Greenhouse Structures and Components Suppliers on Grower Pain Points
June 19, 2025 
Photo: GGS/Bailey Nurseries
Greenhouse manufacturers and component suppliers face many of the same challenges — and opportunities — as growers. From economic pressures to shifting market demands, the forces shaping production also influence those designing and building the structures that support it.
We reached out to members of the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association (NGMA) to get their perspectives on key industry issues — from the impact of tariffs on long-term planning to how supplier partnerships can create added value for growers. Here’s Part 4 covering uncertainty driven by pain points in the industry.
Stay tuned for Parts 5, 6, and 7, and catch up with Parts 1 (Opportunities), 2 (Challenges), and 3 (Energy Costs and Regulations) if you missed them.
Mark Davis, CEO of Atlas Greenhouse: “The biggest pain point is available labor. This continues to be a big issue that must be addressed at the federal level. We as an industry can only continue to develop products that automate processes/tasks to reduce the labor needs and ultimately labor costs for our customers.”
Dave Stoltzfus, President of Advancing Alternatives: “Rising costs are always a concern, and growers are very conscious about cost savings when possible. Rising wages are a big part of that increasing cost, and our focus is to create better automation and monitoring solutions for our customers in the hope that they can focus on other areas of their operations, resulting in cost savings in the long run.”
Argus Controls: “Uncertainty in the market – should they invest? Should they wait? Uncertainty causes all types of retraction.”
Duane Van Alstine, Customer Solutions Manager at GGS Structures: “Growers are often pained by the uncertainty of the market; costs are constantly rising and margins are diminishing, thus making ROI on projects their biggest concern. It’s easy to calculate investment returns if the market remains constant, but growers currently are unsure of what will happen tomorrow, making it impossible to predict the future of the industry.”
Paul Golden, Director of Sales–Commercial Growing at Prospiant: “The biggest pain point seems to be the uncertainty around the purchasing trends of their customers. Some growers tell me the big-ticket products don’t move as easily as they previously did, and the item counts in the carts aren’t as large as in past years. Growers are uncertain whether they should increase production or shift it based on current customer trends.”
John Juhler, Sales Manager at Vostermans Companies: “Frustration that they may not be receiving best applications from some companies, inadequate designs, etc.”
Amanda Debevc, Sales/Marketing Manager at Wadsworth Control Systems: “Labor and energy inputs are the biggest pain points. We can help alleviate these by further automating their facilities to reduce heating, cooling, manual watering, etc.”
Patricia Dean, CEO of Wadsworth Control Systems: “Uncertainty is a recurring theme. Growers frequently cite labor shortages, high energy costs, and the complexity of managing multiple systems. Wadsworth responds by offering user-friendly, integrated controls with remote access and automated alerts, helping growers run their operations more efficiently with fewer resources. We also emphasize service and training to support their long-term success.”
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