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Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

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The importance of being customer oriented

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With 2022 ending and a new year approaching, it seems like a good time to discuss independent garden centers and what customers want and expect from them. All businesses strive to be better, or if they don’t, they probably won’t survive. At one time, garden centers had almost a captive audience of customers wanting to […]

Nurseries remain Oregon’s top ag commodity

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Nursery and greenhouse products remained Oregon’s top agricultural commodity for 2019, according to new statistics released by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The agency estimated $955 million in nursery and greenhouse sales for the year, down from the 2018 estimate of $996 million. “Nursery sales continue to be strong,” OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone said. […]

Preventing fraud at your business

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Recently there have been a few high-profile embezzlement cases at nurseries. Just in Oregon, almost $5 million was stolen from two nurseries. Any industry can be impacted by embezzlement and fraud. Fraudsters generally don’t target a specific industry. They end up seeing an opportunity where they work. The best way to stop an embezzlement is […]

Mastering the merge

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Nurseries share the benefits of integrating wholesale and retail in one operation It was 38 years ago and Grace Dinsdale had just launched Blooming Nursery, a wholesale nursery in Cornelius, Oregon; just west of Hillsboro. Her goal from the get-go had been to operate as a wholesale nursery that could supply the industry with a […]

Protections for your selections

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Breeders and growers looking to protect their work have several available options There are a multitude of options for intellectual property (IP) protection for plants and plant-based inventions in the United States. A well-honed IP strategy can result in innovation and growth for just about any nursery stock producer, retailer, landscaper and related companies serving […]

Proper credit

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Nurseries need to play it safe when it comes to setting payment terms In 2006, about six years after he founded JLPN Inc., a nursery seeding operation in Salem, John Lewis had finally reached a point where he was ready to begin operating on cash. Up until then, the business had been run largely on […]

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 […]