The 2009 OFA Short Course Offers Garden Center Experience
Gardeners are always looking for the latest and greatest, so finding sources for new ideas is paramount for anyone in garden retailing. During the Retail Experience: Garden Center Tour at the 2009 OFA Short Course, attendees will visit four diverse garden centers in the Dayton, Ohio, area that incorporate trends, cater to customers and implement new products. The stops on this year’s tour include :
Delhi Flower & Garden Center, Liberty Township: In November 2008, Delhi Flower & Garden Center, the retail division of Krueger Maddux Greenhouses, opened its newest location. Built from the ground up, this 45,900-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility was designed by the Maddux family in conjunction with an architectural firm and a team of key employees. The new garden center is designed to service customers better with the best conditions for both plants and customers. The facility includes a main-entrance atrium, hardlines store, greenhouses and nursery sales areas.
Meadow View Growers Inc., New Carlisle: Meadow View Growers is a destination garden center specializing in the highest-quality and “not-so-common” varieties of annual bedding plants, perennials, vegetables and herbs, fall-flowering garden mums, and poinsettias. Founded in 1984, Meadow View is a retail grower and propagator with about 100,000 square feet of covered structures. In early 2008, the company added a 24,000-square-foot greenhouse with cutting-edge technology, which enabled Meadow View to replace older, less energy-efficient greenhouses and add slightly more capacity. The Meadow View team, most of which are avid gardeners, is committed to excellence in products and service.
Siebenthaler’s Far Hills Garden Center, Centerville: The Siebenthaler Company has been beautifying homes and industry throughout the area since 1870. In its early years, the company specialized in fruit trees and grape vines, which sold for as little as three cents. Now it has an award-winning landscape department, two retail locations and a 400-acre nursery, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth generation of family members are running it. Siebenthaler’s South Garden Store was opened in the spring of 1959. It remains open year round with five full-time employees and 80 seasonal, part-time employees. More than 70 percent of the sales at this location are in green goods, including homegrown nursery stock and perennials. The company rents a portion of its indoor sales area to a local bank, which helps with traffic flow.
Berns Garden Center, Middletown: Berns Greenhouse & Garden Center was founded in 1956 when Al and Cherie Berns purchased a greenhouse and home on an acre of land. At first, the business was open to the public only eight weeks a year in the spring. Today, it operates 360 days a year and employs 50 to 135 employees seasonally. The Berns Corporation has four divisions: Berns Garden Center, Berns Landscaping, Berns Production Greenhouses and Berns Production Nursery. Berns Garden Center’s current location opened in spring 1996 with 10,000 square feet of retail space, a greenhouse with 12,000 square feet of plant display and a 22,000-square-foot covered outdoor shopping area.
The tour will leave the Convention Center promptly at 7:30 a.m. and will return by 6 p.m. Saturday, July 11. The preregistration price is $105; the OFA and ANLA discount price is $80. It includes transportation, lunch and tour locations. Space is limited, so preregistration is strongly recommended.
In addition to this enriching tour, the Short Course also will offers the following events, open to all registered attendees:
- All-industry trade show: More than 550 companies in 1,500 exhibit spaces will be showcasing everything you need for your business, including the latest innovations in plant material, equipment, products and services.
- Keynote address: Returning after a several-year absence, the keynote address is a must-attend event. Fred Kirschenmann of the Leopold Center for Sustainability will speak on “Future Challenges and Opportunities in our Food and Agriculture Enterprises.”
- New trends: The new product and new variety displays will highlight some of the best new introductions in plant material and hard goods, while Project: Green Industry will provide suggestions on eco-friendly products.
- Merchandising ShowCase: The retail experience continues with a hands-on Merchandising ShowCase that includes more interactive displays with ideas attendees can take home and use right away.
The OFA Short Course will attract approximately 10,000 exhibitors and attendees from around the world to the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio – make it your business to attend, too. For more information, visit www.ofa.org.
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