What Midwest Groundcovers Learned From Implementing a New ERP System
February 9, 2026 Midwest Groundcovers, LLC, is an industry leader in the propagation, growing, and distribution of container nursery stock, operating more than 700 acres of production facilities across five locations in Illinois and Michigan.
Even so, the company recognized it was time to improve its internal systems. In this conversation, Christopher Plane, Production Manager at Midwest Groundcovers, explains why the company decided to implement a new ERP system, the lessons learned during the process, and how the system is performing so far.
Why It Was Time to Upgrade
Having rack optimization and strong inventory management during peak selling seasons are now essential requirements for an ERP system, according to Chris Plane. | Midwest Groundcovers
Greenhouse Grower: What prompted the decision to upgrade your ERP system, and what were your goals?
Christopher Plane: We had been on our previous ERP system for more than 20 years, and over time it became so heavily customized that it was almost unrecognizable from the original platform. It may have looked the same, but it no longer functioned the same way.
Plus, because our customizations were created by a third-party contractor that was no longer in business, our original ERP company could no longer support our system.
Once we decided it was time for a change, our primary goal was to minimize customization and move to a system that would be more sustainable and easier to support over the long term.
Setting Goals and Expectations
GG: What were some of the key tactics or challenges you were hoping to address when you added the system?
Plane: We wanted a modern system where upgrades would be seamless. Previously, all our production planning was done in Excel, so we were looking for a system that allowed us to move production planning into an ERP without having to start from scratch rebuilding some of the areas we had built into our own system.
Most people I talk to in the horticulture industry who have ERP systems have worked with a consultant on a Lean program implementation, so making sure that was already built into the system was important to us, especially for our shipping processes. Having rack optimization and strong inventory management during peak selling seasons are now essential requirements for an ERP system.
We also wanted to be in the Microsoft ecosystem, which was something we valued.
Lessons From Implementation
GG: As you went through the process, what were the biggest lessons you learned along the way?
Plane: We knew early on that our partnership with the vendor would be critical when deciding which ERP system to move forward with. In hindsight, I’m glad we made that a priority, because our partnership with Velosio ultimately made the implementation successful. We committed to meeting the timelines they set, and we invested the time and energy needed to work with them.
Another major lesson was realizing that no matter how prepared we thought we were, there was always more work to be done. Projects like this make it easy to push tasks aside because they can feel endless, so we treated the implementation as an all-encompassing priority across the company. There were trade-offs and some internal priorities that we de-prioritized as a result, but we worked to rally the team, and they rose to the occasion without hesitation.
We also learned the importance of structure and communication. We assembled a core team of representatives from each major area of the business and brought in an internal project manager who was both highly organized and well respected across departments. From there, we built teams of subject matter experts in every area and maintained consistent communication throughout the entire process.
Early Results and What’s Next
The soft launch of Midwest Groundcovers’ new ERP system last fall helped it make the necessary adjustments before spring hits. | Midwest Groundcovers
GG: How has the new ERP system performed so far? What results have you seen?
Plane: We were very intentional about doing a soft launch in August so we could use it as a stress test. Our fall season is a lighter peak for us, which made it the right time to introduce the system. It was a little bumpy, as expected, but far less so than we anticipated.
Our intention with launching in August was to do two things: Learn the system and flesh out our processes, and come up with a list of tweaks that we would need to make before the coming spring. We have since launched a Phase 2 implementation, and I think we’re going to be set for spring. I’m very optimistic about that.
There are still some production planning functions that are not quite where we want them to be yet, but we’re working with Velosio to finalize those enhancements. They’ve continued to be great partners, and we’ve used what we learned during the fall trial run to implement ongoing training across all departments through this winter. That has helped ensure everyone is prepared for the new processes and SOPs as we head into spring.
One of the most encouraging signs has come from inside our sales team, which works directly with customers and has had some of the biggest adjustments to make. Our Vice President of Sales and Marketing recently met with that group, and they shared how happy they are with the new system. Seeing their enthusiasm has been one of the strongest indicators of success for me.
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