Marketplace News

Spring Meadow Nursery joins American Beauties program
Spring Meadow Nursery has become a supplier partner of American Beauties Native Plants to offer native shrub liners to finish growers and grower-retailers nationwide. The Garden Plot, a blog by the Garden Media Group, reported that Spring Meadow will offer more than 30 varieties of native shrubs under the American Beauties brand. According to Spring Meadow Nursery general manager Jeremy Deppe, the demand for native plants is on the rise as U.S. gardeners and homeowners strive to attract wildlife by providing sources for food and shelter. A portion of the sale of the plants will support the National Wildlife Federation (see related story here).

Tri-B Nursery takes over former Imperial Nurseries facility in Florida
Griffin Land & Nurseries Inc. announced that its landscape nursery business, Imperial Nurseries Inc., entered into an agreement for the lease of, and grant of an option to purchase, Imperial’s Quincy, Fla., production nursery to Tri-B Nursery Inc., a member of the Berry family of nurseries. The agreement with Tri-B Nursery provides for a six-year lease of the Florida facility and grants Tri-B Nursery an option to purchase the facility at any time during the lease period at a price that has been agreed upon. Imperial had previously announced the closing of its Florida production facility. Imperial’s nursery operations in Granby, Conn., are not affected by this transaction, and Imperial expects to continue to operate its Connecticut farm.

Netherland Bulb Co., Organica Technologies named top garden suppliers
ECGC Distributors Ltd. named Netherland Bulb Company and Organica Technologies LLC the winners of the second annual Award of Excellence, Garden Supply. This award recognizes the premiere garden supply vendors in the United States for distinctive product and service in 2008. Netherland Bulb Co. specializes in flower bulbs, bare-root perennials and plugs. Organica Technologies provides environmentally friendly products for homes and gardens.


Who's News?

New positions
Rick Vulgamott to national director of sales, John Henry, Lansing, Mich.

Associations
American Nursery & Landscape Association elected new leaders at its annual meeting in July. Bob Lyons, Sunleaf Nursery, Madison, Ohio, was named president-elect of the board of directors. Joseph Schulte, Southwood Landscape & Nursery Co., Tulsa, Okla., and Tom Demaline, Willoway Nurseries, Avon, Ohio, were elected to serve on the board of directors. The following members were elected to ANLA’s division boards: Philip Statile, Eric Joy, Christian Dulina, Tracey Sides, Larry Becker, Jon Bartch, Mark Sellew.

Honors
Superthrive originator Dr. John A.A. Thomson received the Lifetime Environmental Awareness Award on behalf of Sustainable Environmental Education.

Gordon Hobbs, former president and owner of C.M. Hobbs and Sons, was inducted into American Nursery & Landscape Association’s Hall of Fame.