Our People
The people behind Rainbow Park Nurseries - experienced, knowledgeable, and here when you need them.
Rainbow Park Nurseries
A Stable, Experienced Team
Our people bring the craft; our capability delivers it nationwide.
Growing at the scale Rainbow Park operates takes more than good infrastructure - it takes people who know plants, understand the operation inside out, and can be relied on by the buyers and trade partners who depend on consistent supply.
Our team is a mix of experienced growers, horticulturalists, sales people, and operations specialists who, between them, bring decades of knowledge to the business. Many have been with Rainbow Park for ten years or more; a level of continuity that reflects a well-run operation where people choose to stay.
Rainbow Park is further supported by a long-standing team of more than 90 whose skill, commitment, and care underpin everything we do. From growing and propagation to operations, logistics, and daily nursery management, their expertise ensures every plant is raised with consistency and pride.
Our Team
Leadership
Andrew Tayler
General Manager
Andrew has been at the helm of Rainbow Park Nurseries for over three decades, bringing a forward-looking mindset to everything he does. He studied Applied Science at Massey University before joining the business full-time, and has since shaped Rainbow Park into one of New Zealand's most technically advanced nursery operations.
Known for embracing new technologies and fresh ideas, Andrew drives the business toward smarter, more efficient ways of working. His particular interests in new plant genetics, computing systems, and growing technology have led Rainbow Park's investment in precision growing infrastructure, production planning software, and international breeder relationships — and his leadership keeps the business evolving, supporting a team that shares his passion for doing things better.
Peter Tayler
Founder / Director
Andrew has been at the helm of Rainbow Park Nurseries for over three decades, bringing a forward-looking mindset to everything he does. He studied Applied Science at Massey University before joining the business full-time, and has since shaped Rainbow Park into one of New Zealand's most technically advanced nursery operations.
Known for embracing new technologies and fresh ideas, Andrew drives the business toward smarter, more efficient ways of working. His particular interests in new plant genetics, computing systems, and growing technology have led Rainbow Park's investment in precision growing infrastructure, production planning software, and international breeder relationships — and his leadership keeps the business evolving, supporting a team that shares his passion for doing things better.
Sales & Account Management - Indoor & Ornamental
Andrew Grant
Key Account Manager
Andrew brings over three decades of garden retail experience to Rainbow Park — a career that spans garden centre management and buying for national big-box retailers. That dual perspective, from both sides of the supply relationship, gives him a sharp understanding of what retail category managers and buyers actually need from a supply partner.
As Key Account Manager, Andrew works closely with Rainbow Park's key retail accounts to maximise ranging, sales performance, and profitability. He's the right person to call if you want to explore new opportunities or get the most out of your Rainbow Park relationship.
Lisa Welsh
Sales Consultant
Lisa joined Rainbow Park Nurseries in 2021 and has since grown into a key member of the sales team. With nearly five years at Rainbow Park, she now focuses on customer sales and support, working closely with clients to ensure they have the right plant selections for their needs. She also plays an important role in weekly stock walks and helps manage plant availability and order planning.
Lisa has a strong background in customer service and administration, and has embraced her transition into sales. While she didn’t initially expect to enjoy the role, she has found it incredibly rewarding, particularly through building relationships with customers and sharing her growing passion for plants.
Sandra Lusty
Key Account Manager
Sandra manages key accounts including Palmers, The Warehouse, and the indoor category for Mitre 10, ensuring each receives the right plants at the right time. She coordinates weekly stock allocations, monitor crop timing against contract requirements, and adjust plans as needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Alongside contract fulfilment, Sandra oversees stock availability for sales — checking quality, confirming readiness, and releasing product only when it meets our standards. She also makes sales calls and manages the labelling process.
Since 2014, Sandra has played an integral role at Rainbow Park.
Susan Roberts
Sales Consultant
Susan has been part of RPN since 2012 and brings a depth of house‑plant knowledge that our customers and team rely on every day. She supports Kings and leading independent retailers, providing excellent service and practical, plant‑savvy guidance.
She also manages key parts of our sales administration, including freight invoicing and after‑delivery queries, ensuring everything runs smoothly from order to arrival.
With strong technical skills, a calm, can‑do approach, and a willingness to take on whatever comes her way, Susan is a valued member of the team and someone we can always count on.
Sales & Management - Trees & Shrubs
Al Williams
Tree Nursery Manager
With five decades of industry experience and over 15 years years at Rainbow Park, Al expertly manages Rainbow Park’s outdoor tree nursery and the team of 14 who support it.
His leadership and technical knowledge ensure the consistent quality of the trees and shrubs Rainbow Park is recognised for nationwide.
Cathy Rawnsley
Tree Nursery Sales Manager
Cath joined Rainbow Park over 15 years ago with experience in horticulture, agriculture and floristry. As the tree and shrub nursery sales manger Cath is the first point of contact for all our outdoor crops. Cath also manages Rainbow Park’s recently expanded contract GOL production, liaising between growers, tissue culture laboratories and our own propagation teams to ensure customers needs are met. Cath’s flair, enthusiasm and hard work has seen her role expand to event and trade show design, co- ordination and construction
Operations & Production
Anna Tayler
Dispatch Manager
Anna has been part of Rainbow Park for around 20 years and plays a key role in keeping the nursery’s logistics running smoothly. She works closely with the Transport Manager to co‑ordinate the Rainbow Park truck fleet and authorised carriers, ensuring every delivery reaches the right place at the right time. Anna also oversees order entry and manages all packing operations with accuracy and care. She enjoys the variety of her role, whether she’s working inside the nursery or out and about supporting the wider team.
Clayton Hart
Young Plant Manager
Clayton is a passionate young horticulturist with a strong focus on plant production, propagation, and nursery operations. He began his career developing hands-on experience in Native Nurseries and has built a reputation for his strong work ethic, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for learning. Clayton has a particular interest in propagation systems, plant health, and improving production efficiency within large-scale nursery environments. In 2026, he was recognised nationally after winning the Young Plant Producer of the Year competition, highlighting his growing leadership and technical skills within the industry. At Rainbow Park, Clayton enjoys contributing to a high-performance team while continuing to expand his knowledge of horticulture and plant production.
Danny Brown
South Island Transport Manager
Based at our Daltons Christchurch yard, Danny oversees South Island transport operations, coordinating daily freight movements and organising return loads back to the North Island. He manages key logistics administration including FAF updates, pricing transport jobs, booking freight through MyTrucking, and arranging ferry crossings.
Alongside his logistics responsibilities, Danny is hands‑on in the yard — driving and delivering plants three days a week to keep our South Island customers supplied.
Happy Antal
North Island Transport Manager
Happy keeps Rainbow Park's North Island logistics operation running — and at the scale Rainbow Park operates, that's a substantial undertaking. He manages the full transport picture: scheduling drivers and vehicles, optimising routes, coordinating daily loads, and arranging third-party freight where needed. Fleet maintenance sits with him too — ensuring trucks and trailers are serviced and compliant so the operation doesn't skip a beat.
Happy monitors driver hours, rest breaks, and logbooks to keep the fleet operating safely and within regulatory requirements, and he's the point of escalation when delivery issues or customer complaints arise. Managing the people side of transport comes with the territory — Happy supervises his team to the standards Rainbow Park's supply partners expect, and makes sure customers have accurate delivery information from the moment an order leaves the nursery.
Nirmal Singh
Production Manager
Nirmal joined Rainbow Park in 2013. As Production Manager, he oversees growing operations across the Top, Lower, and Karaka greenhouse sites, managing climate and irrigation systems through Priva to maintain the precise growing conditions Rainbow Park's quality standards require.
Beyond crop management, Nirmal leads recruitment across his sites and serves as Rainbow Park's Health & Safety Manager — a role that reflects both the trust the business places in him and his commitment to a well-run, safe operation. He is also a Primary ITO Registered Assessor, supporting staff training and professional development within the team. His earlier experience in commercial glasshouse operations at Turners and Growers, combined with his Advanced Certificate in Production Horticulture from MIT, gives him a deep technical foundation that shows in the consistency of what Rainbow Park grows.
Ray Liu
Operations Manager
Ray joined Rainbow Park as Operations Manager after a decade in senior operations and supply chain roles across the pharmaceutical and dairy industries. He holds a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland, and has applied that analytical rigour to Rainbow Park's production planning, scheduling, and procurement systems.
Ray's responsibilities span the full operational backbone of the business — managing raw material procurement, ERP systems, and production scheduling to keep Rainbow Park running with the precision its customers depend on. He has also taken on the compliance function previously held by Peter Tayler, ensuring Rainbow Park's transitional facilities operate within New Zealand biosecurity standards. This includes managing biosecurity clearance for all imports and overseeing the Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility — a critical part of the business's ability to bring in new plant genetics safely and compliantly.ursery.
Administration
Rebecca McCulloch
Office Coordinator
Rebecca is the operational support behind the scenes — working closely with the General Manager on day-to-day administration and keeping things running smoothly across the business. She brings a creative touch to Rainbow Park's design and promotional material, and takes ownership of Health & Safety processes to ensure the team operates in a safe and compliant environment.
Toni Duffett
Accounts Manager
Toni has been part of Rainbow Park since 1999 and manages all areas of accounts, payroll and financial administration. Toni is known for her reliability, accuracy and strong team focus, contributing to the smooth running of Rainbow Park’s operations.
Get in Touch
Whether you're an existing customer looking for your account contact, or a new buyer wanting to start a conversation — we'd love to hear from you.