Growers Share Success Stories in Cultivate Panels

The first day of Cultivate’26 included several panel discussions featuring greenhouse and nursery growers from across the industry sharing some of their success stories in two sometimes challenging areas: automation implementation and succession planning. While those two topics may not seem related, they each require a high level of planning, honest evaluation of your processes, and buy-in from your team.

We will have more in-depth stories on each of these discussions in the days to come, but here are some of the takeaways that stood out to me.

• During the automation discussion, Joseph Capps, Operations Manager at Worthington Farms, said that rather trying to explain the benefits of automation to his team himself, he asks them to visit with and talk to their peers at other companies – especially those in similar positions – who have used that type of technology. “Hearing it from someone who’s gone through the same transition makes them feel more comfortable than if I tried to do it myself.”
• Setting your expectations on return on investment is important, and sometimes that means moving away from something shiny but expensive to a simpler option. “There are a lot of smaller pieces of equipment than can make a big difference,” said Mike Miller, General Manager of Decker’s Nursery.
• During a panel on success stories in succession planning, it was interesting that all panelists involved grew up in the family business, left for college or another career not expecting to return, but found their way back. “That was an important experience, and now we’ve told the next generation that they must go and work somewhere else for at least three years before they come back to us,” said Robert Saunders, CEO of Saunders Brothers Inc. What’s more, they’re not guaranteed a position. “They have to interview for the job like anyone else, and they have to earn it.”
• One of the key differences in the way the next-gen business owners in the succession planning discussion run their companies compared to the previous generation is they are less hands on. “I try to be more collaborative and manage the company at a higher level,” said Jeremy Deppe, General Manager of Spring Meadow Nursery.