Michael Geary

Michael Geary, the association's President and CEO, discusses how AmericanHort aims to help growers succeed, and what you'll find when you attend Cultivate'14 in Columbus, Ohio, this July 12-15.

If you Google the expression “adapt or die,” you find thousands of references to books, whitepapers, newspaper articles, speeches and journal articles confirming the need to change. “Adapt or die” is not a creative phrase, but it’s certainly clear: Like death and taxes, we seem to have no alternative. The need to transform is not unique to horticulture. All industries have experienced pain over the last few years and still today. Businesses are struggling, consumers are just starting to gain some financial ground, and we know it’s going to be a few more years before the global economy is back to normal– whatever “normal” means. In the meantime, we cannot sit back and wait for change to come to us. OFA is certainly not going to relax and hope for the best. As we announced two years ago, OFA’s strategic plan includes an objective to expand our relationships with other […]

There are a wide variety of organizations at the local and state levels that can provide additional marketing opportunities for growers. Connecting with these groups may bring added sales and will certainly expand the visibility of your company. Savvy growers will also arm themselves with data about how flowers, plants and trees contribute to the economic well being of communities (America in Bloom, for example, publishes this information on its website). A suggested list of organizations includes the local and state chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects, National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of Realtors. Other entities to consider are larger homeowners associations and local organizations committed to beautification and green infrastructure like America in Bloom, Keep America Beautiful, National Garden Clubs, Master Gardeners and Tree City USA. Many of these groups have monthly lunch or dinner meetings at which you can network with potential […]