The intentional, strategic use of space can determine how efficiently a greenhouse functions and how profitable it is Nursery operators tend to fill greenhouses to capacity, so that enough product is available when sales come knocking. But according to Rick and Elizabeth Peters of Lean consultants The Peters Company (Wilsonville, Oregon), a packed greenhouse at […]
Making every drop count
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Using water efficiently in the greenhouse One of the most vital elements for growing plants is becoming more and more scarce. With agriculture, municipalities, and environmental communities competing over limited water supplies, growers have every reason to use it deliberately and efficiently. Greenhouse growers have several options to consider that could help them do that, […]
The changing employment law rulebook
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Oregon employers face new regulations, and it’s not just about COVID-19 Although it may not seem like it, not everything over the past year was related to COVID-19. In 2021, the Oregon legislature and state agencies were also busy focusing on employee rights and workplace protections, enacting significant legislation and regulations directly impacting employers. As […]
Now hiring — hopefully
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The lingering pandemic finds nurseries getting creative to fill vacancies Jonathan Pedersen, chief executive officer (CEO) and president at Monrovia Nursery Co. (Azusa, California), has watched as the labor market in the nursery industry has changed over the years. But this summer, with the global pandemic still overshadowing everyday life, vaccine mandates throwing in wrenches […]
Competing for key personnel
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Nurseries dangle remote work, added benefits and work-life flexibility to attract top talent The nursery industry has struggled with labor shortages for years. It started with field, farm, and greenhouse workers, and more recently has grown to include the key roles of propagators, growers, sales representatives, and managers. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, horticulture and […]
Keeping drivers in the loop
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Communication is key to treating truckers well during driver shortage Jackie Weisenberger of Oregon Pride Nurseries Inc. rarely hears that a driver has backed out of picking up a load from her McMinnville nursery. “Earlier this spring, we had that happen, but that was happening everywhere,” she said. “As things died down, as we got […]
Keep on trucking
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The booming nursery industry has put big demands on the shipping sector About a year ago, Gary “Bert” Bertelson was lamenting a lost summer. Before last year, Bertelson, head of nursery over-the-road sales for Wilsonville shipping broker Integrity Logistics, would take a month off every summer during the seasonal slowdown of the nursery shipping business. […]
Uncharted territory
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Providing leadership through turbulent changes is a challenge The COVID-19 pandemic has affected each of us differently, but one thing we can all agree on is that business as we knew it has forever changed. As leaders, we must be flexible to these changes. Does your leadership style allow for that? Are your skills keeping […]
A billion-dollar bounty
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Several factors explain Oregon’s robust plant sales figures, particularly in woody material When Rich Bailey of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. in Boring, Oregon, relocated to Oregon from Chicago several years back, he was struck by the wide diversity of plant materials produced by Oregon nurseries. “This state grows so many different types of […]
Springing forward
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COVID-19 has meant two banner years for nurseries, but the future’s a little foggy Over the decades, Grace Dinsdale’s Blooming Nursery has enjoyed a fairly steady path of gradual growth. The past few years, the Cornelius-based wholesale nursery has seen solid sales increases, often between 5% and 10% each year. For Dinsdale, who founded Blooming […]
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