Greenhouse Grower’s GROW Initiative: How You Made a Difference in 2017
Since 2011, innovative thinkers from across the industry have met each year to generate solutions to the issues we all face and come up with ways to re-energize the green industry as part of the GROW program, a cross-segment initiative geared toward putting the green industry back on a path of long term, sustainable growth. This year, Greenhouse Grower shared several innovative ideas, actionable advice, and insights from industry insiders centered around the program’s five pillars: Drive Consumer Success, Demand Quality, Sharpen Business Management, Cultivate New Customers, and Invest In the Industry. Check out the slideshow above for a recap of the highlights from 2017, including links to full stories.
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Invest in the Industry: Encourage the Next Generation of Horticulturists
In March, Hoffman Nursery in Rougemont, NC, sponsored the 41st National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC), which was held at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. More than 800 horticulture and landscape students competed in real-world events such as annual and perennial plant identification, arboriculture techniques, landscape installation, and more.
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Invest in the Industry: Take Advantage of New Trends to Capture Young Employees
“It’s important for business owners to recognize the new perspective on growing with biocontrols and nurture it through adopting sustainable practices in their production, or they may risk losing young talent to an industry such as cannabis, which is forced to grow cleaner due to heavier chemical restrictions. Biocontrol is not a new trend that will fade away. For many, it’s a new way of looking at pest management. If young growers have passion for using biocontrol, it will take them where their interest is most advantageous.” — Kelly Vance, Technical Consultant for Beneficial Insectary
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Invest in the Industry: Take Your Newer Staff Members to Industry Events
“I went home from California Spring Trials realizing that the students enrolled in our Greenhouse Management program at Spokane Community College and students studying elsewhere need to experience the trials. Attending allowed me to see the forest for the trees, and opened doors of opportunity.” — Tyler Beasley, 2017 Allan Armitage California Spring Trials Scholarship Winner
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Invest in the Industry: Support Scholarship Programs for Future Industry Leaders
Future innovators in our industry may not be able to take advantage of the many opportunities it offers if they can’t get the education they need. Fortunately, horticulture students are finding support, as industry leaders and companies invest in the future of the industry by providing the funds needed to finance their education. Examples include American Floral Endowment scholarships, grower-funded programs such as the Altman Family Scholarship, or the Dr. Armitage Scholarship for California Spring Trials.
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Sharpen Business Management: Use the PDSA Cycle to Improve Your Business
The PDSA Cycle was first introduced to W. Edwards Deming (an eminent scholar and teacher in American academia for more than half a century) by his mentor, Walter Shewhart of Bell Laboratories in New York. The PDSA Cycle includes the following steps:
• Plan
• Do
• Study
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Sharpen Business Management: Improve Your Leadership Skills
Best-selling author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon kicked off Cultivate’17 by urging business owners to inspire, encourage, and empower their employees. Gordon shared nine ways leaders can build a strong, cohesive team that remains focused and positive: 1) Drive a positive culture; 2) Lead with vision; 3) Lead with optimism and positivity; 4) Confront negativity; 5) Unite your teams; 6) Build great relationships; 7) Pursue excellence; 8) Lead with purpose; 9) Have grit
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Sharpen Business Management: Take Steps to Retain Your Employees
Forbes.com contributor Dan Schawbel highlights ten workplace trends here that can ultimately provide more leverage for both those hunting for jobs and those looking to hire. Which of these trends have you implemented?
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Demand Quality: Learn From Your Mistakes
“Quality plants are what all growers strive to achieve. However, each grower has his or her own idea of how to get there. As a young grower, I made plenty of mistakes and still do today. What you learn from those mistakes is what sets you apart as a grower and where quality starts.” — Steve Garvey, Head Grower at Dallas Johnson Greenhouses, winner of Greenhouse Grower’s 2017 Excellence in Quality award, and Head Grower of the Year finalist
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Demand Quality: Embrace Food Production With Confidence
“The transition into growing food crops requires learning new production systems, new environmental and cultural management, and new species. Fortunately, there is a wealth of resources out there to take advantage of for learning.” — Christopher J. Currey, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University, on the high standards and great opportunities involved in food production
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Demand Quality: Take Advice From Experts
Head Growers Dennis Crum of Four Star Greenhouse and Joe Moore of Lucas Greenhouses offer several tips for growing the highest quality material, including starting with good genetics, scouting cuttings for potential pests, and more.
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Cultivate New Customers: Turn Your Most Loyal Customers into Brand Enthusiasts
Offering discounts and lowering prices may not go far enough to gain you new customers with long-term potential. In his article “Customer Acquisition is No Longer Enough: Cultivate Brand Enthusiasts” on AlisterPaine.com, author Paul Farago says as prices have been driven down, many brands have lost their authenticity and connection to their core customer. Farago shares three core principles that direct-to-consumer companies follow to create brand enthusiasts: Quality and Value; Engagement; and Sense of Ownership.
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Cultivate New Customers: Find Cost-Effective Ways to Bring in New Customers
In an article on CIO.com, marketing and sales experts share their top strategies on attracting new customers.
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Cultivate New Customers: Seek Out Unique Products
Sometimes innovation strikes by chance. Such was the case with David Tilley, Associate Professor in the Environmental Science & Technology Department at the University of Maryland, CEO of Living Canopies, and founder of the “Living Umbrella.”
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Drive Consumer Success: Use Lifestyle Marketing to Promote Plants
“Our industry is beginning to understand that we won’t be able to create interest in our products, unless we go out and talk to people. Too often, our attempts at communication with consumers turn into clumsy sermons on the benefits of unpleasant garden chores. It does not have to be this way.” — Albert Grimm, Head Grower at Jeffery’s Greenhouses in St. Catharines, Ontario. Grimm was Greenhouse Grower’s 2016 Head Grower of the Year
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Drive Consumer Success: Host Events to Inspire Your Customers
Metrolina Greenhouses is no stranger to helping consumers succeed. It regularly posts how-to gardening videos on Facebook, maintains a Gardening 101 section on its website, and hosts consumer-oriented events throughout the year. The family owned wholesale company also holds several popular events to promote gardening in the community (such as its Dig & Swig Program) and reaches out to serve a customer from a surprising source.
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Drive Consumer Success: Offer Realistic Expectations — Then Exceed Them
Costa Farms consistently uses its Season Premier to show how new plant products will look on retail shelves. It also gives retailers an idea of the best product positioning to catch consumers’ attention. Throughout the trial gardens, Costa Farms featured displays of economical, do-it-yourself projects that might appeal to consumers, like a brightly colored, vertical pallet garden.
View all
Invest in the Industry: Encourage the Next Generation of Horticulturists
Invest in the Industry: Take Advantage of New Trends to Capture Young Employees
Invest in the Industry: Take Your Newer Staff Members to Industry Events
Invest in the Industry: Support Scholarship Programs for Future Industry Leaders
Sharpen Business Management: Use the PDSA Cycle to Improve Your Business
Sharpen Business Management: Improve Your Leadership Skills
Sharpen Business Management: Take Steps to Retain Your Employees
Demand Quality: Learn From Your Mistakes
Demand Quality: Embrace Food Production With Confidence
Demand Quality: Take Advice From Experts
Cultivate New Customers: Turn Your Most Loyal Customers into Brand Enthusiasts
Cultivate New Customers: Find Cost-Effective Ways to Bring in New Customers
Cultivate New Customers: Seek Out Unique Products
Drive Consumer Success: Use Lifestyle Marketing to Promote Plants
Drive Consumer Success: Host Events to Inspire Your Customers
Drive Consumer Success: Offer Realistic Expectations — Then Exceed Them
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Brian Sparks is senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and editor of Greenhouse Grower Technology. See all author stories here.