Garden centers transform themselves into destinations for fall and Christmas The months leading up to December can lead to a slowdown in business at many garden centers, as gardening activity decreases. But some retailers have made these months quite profitable, and without going too far off mission, if at all. After all, nurseries and garden […]
Moves to make while the economy is still good
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Market fluctuations and shifting consumer trends can create economic complications for businesses across industries. However, even though an economic downturn may be looming, the nursery industry’s current strength provides a sturdy foundation for making informed business decisions that could position companies for stability and growth, regardless of outside influences. Following are three steps your nursery […]
Growing at the right pace
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Marred by the recession, nursery growers are evolving along with the industry Over the past few years, Minnesota-headquartered Bailey Nurseries worked on breeding a new addition to its Endless Summer® brand of hydrangeas. Called Summer Crush®, the plant erupts in raspberry red or neon purple flowers, hues that are much bolder than the standard […]
When a buyer comes knocking
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Steps to take if you receive an unsolicited offer to purchase your business Mergers and acquisitions are commonplace these days, buoyed by strong industry interest and performance, availability of capital, and low interest rates. In this world, it is not uncommon for nursery owners to receive unsolicited offers to purchase their company. These can come […]
Building your Lean team
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These analytical tools can help nurseries reach the next level of efficiency Last May, Digger presented the Efficiency Issue. We examined ways in which Oregon nurseries are making their operations more efficient, and we showed examples. Each nursery is unique. Our goal was to show off the ingenuity of some growers and inspire others to […]
Identifying value and waste
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The key is in knowing what the customer is actually willing to pay for The central concept of Lean is to identify process steps that add value and those that are wasteful, eliminating the latter to become more efficient. It sounds simple but isn’t. Rick and Elizabeth Peters own a Wilsonville, Oregon-based Lean consulting firm, […]
Creating ‘standard work’
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Finding and reinforcing best work flows helps nurseries run a tighter ship Walk into JLPN Inc., a seeding operation and nursery in Salem, Oregon, and even if you’re not familiar with how to harvest or grade container seedlings, you’d soon be doing it like an experienced hand. How? Simply by looking at the laminated diagrams […]
Organizing spaces with 5S
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The 5S methodology for storage and arrangement makes waste reduction far easier Many nurseries deploying Lean to make their processes less wasteful have found that organizing work spaces is a crucial part of their approach. To do this, they are deploying a Lean methodology called “5S.” The letters stand for 1) sort, 2) set in […]
Keeping things moving
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The Lean concept of continuous flow delivers big for Oregon’s nurseries Twenty people to five. A quarter-mile span to 20 feet. One week to 20 minutes. What do these all have in common? They are all some of the head-scratching efficiencies that individual nurseries across Oregon have realized since they’ve implemented one key Lean concept […]
Social networking tips for garden center businesses
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More than three-quarters of Internet users over the age of 15 use at least one social media site, and the more social media sites and apps there are, the more your customers will be expecting to be able to find and engage with you online. If they can’t find your business on Facebook, Twitter or […]
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