Buylines Spring 2010

Is it time to look at your business through your customer’s eyes?

INSIDE: PRODUCT SETS GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS WEBSITE UPGRADE 2010 EXPO SCHEDULE

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2010 BWI EXPO

2 Is it Time to Look at Your Business Through Your Customer’s Eyes?

6 Let Us Help You! 12

Maximize Dealer Profit With Animal Health

14 Fix It Before It’s Broke

20

CONTENTS 16

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18 Smart Thinking is Never Out of Season

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April 2010 • Buylines | 1

Is it Time to Look at Your Business Throu I

n most parts of the South and Mid South, spring is here. In some areas it may be winding down while in other areas it has not really even started yet. April is not commonly synonymous with future planning in our industry. However it is a great time to take stock of what you are in the eyes of your customer.

If you are a retailer, your foot traffic is most likely at its highest point of the year.

If you are a grower, the rush of shipping plant material this time of year is also one of your peak times.

If you are in the landscape business, your targets are evaluating their needs and who they can get to ‘fix’ their problems or plan their projects.

If you are in the golf world, your play is about to begin to build and in some cases you will be battling transition issues.

Why not take this golden opportunity and take a step back and look at your business as though you are a potential customer.

This only works when you change your perspective from owner, manager, etc. to your aunt or your next door neighbor or a true shopper. Write down your MARK FOMBY findings and save them until you are planning VP SALES for the next spring cycle and you will possess the secret to more and profitable business.

So just ask yourself…

Why do people do business with me and what could I change to attract more potential customers?

Is it the reputation of my business?

Reputation is a tremendous influencer of 2 | Buylines • April 2010

people’s actions. Your business reputation is something that is without a price tag. The only downside is if we rely on this as our main marketing tool or even worse is if we believe it ourselves. Our reputation is a function of how we conduct ourselves and we must recognize that in order to keep that reputation, (whether quality, service, selection etc.) we must remain relevant and show a value against the options available. At BWI we strive to make the next day a better day for our customers. We will not let yesterday be our smartest day of our life. We recognize a reputation is something you must defend on a daily basis.

Is it my business model?

Are you easy to do business with? In our experience, this is a large portion of your sustainable customers’ decision process.

Hours of operation, layout of your business, not just friendly but knowledgeable and confident employees and consistency result in an experience they want to repeat over and over again. All make the repeat or sustainable customer and as a result they will be your most valuable customer in your business. At BWI we are investing on a consistent basis in our goal of becoming your supplier of choice.

Our delivery fleet complete with electric pallet jacks and lift gates, our state of the art order entry tools, our category management tools, our EXPO or our sales support staff, BWI continues to invest in our business model to stay at the front of the pack of your potential suppliers.

Is it my people?

Most books you read say that your employees are your most valuable asset. Do you treat them as your most valuable asset? The cleanest premise, the prettiest product, the best plan can all be negated by the wrong person or the wrong actions. However, the actions of the right person can also cover a lot of ills. Look at your people as they assist your customers, load product, tend to their www.bwicompanies.com

ugh Your Customer’s Eyes?

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While it appears by the way this article is written that BWI has all the answers; let me assure you we do not. What we do have is the courage to ask all the questions and

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Do I fill a need in my community/ industry?

Have you evolved to meet the needs of today’s customer? In the end, people come to you to fill a need whether it is a product, project or experience. Are you able to fill all the needs associated with the project or experience? The needs of the customer will change with the times and it is our collective responsibility to maintain that contact in order to fill the most current needs. At BWI, this is one of our strongest beliefs.

We constantly challenge ourselves to become the one stop shop option for our customer base. It has made us a better company and keeps us nimble enough to change as the need arises but strong enough to weather any type of business adversity.

the perseverance to apply the proper Good selling and we will see you in business principles to those questions Chattanooga in September. to result in our daily goal to be -Mark Fomby the company that you want to do VP Sales business with in 2010 and beyond.

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duties or deliver services. Are they who you would want assisting you?

Are they receiving the training to improve their skills so they can best represent your company? At BWI we recognize that we are a service company and that means we are a people company. Each of our salespeople are assisted in maintaining and improving their skills package and encouraged to continue in their personal development and product training in order to offer our customers the most value available from the available service companies in our industry.

The Xcel-Wobbler® is ideal for flows from 0.78 - 6.97 gpm.

The mini-Wobbler® is designed for smaller flows of 0.42 - 2.61 gpm.

Several models to choose from.

Contact the BWI Grower Technical Sales Division at 888.447.3403.

April 2010 • Buylines | 3

SEED PRODUCTS A Brief Description Of The Many Fine Products We Offer

4 | Buylines • April 2010

mix in well with the tall fescue and will not dominate the mix.

The tall fescue/Kentucky bluegrass mix has excellent disease resistance as these two species make a great genetically diverse turf mixture with outstanding turf quality.

5*Star is excellent under shady conditions. But for the deepest shade, consider BWI’s new Extreme Shade seed mix.

This new product will grow in the deepest possible shade and has great heat and drought tolerance as well. A specially selected blend of elite fine fescues and shade tolerant tall fescues, it produces a fine leafed but low maintenance turf and requires less mowing as it grows slowly.

For golf course overseeding BWI offers a product for every budget and use. Futura 3000 is a three way blend of the finest perennial ryegrasses money can buy. Use it where the highest possible turf quality is desired, whether for overseeding or for use

HOWARD BISHOP TURF MARKETING MANAGER

BWI offers a complete line up of outstanding turf products.

Our varieties, blends and mixes are continually upgraded and improved as newer products become available. Whether for golf course use, for sod production, sports turf, landscape or for home lawns; BWI has a superior product available for you and your customers. Each product is selected and customized to adapt best to specific BWI locations.

We guarantee their quality and performance.

BWI’s 5*Star tall fescue blend is one of the most widely used seed formulations sold in North America. With five elite components it has unsurpassed turf quality, color, disease resistance, heat tolerance, drought tolerance and genetic diversity. It is a great product for both sun and shade and can be used wherever tall fescue is recommended and adapted. 5*Star contains five specially selected, high NTEP scoring varieties including some spreading type tall fescues. The 5*Star blend is constantly upgraded and improved as new and better varieties become available.

For extra spreading ability consider using 5*Star Plus which contains 10% Kentucky bluegrass. The bluegrasses have been selected to

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as a long lived perennial. Where very good quality is required but price is a factor consider using Futura 2000 or Top Flight which will provide great turf at a slightly lower cost.

Futura 2000 and Top Flight are also a three way blend of perennial ryegrasses, but consist of varieties a little older but well proven. And finally for good quality overseeding at the best possible price consider using the Futura 2500 blend which contains about 30-40% Transist 2400 transitional ryegrass.

Transist 2400 is one of the most exciting products available from BWI. Transist 2400 is the finest transitional ryegrass available anywhere. Transitional ryegrasses are great products for overseeding use, particularly in landscape settings where quality and a lower cost are essential. They have the turf quality of a perennial ryegrass, but the persistence of an annual ryegrass. They will provide great quality winter turf and then leave quickly in late spring as the dormant Bermudagrass reawakens with warmer temperatures and starts growing. Unlike perennial ryegrass, the Transist 2400 will not compete with and damage the Bermudagrass in the spring and summer. Panterra would be the other one to consider in this kind of site. Panterra is the leader of a new breed of Annual Ryegrass varieties setting new quality benchmarks.

-Howard Bishop Turf Marketing Manager

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6 | Buylines • April 2010

nother spring season is well on its way and all our planning for 2010 should be paying off. Whether those pay offs are in large or small dividends depends on how well we prepared for the coming season of business. These dividends are the direct result of our time input researching our business in what works and doesn’t work, makes sense to do, distinguishes us from everyone else, and ultimately gives back the best return on investment.

Too often we stick with old models that have proven to work in the past bringing us the returns to which we have grown accustomed. There is an old saying about this that I am sure you have heard: “keep doing what you have always done and get what you have always gotten”. This really holds true and sometimes even can get you less than what you have come to expect. With the constantly changing environment we find ourselves in today, preparation and planning for change is crucial for sustainable growth and success. Market channels, trends, supply sourcing, and all the ways we have done business in the past are evolving as well as consumers’ wants and needs. Your most threatening competition these days may not be brick and mortar across town or across the street, but rather in another state. New technologies have brought the power of the purchase to the consumer.

To assume that we are offering what today’s consumer is looking for to trigger a purchase, I believe we have to take the time to research our businesses looking for the following:

What are my strengths?  What do I do well that others cannot duplicate easily?  What does my customer perceive to be the best thing about shopping with me?  What do they tell other potential shoppers about me?

What are my weaknesses?  What can I do better where my competition is currently beating me?  What does my customer wish I would offer or do better?

What is the core of my business?  What creates the most revenue, pays the bills, and is the meat and potatoes of my business?  What would cause you to shut the doors if you lost it?

What is the fringe?  What could you get rid of and not affect the bottom line?

Do you have marketing and/or promotion schedules?  How far out do you plan them?  Are purchases factored in when scheduling an event?  Do you just buy with the hopes of selling it?

Do you have a program in place to create customer loyalty?  Offer incentives for repeat purchases?  Incentives or discounts for purchasing bundled products?  Offer educational events or material?

Do you seek out industry information on current happenings, trends, direction and offerings?  Do you attend functions where you can benchmark against others and trade ideas? www.bwicompanies.com

 Research new business models that adapt to current times that make sense for you?

These are just a few of the questions I believe we have to ask ourselves concerning our businesses to remain sustainable. Without knowing who you are, how can you truly develop a successful plan for the future? We at BWI are constantly asking ourselves these questions and more striving to be the best we can for our customer, you. The culmination of all our thoughts is put into action with our annual EXPO. This is where our findings from the above questions and the needs and wants we feel our customer base is asking us for are rolled out for the following year. It is an annual process that requires much planning to determine how we will make our offering to do business.

After you have asked yourself the questions above and probed into your business practices, how and what can you do to be better prepared for the future of your business? We at BWI would like to be the first to step up and help you with this task. We don’t think we have all the right answers but we feel we can get you started in the right direction and offer many choices so that you can make the best decision that makes sense for you. By attending our EXPO we can help answer most of the questions above by offering:  One of the best industry events in the South showcasing new products and trends  The best buying opportunities for the year  Merchandising and display options for products with pallet and assortment purchases  Opportunities for benchmarking and idea sharing through networking with other similar businesses  Education platforms with well known and leading industry professionals www.bwicompanies.com

 Interaction with manufacturer representatives learning more about their products and programs helping to develop promotional and marketing plans So now I beg to ask another question, how can you not attend an event that can give you options on answers to the questions above and offer tools for

successfully planning out the next year?

We think our EXPO does just that.

Please mark your calendars now and make plans to attend the BWI EXPO 2010 in Chattanooga, TN September 20-22. I hope to see you there!

-Randy Townsend Consumer Products Marketing Manager

April 2010 • Buylines | 7

Sales Training Update BWI has been blessed with an exceptional sales staff throughout the years. Turnover has always hovered below 10% which is very low for our industry. However with an excess of 125 sales people in the field, that’s still 12 to 13 new sales people annually. With increasing product selection, increased vendors and the technology that is required to keep up with inventories, programs, and communications, BWI has found it takes a longer period of time for the new salespeople to reach an appropriate level of competency. This obviously means there is too long a break in continuity of the territory which directly affects not just BWI, but our customers’ service level. Our customers depend and rightly expect that service level to continue regardless of any service interruptions.

In November 2006 BWI implemented a new plan to restructure how we train new sales people. First we identified who would need to be trained; at the top of that list is our existing sales force. We developed a program we call SEP for sales effectiveness process which includes all aspects of a sales person’s career.

8 | Buylines • April 2010

The SEP allows us to track and then determine weaknesses and strengths of each sales person and then provide the activities that those sales people need to improve and strengthen those weaknesses. During this process we found that many sales people that have been with BWI for years have never truly been taught just how BWI actually works. We are now in the process of bringing all of our existing sales people, 6 at a time, to the corporate office for two days. Now they leave understanding how purchasing and marketing make their decisions and why. We also noticed that it improves communication at all levels and gives our sales people a chance to build relationships with our owners and corporate managers.

The second group that need training are the new sales people hired to immediately fill a vacancy.

Previously we gave them a laptop, let them ride with an experienced sales person and then started in their new territory with the aid of their sales manager. Now they come to the corporate office and train for 5 days.

They learn about the history of the company and what we feel our culture

Ralph Waits

is. They learn all the software they will be using on their laptops along with who, when and where to send and request information. A full day is spent on people skills of how to respond to different situations they will encounter.

A good deal of time is spent on how credit is done with BWI from filling out applications to an understanding of our credit policy. All the time they are working with the people that possess the information they need to function and are developing those relationships so later communications will be efficient and effective. Now they can return to their divisions and work with existing sales people and their sales managers more effectively in their new territory.

Finally, BWI began in a proactive manner by looking to recruit new sales people from colleges and universities that we call sales trainees. If we can hire and train before there is a territory vacancy, then we can limit the long learning curve it requires to become a BWI salesperson. In conjunction with recruiting, we have developed a completely new training program that every new salesperson will receive.

The first three weeks of a BWI sales www.bwicompanies.com

trainee is spent in Nash, Texas in BWI’s corporate office learning the same things the others have learned about history, software, people skills, credit issues and such. In addition they spend time in the warehouse both on day and night crews to learn receiving, pulling orders, loading trucks and any other jobs done inside the warehouse. They work with transportation and ride on trucks and make deliveries so that they can appreciate the relationship our drivers have with our customer base.

Being at the corporate office makes possible the opportunity to begin positive relationships with corporate personnel that in the past was never afforded a new sales representative.

Other things include how to plan, organize a territory, and develop a skill set that will allow them to provide the service level BWI customers have come to expect. After the three weeks in the corporate office they return to their divisions where for the next 5 to 6 months minimum they will work in customer service, ride with seasoned sales people and observe. We will farm out a trainee to a customer for a week where he will work and see the market from our customer’s side. We try to do this in several market types such as farm stores, garden centers, and growers. Finally toward the end of his training tenure he is given a small one day territory close to the division that he will work one day a week to get comfortable with being on the road learning all of those daily duties that must be done to successfully manage a territory.

There is obviously a significant cost in the recruitment and training phases of these programs. BWI firmly believes that this cost is far less than running a territory with inexperience and a decreased level of service. For complete customer service should always be our goal. This should be a win - win - win for BWI, our customers, our vendor partners and the salesperson.

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-Ralph Waits Corporate Training Coordinator www.bwicompanies.com

April 2010 • Buylines | 9

JANA SWANSON MARKETING COORDINATOR

After several months of development, we are proud to release our long awaited new website. The dramatically redesigned site embodies BWI’s forward thinking vision and commitment to the growing needs of our customers. Many new features include: • Direct access to stock items and pricing • Streamlined searching and more intuitive navigation • Online catalog for retail, turf and grower • Direct order site www.orders.bwicompanies.com The site’s homepage welcomes customers with bold new colors, a clean uncluttered design, and images featuring our online catalogs; Retail,

Professional Turf and Professional Grower. With changing information needs and the availability of new web technology, it was time to restructure our website.

Annually, the majority of our customer base visits our website to place orders, search for product, check recent and past invoices, review pricing and take advantage of other features the website offers.

The development of the new site began in 2008. Numerous prototypes were created and shared with staff and users to produce the final product.

A major aspect of the new site is the use of Microsoft’s platform .NET. The .NET framework is Microsoft’s platform for

building applications that have visually stunning user experiences, seamless and secure communication, and the ability to model a range of business processes. Because the framework is Microsoft based, it’s best to view the new site by using Internet Explorer.

As mentioned previously, the site has a separate order area that can be accessed directly by typing www.orders.bwicompanies.com in the URL. To access this area you must use your account number as the username and password in all capital letters. Since the launch of the new site, every account was re-set, so regardless of what your password was to access the

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1. Access www.bwicompanies.com 2. Click on the CUSTOMER LOGIN link 3. Sign-in using your ACCOUNT NUMBER as both your username and your password (must be in all caps) 4. Place order

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old site, you now must use your account number as the password to access the current ordering site.

Once you have logged into the site, you can change your password under Utilities/My Profile/Change Password.

It is important to note that some pages of the new site are still in active development and several product images are being uploaded on a daily basis. This will not compromise the usability of the website or our services.

The website was designed with the functionality and ease of use in mind, which is an effort to further contribute to a pleasant customer experience.

We look forward to seeing you at www.bwicompanies.com.

-Jana Swanson Marketing Coordinator

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MAXIMIZE DEALER PROFIT WITH F

inding new ways to maximize profit in your business is an everyday challenge, especially when we are dealing with a tough economy. Adding or increasing a line of animal health product is a great way to increase profitability.

Pet products are one of the fastest growing consumer lines in the nation. There is a constant increase in overall sales and it is often called a “recession proof ” industry. Many

12 | Buylines • April 2010

Animal Health

consumers will continue to seek out and find ways to care for their pets at all costs.

If you have been asking WHY you should carry a line of animal health products, here are some facts that may help your decision. If you are currently involved in selling pest management products, you are ahead of the game. Selling products like flea and tick control is very close to selling an integrated pest

management system for a garden or home. Investment cost is very low as you can purchase a small store set with the top selling products for around $300-$500.

Central Life Science recommends a three step process to control fleas and ticks. The first step is “immediate relief,” this involves using Adams Plus flea & tick shampoo, mist, or dip to stop infestation of the pests that are on

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the animal and kill the eggs and larva as well. The second step is known as “maintenance.” This is the most commonly known where a spot on topical like Bio Spot or Adams Plus flea & tick collars are used. Once the pest has been controlled, a consumer can begin this process. This step is also the most likely to bring in repeat business as it needs to be done on a regular basis. The third step is “premise,” this often goes forgotten but is very important.

Treating the yard and home with Adams Plus stops reproduction of the pest out of carpet or grass. This will prevent re-infestation. You may already carry similar products for pest control on a large scale. Adams Plus and Bio Spot are specifically dosed for control on pets, this leaves less room for liability and helps consumer confidence if they feel they are giving the correct dosage to their beloved pet.

Many of the nationally known “vet” brands retail for an average of $45 per three dose card and are difficult to stock. Bio Spot topical contains a combination of ingredients that are used on the two top selling vet brands. Furthermore, Bio Spot has a suggested retail of $20 and dealer profit is typically in the 30-60% range. This gives you a product that is effective, reasonably priced to a consumer, and profitable. If you sell all three steps in the program you have an opportunity to sell three items to a consumer, take care of the pest, and all for about the same cost as one card of vet brand topical.

Since Central Life Sciences provides a complete animal health www.bwicompanies.com

line, you can add items like D Worm pet wormers, Sulfodene skin and coat formulas, and Just Born milk replacers to further diversify your line and add service to the consumers. Adding an end cap of animal health products could give

you the edge and incremental sales you have been looking for. Please contact your BWI representative to learn more about opportunities with Central Life Sciences.

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April 2010 • Buylines | 13

T

he old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”,­ ­is a common phrase that has been used in the business world for many years. This old saying still holds true for many guiding principles of a company such as core values, company culture and mission statements. However, fixing it before it becomes broken when it comes to customer service, improved efficiencies, and adapting to change is paramount to one’s survival and ultimate success.

I don’t know about you but I am sure glad that when Thomas Edison invented communications via the telegraph that Alexander Graham Bell didn’t say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and really glad the inventor of wireless cell phones didn’t subscribe to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage because where would we be today without our cell phones.

•

Make shopping at your store a rewarding experience. This could be a result of providing knowledge, having a special attraction (i.e. butterfly house), special event or anything that gives your customers a reason to look forward to shopping at your store.

• A new store layout or look with a special area with signage that says “New Items”. It seems as if today’s consumers are looking for new and improved lawn and garden products.

• Offer customer loyalty rewards. We have merchants who have chosen to offer customer loyalty rewards versus cutting prices for all customers.

While traveling and visiting with some of BWI’s great customers, I have JIM BUNCH come to the conclusion that many CO-PRESIDENT/CEO have accepted change and as a result, improved many facets of their respective businesses. I would like to share a few examples: •

Building a customer data base by collecting names, addresses (both physical and email). Some data bases have been built around category purchases by their customers.

• Building seasonal displays. It’s amazing how seasonal and timely displays drive incremental sales.

•

Embracing category management. This has reduced confusion for employees and most importantly consumers. Also, by reducing overlapping stock keeping units, inventory turns have improved as has cash flow and profits.

14 | Buylines • April 2010

FIX IT

• Have a greeter especially during the spring time of the year. Nothing lets a customer know his or her business is appreciated more than being greeted when they come in the door and when they depart than by someone simply saying welcome and thank you for shopping at our store.

Change is a permanent part of our world as well as for a successful business. How can you make change work for you?

Wishing everyone the best year ever in 2010 and looking forward to seeing everyone in Chattanooga in September!

-Jim Bunch Co-President/CEO

www.bwicompanies.com

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April 2010 • Buylines | 15

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

2009 proved to be a year that required innovative thinking.

Many of those in the retail channel began to think more outside the box in order to survive and prosper. BWI is one of those companies and we introduced a new program to our retailers offering product category FELICIA BEAIRD sets. Many of you MARKETING ASSOCIATE are already familiar with this concept and are aware of the benefits - reduced product, improved staff training and best of all improved consumer knowledge and satisfaction.

Much thought went into what to offer on our product category sets.

Everyone from BWI customers, BWI management, BWI salesmen, BWI

16 | Buylines • April 2010

purchasing agents to BWI vendors were involved in the planning and final selection - this means every facet of the distribution process played a part in some shape, form or fashion.

We also reviewed every aspect of our products - sales history, market trends, availability and new products. We also believe that four different sizes of the same product should not be placed on each store shelf. Simplify it - keep the product selection complete but not four different brands with essentially the same label. Customers will more confidently pick up a bag of ant bait if they are not confused by too many choices. In many instances, this means more shopping time for the consumers.

BWI focused this past year to ensure the right choices were made for our customers. Even with the input of all involved in the supply chain some hard decisions still had to be made. Why decide on brand A over brand B? Many times there is not much distinction

between two brands - it comes down to what our customers want or the best go to market program. We ask you to take advantage of this research and ask your salesman about our BWI product category sets.

Our pledge is to be in stock on the items offered on our product sets. What about those not listed? BWI would like to offer every product from every vendor but unfortunately we all know that is not prudent business practice. Our salesmen are trained on the program and our hope is that you take advantage of the planograms, shelf talkers and shelf tags we can supply our customers wanting to offer complete yet manageable categories.

We wish everyone a great Spring 2010 and appreciate the understanding of our customers and retail suppliers in the product category set selections.

-Felicia Beaird Marketing Associate

www.bwicompanies.com

Although I am not new to BWI, I haven’t had a chance to meet a lot of you yet. I started with BWI when I was twenty three years old as a sales representative in central Arkansas. I have had the pleasure of providing service to a variety of accounts such as farm and hardware, grower, landscape and retail garden centers. I was quickly molded by not only BWI but mostly by my customers. I learned that if you provide superior service, a great product mix and work hard for your customers in combination with these two, you can be an asset to any type of account.

My main goal as I settle in to my new position as Marketing Manager for Turf and Ornamental is to keep in mind the basics that I learned as a sales representative. Although I have several office duties, I plan on staying very active in the sales field.

Being aware of the needs, wants and suggestions of BWI’s customer base is very important to me. Keeping these thoughts in mind while looking at future products and service plans is sure to produce success for BWI and our customers.

There are parts of the turf and ornamental side of the business that are very new to me and have opened my eyes to a whole new world. I have always been a big fan of increasing my knowledge of new markets and feel that I will have a very broad perspective when pairing the right ideas with the right products that will accommodate our customers’ business the best. I am very excited about this new role and I am looking forward to a very successful 2010. I look forward to approaching new markets www.bwicompanies.com

and helping BWI become more accomplished of our current markets.

I hope you all have a successful spring, and I hope to see you all in Chattanooga at the 2010 EXPO.

BRAD MEADOR MARKETING MANAGER TURF & ORNAMENTAL

R

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pring is always a hectic time their plants somewhere else if they around any greenhouse have a choice. So, in retail, looks operation whether you’re a retailer really do matter. For a commercial dealing with a steady flow of grower it is true, “curb appeal” is customers or a commercial grower not as big a deal. Because you are trying to ship every plant possible not dealing with the general public before the heat dries up demand. you don’t have to be as concerned What you are probably not doing about how your greenhouses look. is thinking about your greenhouses But before you get too comfortable and what kind of condition they about that you may want to are in. As a matter of fact, the mere consider a couple of facts. Light mention of this line of thought may transmission is affected by the make you think I have either condition of your greenhouse lost my mind or have never covering and the quantity walked through the and quality of light has a doors of a greenhouse definite affect on plant business of any kind growth. That means in the spring. But that brittle yellow before you write fiberglass you’ve been me off as being out holding off replacing of touch or out of could be costing you my mind, please let in plant quality. The me explain. Whether same could be true you’re a wholesale grower of that 4 year poly that or retailer, the condition you have determined to of your greenhouses and CLAY WILKERSON squeeze another year or related equipment can two out of. Even if you GTS MANAGER have huge implications are fortunate enough for your business. Here are a couple not to have it fail because of UV of examples to illustrate my point. degradation, after the 4th year you Let’s start with the actual will have a significant loss of light greenhouses themselves. If you are transmission which can have some a retailer, the condition of your very unfavorable effects on your facilities can affect your sales. plant quality. So, even if you aren’t After years of dealing with retailers concerned about how it looks, you and doing work on retail garden need to be aware of how well the centers, I am convinced that the product is functioning or it could average consumer makes part of become costly. their buying decision based on the A second area you might want image the facilities project. If the to consider is your greenhouse greenhouses have covering that is equipment. This is not an area that yellowing or has holes in it, they typically gets a lot of attention will take note. If the benches are in a greenhouse operation until rotting and the tops are shabby something quits working. But the they will notice. Not only will they old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t notice, they may decide to purchase fix it” can be costly if applied www.bwicompanies.com

is Never Out of Season to equipment. That’s because equipment not operated at peak efficiency means higher operating costs. For example, that curtain system with the holes and frazzled fabric looks bad. Again, if you are a retailer some of your customers will notice it and wonder why you haven’t done anything to fix it. But the bigger issue for any greenhouse business (retail or wholesale) may not be aesthetics. In the winter and early spring that unsightly curtain system could be costing you in lost heat. A hole or rip 4.5” in surface area can allow 500 cubic feet per minute of air to infiltrate and require 25,000 Btus per hour of additional heating. Those same numbers could apply to a ridge vent or aluminum shutters that will not close due to wind damage or lack of maintenance. Again, it looks bad but looks don’t tell the whole story.

The real story is the money it costs in energy dollars lost. One final example for the yet unconvinced would be those rusty exhaust fans that still work but probably should have been replaced. Chances are you are losing money and don’t even know it. With every slip of the belt, every gust of air that blows through the rusty housing and every extra amp that is required to open up the inlet shutters that don’t work like they once did, you are losing efficiency. And lost efficiency means less money in your wallet.

So finish out your spring with the full focus and intensity it deserves. But before the season disappears from your memory and you leave to take that much needed vacation I would recommend that you ask two questions. www.bwicompanies.com

 What do my facilities (greenhouses & equipment) say to my customers about the kind of business I run?  How much money could I save just by keeping my facilities in better working order?

If you answer those questions thoughtfully and honestly, and then act accordingly, you may be able to take a bigger vacation next year.

-Clay Wilkerson GTS Manager

Greenhouse Construction New Construction Remodeling Repairs Bench Installation Recovering and Re-glazing

Irrigation Design

Drip Systems Sprinkler Systems Injection Systems Filtration Systems Watering Booms and Basket Systems Total System Design

Automation and Equipment Conveyors Flat Fillers Bale Processors Mixers Potting Machines Seeders Total System Design

April 2010 • Buylines | 19

2010 BWI EXPO Chattanooga Convention Center

Chattanooga, TN September 20, 2010 - September 22, 2010 Online registration coming in May! www.bwicompanies.com

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