Market Buzz

AmericanHort concerned about proposed overtime rule

WASHINGTON, D.C./COLUMBUS, OH — AmericanHort, along with the Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO), submitted comments in September to the U.S. Department of Labor regarding the proposed rule known as “Defining and Delimiting the Exemption for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees.” The proposal changes the criteria for the executive, administrative, professional, outside sales and computer employee exemptions from the overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to a press release from AmericanHort. 

Under its “white collar” overtime exemptions, DOL proposes raising the minimum salary threshold to $970 per week ($50,440 annually); and, increasing this minimum salary on an annual basis by pegging it to the 40th percentile wage under the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics database or by indexing it to inflation for urban goods and services, in order to establish a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels going forward. The DOL is not proposing any changes to the standard duties tests at this time.

AmericanHort and coalition partners expressed serious concerns if the proposed rule were to become law. First, the proposed annual salary minimum for an executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees (known as the “white collar” or “EAP” exemptions) is more than double the current level. According to Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort senior vice president for industry advocacy and research, “It is also unusual and extremely disruptive for government to impose significant increases in a one-step approach rather than as a multi-year phase-in.”

Second, the average salary in many rural areas and small towns outside of major metropolitan areas and in certain lower-wage regions of the country is substantially lower than the national average. The proposed EAP minimum will mean that many, possibly most, current salaried managers and supervisors in many industries and many parts of the country may revert from being salaried employees to hourly employees. “This may seem advantageous to employees at first glance; however, the result in many cases will be that although these employees may well see their paychecks increase substantially during the season, they will see substantial decreases during slower times and off-season as they will now be paid only for hours worked,” said Regelbrugge.

The National Retail Federation estimates that full-time employees will quickly decline 38 percent the first year and the decline could reach 92 percent over the 5 years of the implementation of the proposed rule. Employers will try to reduce costs by reducing workers’ hours or hiring more part-time workers. Employers could face increases in labor and administrative costs, leading to higher prices for goods and services.

“AmericanHort and its allies are committed to seeking a more balanced outcome for our members and their employees,” said Michael Geary, former AmericanHort president and CEO, whose resignation was official October 1. “Therefore, AmericanHort and the PPWO asked the Administration to withdraw its proposal.”
 

AmericanHort to represent U.S. in International Garden Centre Association

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) recently selected AmericanHort to be the U.S. representative to the association. The IGCA is an independent nonprofit organization that supports national garden center associations and their members by providing forums to promote business and networking opportunities, including an annual Congress and study tour. (Read about the 2015 tour on page 18.)

The IGCA was organized in 1968 at a joint Conference in Oxford, England, of the Horticultural Trade Association and the British Group of Garden Centres. The annual congress often sees more than 200 delegates from up to 20 different countries, and includes a study tour with a strong learning focus for emerging professionals, according to the IGCA.
 

Learning better business from ‘The Profit’

By Conner Howard

Leveraging years of experience investing in and transforming failing businesses, corporate consultant and television personality Marcus Lemonis, host of NBC’s “The Profit,” brought his expertise to the horticulture field with a keynote presentation during the second day of the IGC Show in Chicago.

Lemonis encouraged attendees to reinvent both their own lives and their businesses as needed, while staying true to themselves.

“It’s hard to open a business,” Lemonis said. “It’s hard to take the risk. In that process, between the time that you started and today, you’ve reinvented your business philosophy, your story, your store layout, your employees, the way your deal with your customers.”

As central points of his presentation, Lemonis focused on three core components of any successful business: people, product and process. He told the crowd that people — the employees — should come first, even before customers.

“My business philosophy in life, not just in business, is really centered around people,” Lemonis said.

When it comes to an IGC’s product, Lemonis recommends comprehensive knowledge of what is being marketed and sold to customers.

Process, or the way a product is designed, procured and handled, is also a crucial step in Lemonis’ business approach.

To read the full story, visit our website at bit.ly/1E8dcdz

For more coverage of the 2015 IGC Show, follow these links on our website:

• bit.ly/1hOpSMs
• bit.ly/1EEWsWb
   

Syngenta to sell vegetable seed business

Syngenta is planning to divest its vegetable seed business, according to a press release the company sent Sept. 3.

This move comes after Syngenta announced plans to divest its flower seed business in August.

The company also noted its intention to return capital to shareholders through a share repurchase program. The initial program of more than $2 billion will commence in the coming weeks. This will be in addition to the company’s progressive dividend policy.

“The Board and management are determined to accelerate shareholder value creation and our actions today underpin our commitment to do so. Our commitment is shown by the significant capital return program that we announced today,” said Michel Demaré, chairman.

Mike Mack, chief executive officer, added, “By demonstrating and unlocking the inherent worth of our leading global seeds portfolio, we can create significant additional value. I look forward to updating shareholders in the coming months on progress.”
 

Farwest Show 2015 reports increased attendance

More than 6,000 nursery industry professionals turned out for the three-day 2015 Farwest Show in Portland, Ore., a 10 percent jump from 2014 attendance figures.

The “far from ordinary” trade expo also featured 40 new exhibitors, according to a press release from the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

Farwest took place Aug. 27-29, 2015 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. The show, founded in 1973, is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), which represents Oregon’s $830 million nursery industry.

This year’s show included the debut of the Solution Center for Growers, featuring 28 mini-seminars on the show floor. It also featured an increased presence of retail goods; seminars with industry experts; nursery and retailer tours; networking events such as the Farwest Pub Crawl; and, earlier in the week, the International Trials Conference, which brought plant breeders from all over the world to Portland to discuss trialing standards and to network.

Farwest 2015 featured a free keynote presentation by globally known customer service expert Ron Rosenberg. Other experts also appeared, including Dr. Allan Armitage, Anne Obarski, Lloyd Traven and many others. They shared new ways the green industry can anticipate and meet evolving customer needs and capitalize on the market opportunities of the future.