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Thanks to a generous loan of £200 from his Aunt in 1934, William Robinson (or 'Robbo' as he was known locally) was able to establish a horticultural business in the village of Heald Green, Cheshire. Initially the business focused on growing a wide range of crops which included rhubarb, sprouts and lettuce. These were grown outdoors and complemented the sales of the protected crops of tomatoes, bedding plants and Spray Chrysanthemums. In the post war years to the late 1960s, rhubarb was the main crop, grown and harvested for the canning factories. Gradually, more glasshouses were built and tomatoes and  bedding plants became the focus of the business.