Monrovia & Proven Winners Team Up For IGCs

Monrovia & Proven Winners Team Up For IGCs

Monrovia and Proven Winners ColorChoice announced that they have formed a strategic partnership for 70 flowering shrubs to be sold exclusively in independent garden centers, beginning in late spring 2011.

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Proven Winners ColorChoice introduces new and improved flowering shrubs across the U.S. and Canada, marketing more than 100 varieties specifically chosen for their hardiness, unusually bright colors and easy care. Newly designed containers and plant tags will bear both Proven Winners and Monrovia logos, something new for both companies.

“This is a fantastic partnership for both of us,” said Bob Smiland, chief sales and marketing officer for Monrovia. “Proven Winners ColorChoice has a great breeding program and has developed a line of stunning flowering shrubs that gardeners and landscape professionals are asking for by name. Monrovia will nurture them in our premium soil mixes and grow healthy, lush plants that will flourish in the landscape.”

“We’re excited by the opportunity to expand the availability of the newest flowering shrubs in independent garden centers across the nation,” said Tim Wood, product development and marketing manager for Proven Winners ColorChoice. “Garden centers will benefit from this partnership through more comprehensive in-store programs featuring a brand with considerable consumer demand behind it. Consumers will benefit by expanding the locations where they can purchase Proven Winners shrubs.”

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Among the 70 Proven Winners varieties to be sold through the new partnership are four of the top new shrubs on the market today:

* Incrediball Hydrangea: An improved ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea with the biggest flowers and the strongest stems. Hardy and heat tolerant.
* Invincibelle Spirit Hydrangea: The first-ever pink ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeaâ„¢. A rebloomer that flowers year after year, even after harsh winters. This very hardy and reliable bloomer grows from Manitoba to Mobile.
* Bloomerang Lilac: The most prolific reblooming lilac ever. Fragrant flowers in the spring and again from midsummer until fall.
* Lo & Behold Blue Chip Buddleia: The only miniature Butterfly Bush with loads of blue flowers. Flowers continuously without deadheading.

Marketing support for the line of plants will include advertising, in-store posters and featured locations in Monrovia Boutiques in select garden centers. For more information, visit www.colorchoiceplants.com and www.monrovia.com.

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Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

The plants have been available at the independent garden centers. Why do we need to add Monrovia to the mix. The big problem has been our orders were limited or cut so we had limited amounts of the shrubs while Proven Winners sold them over the internet to our customers.

I want to hear that these new shrubs will not be sold in the big boxes just like Monrovia branded plants. I have not heard this in the press release.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

Is it true that other growers will no longer be able to grow and sell Proven Winners ? Where will the Big Box Stores get their PROVEN WINNERS ?

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

I too am curious as to weather or not other growers will still be able to grow and sell PW? Hopefully someone will respond to this question.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

What ever Monrovia and Proven Winners may do Please, please, please do not forget that the independent nurseries got you where you are today AND if you let big boxes dictate everything to you[and they will] you will be completely at their mercy. At some point they will want own you and you will be ‘hung out to dry.’ GIVE NO MORE THAT 40% OF YOUR TOTAL DOLLARS TO THEM. And listen to your independents.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

“I too am curious as to weather or not other growers will still be able to grow and sell PW? Hopefully someone will respond to this question.”

Yes, other growers will continue to grow Proven Winner ColorChoice plants as they have in the past.

Plants in the partnership (grown in the new Proven Winners ColorChoice/Monrovia container) are what will be grown exclusively in IGCs.

We believe this partnership is a positive development for IGCs, as it will allow IGCs to build better in-store programs using a new supply channel.

Consumers will also benefit, as they’ll have more locations to purchase Proven Winners shrubs.

Please contact me with any questions.

Ryan McGrath
Marketing & PR Specialist
Proven Winners ColorChoice
Direct: 616-223-3368

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

I don’t mind the nonexclusive nature of PW: if it’s improved material it should be available for consumers and they soon figure out that the over-PGR’d, wilted, buggy stuff at the box store is not worth any savings and the cultural info can’t be trusted. But I do mind the hijack renaming and trademarking and re-marketing of existing cultivars such that the grower must pay more initially and agree not to propagate even unpatented material. Maintaining the paper trail to prove you are not propagating from material obtained from PW sources but rather already had the plant 20 years ago is also a royal pain. Whenever, wherever there’s a choice, we do not choose PW material for this reason. So they are continuing to shoot themselves in the foot. Sad, isn’t it that I feel a need to be “Anonymous” in this discussion.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

The plants have been available at the independent garden centers. Why do we need to add Monrovia to the mix. The big problem has been our orders were limited or cut so we had limited amounts of the shrubs while Proven Winners sold them over the internet to our customers.

I want to hear that these new shrubs will not be sold in the big boxes just like Monrovia branded plants. I have not heard this in the press release.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

Is it true that other growers will no longer be able to grow and sell Proven Winners ? Where will the Big Box Stores get their PROVEN WINNERS ?

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

I too am curious as to weather or not other growers will still be able to grow and sell PW? Hopefully someone will respond to this question.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

What ever Monrovia and Proven Winners may do Please, please, please do not forget that the independent nurseries got you where you are today AND if you let big boxes dictate everything to you[and they will] you will be completely at their mercy. At some point they will want own you and you will be ‘hung out to dry.’ GIVE NO MORE THAT 40% OF YOUR TOTAL DOLLARS TO THEM. And listen to your independents.

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

“I too am curious as to weather or not other growers will still be able to grow and sell PW? Hopefully someone will respond to this question.”

Yes, other growers will continue to grow Proven Winner ColorChoice plants as they have in the past.

Plants in the partnership (grown in the new Proven Winners ColorChoice/Monrovia container) are what will be grown exclusively in IGCs.

We believe this partnership is a positive development for IGCs, as it will allow IGCs to build better in-store programs using a new supply channel.

Consumers will also benefit, as they’ll have more locations to purchase Proven Winners shrubs.

Please contact me with any questions.

Ryan McGrath
Marketing & PR Specialist
Proven Winners ColorChoice
Direct: 616-223-3368

Avatar for Anonymous Anonymous says:

I don’t mind the nonexclusive nature of PW: if it’s improved material it should be available for consumers and they soon figure out that the over-PGR’d, wilted, buggy stuff at the box store is not worth any savings and the cultural info can’t be trusted. But I do mind the hijack renaming and trademarking and re-marketing of existing cultivars such that the grower must pay more initially and agree not to propagate even unpatented material. Maintaining the paper trail to prove you are not propagating from material obtained from PW sources but rather already had the plant 20 years ago is also a royal pain. Whenever, wherever there’s a choice, we do not choose PW material for this reason. So they are continuing to shoot themselves in the foot. Sad, isn’t it that I feel a need to be “Anonymous” in this discussion.