GROW Executive Summit Brings Out Top Thoughts From Top Minds in Horticulture
December 14, 2021 
Executives and senior management from a range of controlled-environment companies gathered in Charlotte, NC, last week for the first annual GROW Executive Summit. Topics under discussion ranged from supply chain and labor challenges to water and energy management and strategic planning. Attendees took advantage of plenty of opportunities to network and share ideas.
If you didn’t have a chance to join us at the Summit, here’s a glance at what attendees and presenters discussed. Watch for a downloadable in-depth report of the top take-aways from the Summit to be available soon.
Start Your Engines
The event kicked off with a brief presentation by Metrolina Greenhouses co-owner Abe VanWingerden at a VIP reception, who cited recent studies indicating that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, 35% of people will be working from home moving forward. As business owners seek to fill their talent pool, they should use this to their advantage when they’re able, and offer this type of flexibility. VanWingerden also noted that many of these same people who will work from home will also entertain from home.
“This will be the next big economic movement, which puts us in a great spot,” he said.
From there, attendees toured the NASCAR Hall of Fame and show their leadership by either “driving” a car on the racetrack or joining a pit crew.
The Shifting Nexus of Retailing
Leon Nicholas, Vice President of Retail Insights and Solutions at WestRock, kicked off the morning of Dec. 7 by reinforcing horticulture’s continuing potential for growth, especially since sales of horticulture products have outpaced many other categories since the pandemic began. He also explained how signage can help educate the consumer during a time when a dwindling labor supply cannot.
The Immediate, Intermediate, and Ultimate Future
After a keynote presentation from AppHarvest CEO Jonathan Webb that highlighted the importance of sharing information across the industry, the summit shifted into a look at immediate business concerns such as supply chain management and talent acquisition. This was followed by a look at challenges on the horizon, including water and energy management, as well as access to capital. From there, speakers offered tips on being an effective leader and developing sound strategies to manage through change.
How Will We Get There?
The key to future success for many operations lies in effective labor management and building a path to autonomy. After assessing how prepared they were to make this transition, attendees got a closer look emerging innovations in logistics, lighting, and artificial intelligence.
GROW Conversations Live
The GROW Executive Summit closed with a discussion featuring Abe Van Wingerden of SunMed Growers; Scott Crownover of Skagit Horticulture; Art VanWingerden of Metrolina Greenhouses; and Bob Jones of The Chef’s Garden, where each offered their top take-aways from the event.
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