically targeted at Facility Managers, Health and Safety Managers and business owners. The free event will allow the sharing of best practice in preventative winter maintenance.
Away from winter operations, Gareth has also been sharing his expertise through a successful collaboration with Alnwick Gardens, delivering exclusive seminars focused on garden design and helping homeowners think differently about how they use their outdoor spaces.
The events have proved extremely popular, with sell-out audiences keen to learn how thoughtful design can transform gardens from simple outdoor areas into spaces that genuinely enhance wellbeing and lifestyle.
“A garden should do more than look nice,” said Gareth. “It should make you feel something. The best outdoor spaces create an emotional connection and become an extension of the home.”
As demand continues to grow across all three divisions, the latest investment represents another step forward for a business that has become known for combining creativity, practical expertise and innovative technology.
From designing beautiful landscapes to protecting businesses during the harshest winter weather, Gareth Mitchell and the Geko Group are proving themselves to be, quite literally, a Geko for all seasons.