January 2025 - 10

HEADLINES/CALENDAR
Garden Center Group Schedules
Garden Retailing Workshop Series
The Garden Center Group has announced details of The
Financial Basics of Garden Retailing Workshop Series for
2025. Now in its 10th season, The Garden Center Group and
RetailKPI Consulting offer this exclusive virtual workshop
series designed for garden center owners and managers to
develop the skills needed to maximize profitability.
This comprehensive seven-session series includes six
online sessions plus one individual session to review
participants' worksheets and data. The workshop
sessions will begin on Jan. 31 and end on Oct. 17 and
will cover more than 24 financial topics and key Group
benchmarking and ratios. At the conclusion of this
series, participants will have a working knowledge of
their three most consequential retail statements.
For more information, visit thegardencentergroup.com.
Bloomin' Easy Releases Gardening App
Bloomin' Easy has introduced Care+, an app designed
to simplify gardening for young homeowners and
beginner gardeners. The app provides users with
personalized care reminders and how-to videos, offering
a straightforward approach to maintaining plants and
ensuring gardening success.
The app includes features such as an augmented reality
tool that allows users to visualize plants in their outdoor
spaces, further enhancing the consumer experience.
To learn more, visit bloomineasyplants.com.
AmericasMart Atlanta Introduces
Outdoor Living Program
AmericasMart Atlanta will debut " Elevate Outdoor -
Designer Experience, " a new daylong program designed to
orient and educate designers on business opportunities
in casual and outdoor furnishings through educational
sessions, interactive events, amenities and exclusive
incentives, on Thursday, Jan. 16, during the Winter
Atlanta Market.
Presented against the backdrop of AmericasMart
Atlanta's five floors and 70-plus showrooms dedicated
to casual and outdoor resources, Elevate Outdoor is
a full-day, five-part program curated for designers to
explore business opportunities in these categories.
This experience includes sessions on affiliate programs,
sustainable fabrics and effective marketing strategies.
For more information, visit casualmarketatlanta.com/events.
Cox Farms Now Largest North
American Greenhouse Operator
Cox Farms, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, has reportedly
become North America's largest greenhouse operator,
10 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | JANUARY 2025
Greg Russo
Brett Cromly
surpassing 700 acres across its Mucci Farms and BrightFarms
brands. The expansion aims to bolster year-round access to
fresh produce for U.S. and Canadian consumers.
Mucci Farms recently acquired Greenhill Produce's
150-acre greenhouse in Ontario, Canada, increasing its
production capacity to supply retailers, wholesalers and food
service providers. This acquisition contributed to doubling
the company's acreage in indoor agriculture in 2024.
Using advanced greenhouse technology, Cox Farms
optimizes year-round growing conditions to enhance flavor
and quality while reducing environmental impacts. Its
facilities produce over 450 million pounds of leafy greens
and vine crops annually, with some products delivered to
stores within 24 hours of harvest.
Monrovia Makes Nursery
Leadership Changes
Monrovia has announced changes in leadership positions
at its nurseries.
Brett Cromly is
now the general
manager of the
Oregon nursery. He
previously led the
company's Georgia
location as general
manager and will
be bringing key
learnings from
his role there to
Monrovia's flagship
nursery.
Cromly began
working for
Monrovia in 2017,
first as an inside
sales representative. He was quickly promoted to regional
sales manager at the Georgia nursery, and then he
became general manager of the nursery in 2021.
Greg Rusow, the
most recent general
manager of the
Oregon nursery,
will be moving
into a new role
as vice president
of production
practices across all
nurseries. During
his long tenure
with Monrovia, he
previously served as
general manager at
all three Monrovia
nurseries.
http://www.thegardencentergroup.com http://www.bloomineasyplants.com http://www.casualmarketatlanta.com/events
January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2025
