Presenting the 2023 Operation of the Year Finalists
June 27, 2023 
Plantpeddler, Cresco, IA
The two words that most accurately reflect the Plantpeddler vision are “family” and “care.” The company’s family-first mindset extends to the entire team, and Plantpeddler’s care for its customers, partners, products, and each other helps drive the team to make decisions that are in the best interest for everyone.
Plantpeddler prides itself on being an early adopter of technology, from robotics to digital inventory management. Its role as a young plant producer helps it stay on top of new trends and early varieties.
Plantpeddler is a business first, sales driven, for-profit company. These factors drive production, growth, and expansion. The company is fortunate to have a CPA on staff as its CFO, which allows Plantpeddler to make sound business decisions based on financial facts versus gut instincts.
One of Plantpeddler’s greatest strengths is its leadership role in the industry. Mike Gooder helps guide the direction of AmericanHort, and the company is a strong advocate for the horticulture industry, whether it’s through hosting state and federal lawmakers for on-farm tours, or by educating other growers on how and why to advocate for the industry.
Quality Greenhouses, Dillsburg, PA
Quality Greenhouses grows a wide range of annuals, perennials, shrubs, succulents, veggies, herbs, and foliage plants, making it a “one-stop shop” for garden centers. The growers at Quality Greenhouses have a “tremendous amount of freedom” to experiment and try new crops, and several recent introductions were suggested and implemented from within.
During the past few years, the Quality Greenhouses team has put significant effort into making sure that its pricing is correct so it can accurately account for increases in the cost of all inputs. The company also takes a cautious approach to automation and intentionally avoids implementing too much technology, so its growers can spend time every day with their crops, rather than relying on an app.
About half of Quality Greenhouses’ full-time employees have been with the company for more than 10 years, and they do an excellent job of passing core values on to newer staff members. The team is also full of self-professed “plant geeks” who travel to industry events and visit with customers in the off-season so as to build relationships and keep up with the latest industry trends so they can respond accordingly.
Young’s Plant Farm, Auburn, AL
Young’s Plant Farm works diligently to stay on top of market changes, recruit team members with new skills, and build robust data systems that the team can easily access. In an industry abundant with knowledge, the goal at Young’ Plant Farm is to make that knowledge available to everyone.
The company embraces automation in all its processes, from soil rooms and transplanting to watering systems. This automation focus extends to an ERP system that smooths the flow within the supply chain, allows for standardized grow parameters, and helps the company scale efficiently and consistently.
With today’s margin for error when performing financial evaluation thinner than ever, sustainability at Young’s Plant Farm doesn’t mean finding a one-time cost to cut. It means refining processes that can be repeated daily. Young’s Plant Farm makes sure its facilities are maintained at a quality level for the greatest efficiency. Management challenges every team member to refine their processes, make improvements, and contribute in their respective areas.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
