Big Grower March 2019 - 8

MANAGEMENT
Working to
ADVANCE
the Industry
Are you looking for ways to improve the strength of your team ... and your company this season?
Be sure to take advantage of the different initiatives that are available.
BY MARY BETH COWARDIN
I
t's always fun to start a new season.
If you're a baseball fan that includes the
anticipation of spring training and your
favorite team still being " undefeated " with a sure
path to the World Series.
AmericanHort is gearing up for the 2019 season
and our own World Series - Cultivate'19 - to
help advance the horticulture industry.
We also are working on several other
programs designed to improve the business
environment for the success of our members
and the industry. Helping you and your business
" Perform Better, Grow Faster and Prepare for the
Future " is our focus.
A VOICE THAT IS HEARD
Our advocacy team works diligently
to improve labor, transportation and the
regulatory environment to make it easier to
run your business. AmericanHort is proud to
be a voice for the horticulture industry and
encourage you to speak up as our collective
voices are louder together.
We offer an easy tool available to our
AmericanHort and Lighthouse members called
Voter Voice. With one click of a button you
can send messages to elected officials on the
important issues of the day.
We send you an alert when the need to speak
up arises and you receive a sample message to
send to lawmakers in Washington, D.C. This
is an easy way for you to share your stance on
8 MARCH 2019 * BIGGROWER.COM
issues in a timely manner. While our Advocacy
team is a constant presence on Capitol Hill, your
efforts to contact your representatives on key
issues makes our voice more compelling.
Want to share your voice not just virtually,
but also in person? Consider attending our
legislative conference - Impact Washington
Summit - taking place Sept. 16-18, in
Washington, D.C. We are proud of the important
progress our Advocacy and Research team
is making on key issues. This gathering
will educate industry business leaders on
the latest legislative and regulatory issues
impacting horticulture and will create the
opportunity for you to meet with lawmakers
face to face to share our position. Learn more at
AmericanHort.org/Impact.
LEARNING AND SHARING
Having access to the latest industry
information is crucial when it comes to
performing at your highest level. We are excited
about our latest Industry Insider Report: Garden
Retail Profitability. This four-part video series by
Steve Bailey, an expert on using financial and
operations data to help improve profitability,
discusses income statements, profit margin,
pricing, inventory management, and return on
investment metrics.
To complete the series, a virtual panel
discussion with garden center owners shares
how using these financial tools helped them
operate better. While focused on garden center
retail operations, these videos can benefit all
green industry businesses. You can view them at
AmericanHort.org/InsiderGarden.
Long known as the largest all-industry venue
for conducting business, Cultivate'19 continues
to be the place to gather and learn. Marking its
90th year, Cultivate'19 will take place July 13-16,
in Columbus, Ohio. Cultivate'19 will include
cutting-edge industry tours to share industry
best practices, host nearly 150 educational
sessions to provide current information on
industry trends and business practices that will
help businesses grow faster.
In cooperation with the AmericanHort
Community Connector groups, we work hard to
bring interesting new tours and workshops to
Cultivate. Two new events include:
During this year's Research and Innovation
Tour, Scotts Miracle-Gro will host a tour of their
research facilities where you can learn about the
benefits of compost for consumer gardening and
large- scale production and how to use organic
fertilizers. In addition to getting an overview
of how this the company ensures best-in-class
performance of the SMG portfolio of retail lawn,
garden and control products, the tour will also
focus on indoor gardening innovations for home
gardeners to grow fresh herbs and vegetables
year-round with hydroponics.
In the Creating a Modern Garden Center
Workshop, participants will learn how to make a

http://www.AmericanHort.org/InsiderGarden http://www.AmericanHort.org/Impact http://www.BIGGROWER.COM

Big Grower March 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Grower March 2019