Best Value and Melcourt Landscape Products


  • Which would you prefer:

    'Cheapest Price today' or 'Best Value over time'

     
  • The answer depends on your relative place in the hierarchical ladder, i.e. client or developer, landscape architect or specifier, contractor or product supplier.
     
  • You also need to carefully consider your overall landscape objective, i.e. why plant semi-mature trees at £1000 each, when you can get 'whips' for 25p!
     
  • As a result of restructuring within the Local Authorities during 1980/90, together with the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) and the demise of the Clerk of Works, in the Public Sector and the increasing competitive pressures, the focus on cost rather than value and the frequent use of the words 'or similar approved' in Tender Documents, many potentially exciting landscape schemes have failed to reach the designers' expectations.
     
  • 'Best Value' in its widest sense should start to overcome this situation and re-focus on value and not solely on cost.

    How does 'Best Value' apply to Melcourt's products?

    Take two mulch products, Melcourt Bark Nuggets® and Melcourt Contract Bark Mulch

    Product Name Cost per m³ Delivered Minimum Spreading Depth Settlement after 30 days Durability
    Melcourt Bark Nuggets® £28.50 50 mm 5% 4 years +
    Melcourt Contract Bark Mulch £15.85 75 mm 10-20% 1 year +


    Although Contract Bark Mulch has a lower cost per m³, when you take into account the initial spreading depth, natural settlement and life expectancy, Melcourt Bark Nuggets® represent far better value for money.

    Taking the 'whole life' cost into account, the relative costs per m2 are:

    Melcourt Bark Nuggets® £0.374 per m2 per year
    Melcourt Contract Bark Mulch £1.376 per m2 per year


    When you then add into the equation
    then.............the 'Best Value' decision is crystal clear.