Taking a Leadership Position
By Marvin N. Miller, AIB Past President
Over the years of my involvement with America in Bloom, I have asked many other horticulture industry professionals to get involved with the organization and have, in turn, been asked why they should get involved. While I sometimes want to answer, “I think business is about making money,” I usually redirect the approach and say, “It’s about taking a leadership position.” Indeed, in my mind, in this case, the two answers go hand-in-hand.
Customers, whether they be other businesses in a business-to-business relationship (B-to-B) or consumers in a business-to-consumer (B-to-C) situation, like to direct their patronage to the businesses they view as successful leaders in their fields. It’s human nature to want not only a reputable supplier but also the best. As a result of people wanting to associate with the leading firms, these businesses gain a larger customer base and, if they are well-run, they ultimately make more money.
In America in Bloom’s case, I can easily site three examples where leadership by already-successful companies has resulted in those firms becoming even more successful. These examples include a 100-year old, multi-generational firm that realized significant gains in its customer base due to its AIB involvement, a firm that had an 8% sales increase during the depth of the “Great Recession,” and thirdly, a group of businesses that all prospered during their collective efforts in helping their community with its AIB efforts. In all of these examples, not only did the firms experience a boon to their bottom lines, but their communities and fellow citizens benefitted greatly.
An east coast nursery, landscaping, and garden center firm was celebrating its 100th year in business. Father and son were working alongside each other just as the father’s father and grandfather had done before them. They decided to sponsor their town’s America in Bloom efforts by paying the registration fee but also by modestly getting involved with the beautification efforts. Though spring was already busy enough, they figured they could always use more sales to help yield even better returns for the seasonal help they employed. They also viewed the opportunity as one in which they would be recognized for their leadership in a way that would help them stand out in what had become a more crowded business and competitive environment. They actively promoted the fact that they were the sponsors of the city’s enrollment in the AIB Awards Program. Finally, they even offered customers discounts if they mentioned they were buying plants from the garden center to help beautify their own yards for the city-wide America in Bloom effort.
Throughout the spring sales peak, they were busier than ever, but what surprised them most was the number of times consumers came in and reported they had never been aware of the business until they had seen or heard about the firm’s AIB sponsorship. Consumers reported they had decided to investigate where the business was located and what it was all about. Ultimately, they reported surprise because of the age of their business, but they honestly felt their America in Bloom involvement helped their outreach into the community and made many more consumers aware of their location and the products and services they could provide.
A greenhouse firm in the south-central part of the country had always sponsored the hanging baskets down the main street through their small hometown. Their sponsorship not only involved the production of the oversized baskets, but it also included placing them along the telephone poles and regular watering and fertilizing of the baskets throughout the growing season. As cooler temperatures became the norm, they even took responsibility for collecting the spent baskets each fall.
The mostly wholesale operation, which ships bedding plants to other independent garden centers throughout a 10-state region, also ran its own retail garden center about 10 miles from its production location in a neighboring state. One year, they decided to sponsor the AIB registration fee for the town where their retail store was located, and they asked their garden center manager to help organize a beautification committee for the town. Though some viewed their efforts as a bit self-serving, they challenged this as being about leadership in helping to accomplish something in which they truly believed, i.e., that flowers, trees, shrubs and other plants can truly make a difference in a community! That first year, they decided to extend the complimentary hanging basket program they had operated in the community where they produced to the town where they had their retail location, as a more visible gesture of their commitment. People were impressed, to say the least, and others joined the beautification committee with time, money and commitment.
Over the first several years, beautification efforts continued, but the town only participated in AIB’s Awards Program periodically. After a few years of this on-again- off-again approach, the garden center manager noticed a pattern. Sales during the springs when the town was participating in the National Awards Program averaged 8% higher at the garden center than they did in the “off” years. That’s when it was decided they would be a perpetual participant in the program.
The greenhouse business also realized another gain from this America in Bloom experience: a number of neighboring towns have decided to get involved with beautification as well. The greenhouse firm now sells hanging basket programs to at least eight communities, one 70 miles away. And many of these cities have subsequently enrolled in America in Bloom’s National Awards Program, as well.
Finally, the firm reports that even more communities in the area seem to be sprucing up, indicating that more plants are being sold, even to communities not necessarily enrolled in AIB’s program. The firm reports that once a certain Main Street cleans up, it forces the Main Streets in other towns to do the same, just to stay competitive. The end result, according to this greenhouse firm, is the industry is growing, as is their business!
A number of years ago, a wholesale-only greenhouse grower in the Northeast called the owners of all of the other horticultural businesses in the area, inviting them to “a meeting of horticultural businesses” in their greenhouse conference room. In all, 14 businesses attended: the greenhouse, a wholesale nursery, a retail nursery & garden center, two arborists, several landscapers and even a florist. Most of the business owners reported never having met the majority of the others in the room. The question on the table was could they work collectively to help their small town beautify and prosper. They all agreed to help.
The first year they caught the attention of local townspeople. The second year, they entered the National Awards Program of America in Bloom. Now, over 10 years later, all of these firms are still in business, having weathered the recession, but they have also each grown their individual businesses. They continue to meet every winter to discuss what additional steps they might take to help beautify their town. The town has even entered and won, for its population category, the Communities in Bloom’s International Challenge. One more thing: the owners of these cooperating businesses have become the best of friends in the process.
I hope these examples inspire a few more industry professionals to take a leadership position in their communities. In turn, perhaps, these stories also offer some motivation for local committees to reach out to the horticultural businesses in their communities for help with the AIB efforts. It’s not too late to sign up for this year, though the February 28 deadline is fast approaching. For details on how to get involved, visit the America in Bloom website.
Over the years of my involvement with America in Bloom, I have asked many other horticulture industry professionals to get involved with the organization and have, in turn, been asked why they should get involved. While I sometimes want to answer, “I think business is about making money,” I usually redirect the approach and say, “It’s about taking a leadership position.” Indeed, in my mind, in this case, the two answers go hand-in-hand.
Customers, whether they be other businesses in a business-to-business relationship (B-to-B) or consumers in a business-to-consumer (B-to-C) situation, like to direct their patronage to the businesses they view as successful leaders in their fields. It’s human nature to want not only a reputable supplier but also the best. As a result of people wanting to associate with the leading firms, these businesses gain a larger customer base and, if they are well-run, they ultimately make more money.
In America in Bloom’s case, I can easily site three examples where leadership by already-successful companies has resulted in those firms becoming even more successful. These examples include a 100-year old, multi-generational firm that realized significant gains in its customer base due to its AIB involvement, a firm that had an 8% sales increase during the depth of the “Great Recession,” and thirdly, a group of businesses that all prospered during their collective efforts in helping their community with its AIB efforts. In all of these examples, not only did the firms experience a boon to their bottom lines, but their communities and fellow citizens benefitted greatly.
An east coast nursery, landscaping, and garden center firm was celebrating its 100th year in business. Father and son were working alongside each other just as the father’s father and grandfather had done before them. They decided to sponsor their town’s America in Bloom efforts by paying the registration fee but also by modestly getting involved with the beautification efforts. Though spring was already busy enough, they figured they could always use more sales to help yield even better returns for the seasonal help they employed. They also viewed the opportunity as one in which they would be recognized for their leadership in a way that would help them stand out in what had become a more crowded business and competitive environment. They actively promoted the fact that they were the sponsors of the city’s enrollment in the AIB Awards Program. Finally, they even offered customers discounts if they mentioned they were buying plants from the garden center to help beautify their own yards for the city-wide America in Bloom effort.
Throughout the spring sales peak, they were busier than ever, but what surprised them most was the number of times consumers came in and reported they had never been aware of the business until they had seen or heard about the firm’s AIB sponsorship. Consumers reported they had decided to investigate where the business was located and what it was all about. Ultimately, they reported surprise because of the age of their business, but they honestly felt their America in Bloom involvement helped their outreach into the community and made many more consumers aware of their location and the products and services they could provide.
A greenhouse firm in the south-central part of the country had always sponsored the hanging baskets down the main street through their small hometown. Their sponsorship not only involved the production of the oversized baskets, but it also included placing them along the telephone poles and regular watering and fertilizing of the baskets throughout the growing season. As cooler temperatures became the norm, they even took responsibility for collecting the spent baskets each fall.
The mostly wholesale operation, which ships bedding plants to other independent garden centers throughout a 10-state region, also ran its own retail garden center about 10 miles from its production location in a neighboring state. One year, they decided to sponsor the AIB registration fee for the town where their retail store was located, and they asked their garden center manager to help organize a beautification committee for the town. Though some viewed their efforts as a bit self-serving, they challenged this as being about leadership in helping to accomplish something in which they truly believed, i.e., that flowers, trees, shrubs and other plants can truly make a difference in a community! That first year, they decided to extend the complimentary hanging basket program they had operated in the community where they produced to the town where they had their retail location, as a more visible gesture of their commitment. People were impressed, to say the least, and others joined the beautification committee with time, money and commitment.
Over the first several years, beautification efforts continued, but the town only participated in AIB’s Awards Program periodically. After a few years of this on-again- off-again approach, the garden center manager noticed a pattern. Sales during the springs when the town was participating in the National Awards Program averaged 8% higher at the garden center than they did in the “off” years. That’s when it was decided they would be a perpetual participant in the program.
The greenhouse business also realized another gain from this America in Bloom experience: a number of neighboring towns have decided to get involved with beautification as well. The greenhouse firm now sells hanging basket programs to at least eight communities, one 70 miles away. And many of these cities have subsequently enrolled in America in Bloom’s National Awards Program, as well.
Finally, the firm reports that even more communities in the area seem to be sprucing up, indicating that more plants are being sold, even to communities not necessarily enrolled in AIB’s program. The firm reports that once a certain Main Street cleans up, it forces the Main Streets in other towns to do the same, just to stay competitive. The end result, according to this greenhouse firm, is the industry is growing, as is their business!
A number of years ago, a wholesale-only greenhouse grower in the Northeast called the owners of all of the other horticultural businesses in the area, inviting them to “a meeting of horticultural businesses” in their greenhouse conference room. In all, 14 businesses attended: the greenhouse, a wholesale nursery, a retail nursery & garden center, two arborists, several landscapers and even a florist. Most of the business owners reported never having met the majority of the others in the room. The question on the table was could they work collectively to help their small town beautify and prosper. They all agreed to help.
The first year they caught the attention of local townspeople. The second year, they entered the National Awards Program of America in Bloom. Now, over 10 years later, all of these firms are still in business, having weathered the recession, but they have also each grown their individual businesses. They continue to meet every winter to discuss what additional steps they might take to help beautify their town. The town has even entered and won, for its population category, the Communities in Bloom’s International Challenge. One more thing: the owners of these cooperating businesses have become the best of friends in the process.
I hope these examples inspire a few more industry professionals to take a leadership position in their communities. In turn, perhaps, these stories also offer some motivation for local committees to reach out to the horticultural businesses in their communities for help with the AIB efforts. It’s not too late to sign up for this year, though the February 28 deadline is fast approaching. For details on how to get involved, visit the America in Bloom website.
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