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There is so much in store for us this week as we explore garden centres in Southern Ontario. This region is home to one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls, at 54 metres high with 2,800 cubic meters of water falling every second, this is an unforgettable experience! While the sites are going to be mind-blowing, there is also lots of fun to be had with your fellow delegates. We encourage you to take lots of pictures, and new this year, we will reward the bus with the most tagged pictures at the end of the week. Check out the rules below:
Each bus has its own hashtag. At the end of each day Congress staff will tally the number of times your bus’ hashtag appears on the social media sites: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Your bus gets one point per hashtagged photo and a bonus point for a picture with another bus’ captain. The winning bus will get one overall point for the day. Four activities will take place during the week, where your bus will volunteer two people to take part in a special challenge for extra points. The winning bus challengers receive two extra points per activity won to add to their team’s final tally. Please note! If your instagram account is private follow @igcacanada2017 so we can tally your hashtags!
Bus 1: Toronto Maple Leafs - Captain Terry Vanderkruk and Captain Robin Godfrey Bus 2: Winnipeg Jets - Captain Denis Flanagan and Captain Peggy Head Bus 3: Montréal Canadiens - Captain Brad Rooney and Captain Anthony O’Neill Bus 4: Vancouver Canucks - Captain Warren Patterson and Captain Bill Hardy Bus 5: Calgary Flames - Captain Mark Sipkens and Captain Michelle Pain
#IGCC17Leafs #IGCC17Jets #IGCC17Cdns #IGCC17Canucks #IGCC17Flames
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Canada’s Niagara Region for our annual Congress, the third time we Canadians have had the opportunity to host this important educational and fun-filled event. There are over 250 participants from 21 countries at this year’s Congress. We extend a warm welcome to all of you! One of the goals of my term as President has been to make the Congress an increasingly important opportunity for all of us to enjoy an even greater learning experience. This year, we have expanded what we have described as the “interactive tour” – an idea we have taken from the Study Tour success – to allow for more time to discuss and share ideas following visiting each of the garden centres. We have also added time several mornings whereby attendees will hear guest speakers on topics of interest to owners and managers during this time of rapid change in our industry. Not forgetting our younger generation of managers who are traveling with us, they will have a number of opportunities to get together to share experiences and have a good time. For those of you who just want to enjoy our visits and spend time with long-time friends, we understand that as well. I trust you will renew old friendships, meet new participants and enjoy all of what Toronto and Southern Ontario have to offer you, then leave for home with new ideas and inspiration for success. Bienvenue and welcome,
John Zaplatynsky, President of the International Garden Centre Association
We are thrilled that you are here in Niagara Falls to celebrate with us during Canada’s sesquicentennial celebrations. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is made up of over 3,800 garden centre, nursery grower and landscape members, with over 400 members involved in retail. The centres you will visit during this week’s Congress here in Southern Ontario showcase a great snapshot of the Canadian garden centre market, and we hope that you can take back some unique idea’s to your own businesses. This week we hope that you experience our friendly culture, lots of delicious food and drinks, the beautiful countryside as well as some city life, and of course networking with garden centres from twenty-one countries around the world. Thank you for coming and we look forward to sharing a memorable week with you!
Bruce Hunter, CLT, CLD, CLM, President of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association
I would like to personally welcome each of you to the 2017 International Garden Centre Association Congress, or for some, welcome you back to the Ontario Region. This event is an unparalleled global collaboration of delegates. I am extremely proud to Chair the 59th edition of this event. It is an exciting time for both the IGCA and for Canada. I am delighted that we are able to marry our industry showcase with the celebration of our country’s 150th year since Confederation. Canada is a proud nation with many striking spectacles to display this year, particularly in our beautiful Niagara Region and the area affectionately known as the “Golden Horseshoe”. This area is home to some of the strongest and most fertile growing conditions in the world and we are absolutely ecstatic to be able to share the many gifts of this region with you. It has been a pleasure partnering with fellow garden centres—as well as the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association—in the organization of this event. Having such great inspiration and expertise come together is very uplifting, and it is with great pride that we host this event in our country during such a significant year in our nation’s history. I trust that you will fully enjoy what this area of Canada has to offer while finding inspiration from the region’s beautiful garden centres as well as from the multitude of colleagues joining us from around the world. Thank you for your participation and look forward to a spectacular week. Warmest Regards, Michael Van Dongen, IGCC 2017 Chair
Welcome, on behalf of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association’s Garden Centres Canada Committee, to our wonderful nation. We are excited that the 59th edition of the International Garden Centre Association Congress has made it’s way back to the province of Ontario after 22 years. As an attendee of multiple Congress events in the past, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing top of the line garden centres, innovative retail practices, and gotten to experience unparalleled opportunities. The organizing committee has worked very hard to ensure that every aspect of this Congress, from all of the tour stops, to the morning information sessions, to the interactive tour option will leave you feeling as though you learned so much, that you can’t wait to apply to your own garden centre. I hope that you enjoy your time in Canada, and while a week-long tour is nowhere near long enough to see all of what our nation has to offer, I’m confident that this Congress will “awaken your inner explorer”. Thank you for signing up for what promises to be an exciting week full of friends, discovery, and learning. Sincerely,
Robin Godfrey, Chair of Garden Centres Canada Committee
Sunday, September 17
Monday, September 18
Tuesday, September 19
12:30 - 14:00 IGCA Annual General Meeting Sheraton Hotel: Strategy Room 1
8:00 - 8:45 Business Session: Judy Sharpton Sheraton Hotel: Strategy Room 2
8:00 - 8:45 Business Session: Lana Culley Crowne Plaza Hotel: Elizabeth Room
8:30 - 12:30 IGCA Board Meeting Sheraton Hotel: Executive Board Rm
14:00 - 19:00 Registration Open Sheraton Hotel: Prefunction Space 14:30 - 18:00 Youth Business Forum Oast House Brewery
19:00 - 22:00 Welcome Reception Sheraton Hotel: Fallsview Studio
Remember to bring your breakfast vouchers to the Sheraton Hotel!
7:00 - 8:45 (all delegates) Breakfast Sheraton Fallsview Restaurant
9:00 (all delegates) Bus Departs Sheraton Hotel: Meet in Hotel Atrium 9:35 - 10:40 Cole’s Florist Grimsby, ON
11:15 - 13:15 (includes lunch) Connon CBV Waterdown, ON 14:30 - 17:00 (rotating) Sheridan Nurseries Toronto
Toronto Botanical Gardens
17:30 - 21:00 (includes dinner) Harbour Cruise 23:00 Arrival at Sheraton Hotel
7:00 - 8:45 (all delegates) Breakfast Sheraton Fallsview Restaurant
9:00 (all delegates) Bus Departs Sheraton Hotel: Meet in Hotel Atrium 9:35 - 10:30 Journey Behind the Falls Niagara Falls, ON
12:00 - 14:00 (includes lunch) Winkelmolen Nursery Hamilton, ON
15:15 - 18:15 Free time in the Toronto Distillery District and surrounding areas 18:30 - 21:00 (includes dinner) Hockey Hall of Fame 23:00 Arrival at Sheraton Hotel
Wednesday, September 20
Thursday, September 21
Friday, September 22
8:00 - 8:45 Business Session: Paul Zammit Crowne Plaza Hotel: Elizabeth Room
8:30 (all delegates) Bus Departs Sheraton Hotel: Meet in Hotel Atrium
8:15 (all delegates) Bus Departs Sheraton Hotel: Meet in Atrium
7:00 - 8:45 (all delegates) Breakfast Sheraton Fallsview Restaurant
9:00 (all delegates) Bus Departs Sheraton Hotel: Meet in Hotel Atrium 10:00 - 11:00 Holland Park Garden Gallery Burlington, ON 11:25 - 12:20 Terra Greenhouses Milton, ON
12:30 - 14:15 (includes lunch) Van Dongen’s Garden Centre, Milton, ON 14:30 - 16:15 IGCA Information Centre
17:00 - 21:00 (includes dinner) Sheridan Nurseries Georgetown Georgetown, ON 23:00 Arrival at Sheraton Hotel
7:00 - 8:15 (all delegates) Breakfast Sheraton Fallsview Restaurant
10:00 - 11:30 Humber Nurseries Toronto, ON
12:15 - 14:30 (includes lunch) Pathways to Perennials King, ON
15:00 - 19:30 (includes dinner) Bradford Garden Gallery 21:30 Arrival at Sheraton Hotel Breakfast is available to all Congress delegates with a voucher on Saturday morning (Sept. 23)
7:00 - 8:00 (all delegates) Breakfast Sheraton Fallsview Restaurant
9:00 - 9:45 Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Nursery Welland, ON 10:30 - 12:00 Hornblower Tour of Niagara Falls Niagara Falls, ON 12:30 - 15:00 Lunch at Jackson Triggs Winery Niagara-on-the-Lake 15:15 - 17:00 (optional) Explore Niagara-on-the-Lake
17:00 Bus Departs for Sheraton Hotel
18:30 - 19:30 Cocktail Reception Sheraton Hotel Great Room A & B 19:30 - 00:00 Canada 150 Gala: a red tie affair
Monday September 18: Sheraton Hotel ‘Strategy Room 2’ 8:00 - 8:45 am CONSUMER TRENDS IN ONE HEADLINE: AMAZON ACQUIRES WHOLE FOODS When the announcement that Amazon had bought Whole Foods hit the press, it sent ripples through every element of both e-commerce and bricks and mortar retailing. It should have an equal impact on garden centers. This merger reveals the two most important trends for our industry upon which all others are to be attached and assessed: product repackaging and wellness. Both of these trends bode well for garden centers. So, while it is important to recognize Pantone colours, Pinterest, box stores and home size, all important indicators of consumer preferences that we must pay attention to and learn from, let’s focus full attention on two trends illustrated so completely by the Amazon/Whole Foods story. How these two trends play out in the wider culture and how they can be incorporated into our in-store presentation may well forecast our future success. In this program, we’ll examine the diverse history of these two companies, the relationship to our industry and our stores and strategies that Amazon’s Jeff Bezos might put forward if he were our Development Advisor. Judy Sharpton is the owner of Growing Places Marketing. Since 1994, Growing Places Marketing has provided store development services exclusively for independent garden centers and farm markets with a focus on physical development, category development and branding.
Judy writes for a number of industry publications and offers program content to trade groups and individual vendors through Growing Places’ Store School®. Judy tends a personal retreat garden at the edge of 85 acres of salt marsh near Savannah, GA. She enjoys hiking, boating and birding with her husband Buddy and their dog Dylan.
Tuesday September 19: Crowne Plaza ‘Elizabeth Room’ 8:00 - 8:45 am MAKING A BEST SELLER: BRINGING NEW ROSES TO MARKET Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is leading the breeding, development and marketing of new rose varieties. The first rose release, Canadian ShieldTM, which was chosen as Canada Bloom’s Plant of the Year, is a hardy rose that is resistant to black spot and winter hardy. The bloom was released this year in time for Canada’s 150th birthday and is one of up to seven roses to be released in the coming years as part of Vineland’s new 49th Parallel Collection. The second release, Chinook SunriseTM, will be available in 2019. Learn more from Lana Culley, Director, Business Development on the process of commercializing and bringing this new rose collection to market and the consumer science behind the product. Lana Culley joined Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in 2012 as the Director of Business Development. Lana comes to Vineland from the National Research Council where she took on a number of roles including business development, marketing and communications. Most recently she held the position of Strategy & Outreach Manager at the NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute in Saskatoon. Lana has significant experience negotiating collaborative research initiatives, managing intellectual property portfolios and developing
licenses with commercial partners. She has also played a key role in developing the strategic relationships necessary to create successful longterm programs. Lana has expertise in evaluating research projects and integrating them with business activities to maximize the value of research and development investments. Lana completed her B.Sc. in Science and Business (Biochemistry) at the University of Waterloo.
Wednesday September 20: Crowne Plaza ‘Elizabeth Room’ 8:00 - 8:45 am THE EVOLVING ROLE OF HOME GARDENS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THIS PRESENTS FOR GARDEN CENTRES OF TODAY AND TOMORROW Paul Zammit believes that gardens of all sizes should not have, as a primary ambition, to be beautiful, he feels that they should, and can be planned and planted to provide seasons of interest as well as be resource responsible, and also provide an important source of habitat for pollinators. Join Paul as he draws on his 25 plus years of combined retail and public garden experience to discuss how he believes garden centres can be the source of information and inspiration for this movement. Paul Zammit, a graduate of the University of Guelph, is the Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden. He is a passionate speaker and is a regular speaker at garden clubs and horticultural trade shows across Canada and in the United States. Paul has also presented in Germany, Switzerland and Bermuda. He has appeared both on television and in print. Paul can also be heard providing gardening advice on CBC Hear and Now every Thursday from April through September. In October of 2014, Paul lead a 10 day garden and food tour on the island of Sicily. In 2016 Paul completed a one week study session at Great Dixter in the England.
Paul and his wife’s home garden has been featured in Canadian Living, Gardening Life, Canadian Gardening and Gardening How-To. Their personal garden was awarded first place in the environmental garden category in the 2001 City of Toronto Garden Contest followed by an award in 2003 for the Best Use of Plant Material in the City of Toronto West District Garden Contest. Paul’s container designs have also been showcased several times in assorted gardening magazines (most recently on the cover of the 2012 special design issue of Garden Making).
From fresh cut flowers arriving to our stores daily to a vast variety of indoor flowering plants, trees and shrubs, perennials and beautiful collections of home and garden décor; Cole’s has something for everyone. We have over 120 years’ experience serving Grimsby, Hamilton, and surrounding areas. Over the years we have grown from just a florist to a full service Garden Centre, Pond Store, and Christmas Store. Awards & Recognition: #1 Florist & Garden Centre - West Niagara What makes Cole’s unique? We are a full service flower shop and garden centre. Our large selection of perennial plants, shrubs and trees are arranged in alphabetical order according to their botanical name. Events: Mum-A-Mania™ - fall event at the arrival of Hardy Mums Going for the Greens ™ - spring event to push the sales of lawn fertilizer Christmas Trees for Charity - all proceeds of fresh cut Christmas trees are split among five local charities How has it changed since its opening? We started as a florist with a very small garden centre which was expanded in 1995. Many developments occurred to help make the garden centre more easy to shop, easy for staff to work in, and easier accessibility for customers.
Retail Statistics
Greenhouse / Hardgoods / Cash Area 5,700 sq ft (530 m2) Florist Shop 4,000 sq ft (372 m2)
Family owned
Additional Services 1. Landscape
Business Profile
Established: Cole’s Florist 1891 Current Ownership 1986
Locations: Permanent 2 Floral Shops Seasonal 2 (Cole’s Pond Store, Cole’s Christmas Cottage)
Square footage: Grimsby Florist & Garden Centre 2.2 Acres Stoney Creek Floral 3,000 sq ft (279 m2) Cole’s Pond Store 10,000 sq ft (929 m2) The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: 20+ km
Population of drawing radius: 100,000
Competing garden centres in radius: 6 Box stores in radius: 5 grocery stores
Departments Evergreens 3,840 sq ft (356.7 m2) Trees 960 sq ft (89 m2) Flowering Shrubs 4,000 sq ft (372 m2) Broadleaf Evergreens 960 sq ft (89 m2) Perennials 4,000 sq ft (372 m2) Annuals 7,680 sq ft (714 m2) Pond Store 10,000 sq ft (929 m2)
2. Coaching service that helps the consumer create a plan for their garden, offering many different ideas to enhance their landscape. 3. Softscaping: will take on many different garden planting jobs as well as some small water gardening projects. Top 5 Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. May: 23% 2. June: 15% 3. July: 8% 4. December: 7.5% 5. April: 7% Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Flower Shop: 18% 2. Annuals: 15.6% 3. Water Garden: 12% Retail Figures
Gross Margin: 54%
Marketing (percentage of sales): 3.5% Labour (percentage of sales): 23% Lowest hourly wage: $11.60
Total sales category: $3 300 000
Growers, wholesalers and retailers of plants and garden products in Ontario for over 100 years. We are growers of over 300 acres of nursery stock, employing the latest technologies of Container, Pot-in-Pot Shade Tree production, Greenhouse, & Field growing. Supplying landscape contractors across Ontario, we are also open to the public at our three convenient sales yard locations. Certification Programs: Work closely with Landscape Ontario to deliver Landscape Industry Certification programs each winter, by hosting Landscape Industry Certification courses at both the Waterdown and Trenton locations. What makes Connon’s unique? We are extremely focused on hardy outdoor plants and providing an overall horticultural experience. Our primary market is the professional landscape contractor market. Events: Association events with Landscape Ontario - fall event at the arrival of Hardy Mums Horticultural Society Events - offer our facilities for educational seminars Outreach Events - we look for opportunities to let the community (i.e. local youth centres) use the large meeting space for fundraising campaigns - it is great exposure! How has it changed since its opening? We have become much more streamlined in our product offering, as well as improved our relevancy to today’s demographics and upcoming generations.
Business Profile Established: 1906
3. Nursery Grower: 300 acres of perennials & ornamental grasses, shade trees, flowering shrubs, evergreens. We grow approximately 65% of our requirements, and work with many growers in Canada and the US for the balance.
Square footage: Total acreage just over 300 including sales & production yards.
Top 3 Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. April Representing 49% of 2. May annual sales 3. June
Family owned
Permanent Locations: 2 selling locations: Waterdown & Trenton 4 growing locations: 300 acres (121 ha)
Employees: 225 (75 full time), including production facilities The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: within an hour of each location
Population of drawing radius: 1,000,000+ Competing garden centres in radius: 10+
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Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Outdoor Hardy Nursery Stock (including Perennials): 90% 2. Supporting Products (Hard-goods & Garden Related): 9%
3. Annuals & Seasonal Live Product: 1%
Box stores in radius: 20+
Retail Figures
Additional Services 1. Greenhouse Grower for perennials and ornamental grasses. When we are running at full capacity, we produce up to 15,000 one gallon perennials & ornamental grasses each day.
Marketing (percentage of sales): 1.5%
2. Wholesale: approximately 75% of total sales
Gross Margin: 40%
Labour (percentage of sales): 16.5% Lowest hourly wage: $12
Highest hourly wage: $60
For almost a century, Sheridan Nurseries has been providing superior products, services and helpful advice. We pride ourselves on our selection and quality, exceptional guest service and knowledgeable staff who are trained to answer just about any gardening questions you may have. Sheridan Nurseries was founded in 1913 in a town called Sheridan, Ontario (now known as Oakville). We have grown a lot since then: 8 Garden Centres and over 900 acres of farmland. We are also a major supplier of goods to garden centres in eastern Canada and the U.S.A. Our nursery has also been responsible for several plant introductions including Green Gem and DeGroot’s Spire Cedar. Awards: 1999-2001 one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, 2013 Ontario Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation, 2016 and 2017 Canada’s 100 Greenest Employers What makes Sheridan Nurseries unique? We offer superior service and as many custom services as possible that box stores do not provide. These include custom design, B2B services, free re-potting of indoor plants, free fertilizer program, custom containers, etc. We also offer an industry leading two year warranty on all hardy nursery stock. How has it changed since its opening? We purchased our major competitor 14 years ago and now cover the entire Greater Toronto market. Toronto Location Awards 2014 Canadian Garden Centre of the Year
The Local Market
Market area: 10 km Company-wide Business Profile
Private company with family control. Established: 1913
Overall Sales: $42 million+ in retail and $20 million+ in wholesale
Number of Employees: 225 - 800+ Locations: Permanent: 7 Seasonal: 1
Marketing percentage of sales: 2.5%
Population in market area: 1M+
Competing garden centres in area: 5
Competing grocery stores in area: 30 Box stores in area: 12 Top 5 Sales Months 1. May 2. June 3. December 4. April 5. November.
Established: 1952
Top 5 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Annuals: 24% 2. Hardy Nursery Stock: 16% 3. Christmas: 12% 4. Custom work and containers: 11% 5. Perennials: 9%
Part-time or seasonal employees: 74
Retail Figures
Additional Services: Wholesale grower, landscape design & corporate installations.
Toronto Location Full-time employees: 18
Size: Property size: 16,000 sq ft (1486.4 m2) Retail covered area size: 5,700 sq ft (530 m2)
Total sales: $8,500,000
Parking spaces: 3 plus 20 half hour public parking spots on the street
Transactions per year: 87,000+
Including store and non-heated shopping areas.
Maximum 64 staff full and part-time on at any one time.
Average gross margin: 48%
Labour as a percentage of sales: 16% Including benefits
Lowest hourly wage rate: $11.60 soon to be $14.00
4. Bagged Goods: 8% 5. Custom work and containers: 5%
Georgetown Location
Retail Figures
Full-time employees: 4
Average gross margin: 44%
Established: 1994
Total sales: $1.3 million
Part-time or seasonal employees: 12
Labour as a percentage of sales: 23%
Property size: 43,000 sq ft (3,995 m2)
Retail covered area size: 1,000 sq ft (93 m2) Including store and non-heated shopping areas.
Parking spaces: 20
Including benefits
Transactions per year: 16,000+
Lowest hourly wage rate: $11.60 soon to be $14.00
The Local Market
Market area: 15 km
Population in market area: 100,000
Competing garden centres in area: 2 Box stores in area: 17
Established: 1957
Full-time employees: 48
Part-time or seasonal employees: 103 contract, 60 seasonal
Top 5 Sales Months 1. May 2. June 3. July 4. September 5. October
Property size: 900 acres (364 ha)
Top 5 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Hardy Nursery Stock: 43% 2. Perennials: 13% 3. Annuals: 13%
Awards
Retail covered area size: 32 km of covered houses Total sales: $21M+
Market Area: 6 Eastern provinces 2012 & 2013 Canadian Grower of the Year
2012 & 2013 International Grower of the Year *The only company to have ever achieved both these awards two years in a row.
In 1956, Edwards Gardens was opened to the public and the Garden Club of Toronto shared Milne House facilities with The Federation of Ontario Naturalists. The Garden Club dreamed of establishing a centre which would provide horticultural information to Torontonians; the Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) was the result of that dream. Since then, the TBG has greatly expanded its programs and services. In 2006, the TBG opened a series of contemporary themed gardens spanning nearly four acres. These unique green spaces are designed for Torontonians and visitors to enjoy and engage in the splendour of nature, while learning practical applications for their own gardens. The gardens reflect the scale of a typical urban setting, making it easy for visitors to translate the ideas presented into their own gardens. The gardens are open year-round from dawn until dusk and admission is free of charge. The TBG also offers a complete range of indoor and outdoor learning experiences for all ages including courses, lectures, workshops, special events, garden tours and an extensive horticultural library. Children’s programs for schools, community groups and individuals take place year-round in either The James Boyd Children’s Centre or outdoor Teaching Garden located within Edwards Gardens. The George and Kathy Dembroski Centre for Horticulture, renovated in 2005, has won a Toronto Green Award and has received a silver-rated LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Design). The TBG is both a building and a spirit. The architecturally significant building is located in Toronto’s Edwards Gardens. The spirit is a compilation of hopes and dreams of many people – from those who first settled the property to those who are drawn here today because of their love of gardening.
Bonus Point! Take a picture of your favourite flower and tag your bus and the TBG @TBG_Canada
Guests will be treated to dinner and dancing on Toronto’s largest open deck dance floor, all while enjoying a spectacular nighttime view of the city’s skyline.
Bonus Point! Take a picture of the Toronto Skyline and tag your bus
The sound is like thunder; the sight is awe-inspiring! IGCC Delegates will take a journey deep below and behind the heart of Niagara, and stand in the mist where the mighty Horseshoe Falls tumbles from 13 storeys above! At Journey Behind the Falls, you’ll experience the awesome spectacle of one-fifth of the world’s fresh water crashing down to the basin below. During summer daylight hours, over 2,800 cubic meters of water thunders over the brink every second, traveling 65 kilometers per hour! Bonus Point! Take a picture that contains three people wearing red ponchos and tag your bus
Winkelmolen Nursery was founded in the spring of 1979. Our nursery started on 15 acres with 10,000 seedlings. The farm was purchased the previous summer and most of 1978 was spent cleaning up old greenhouses. Within four years, the farm was filled to capacity. Over the next few decades a few more farms were purchased for a total of 875 acres. We started growing some of our own seedlings in the 1980s; the seeds are collected locally by our certified seed collector or purchased from Ontario seed sources whenever possible. We are located in seedzone 37 and also collect from zones 32 and 33. We grow a wide variety of native trees from these collected seeds. Seedlings are transplanted into the field for one or two summers and then either left to grow on or budded and grafted. We also grow a large selection of different top grafted varieties, ranging from weeping peashrub to weeping elm. Even though we started out mainly as a bare-root grower, we have expanded into container trees. We grow native trees in 2, 3 and 5 gallon pots for naturalizing, but also put an extensive selection of our quality bare root trees in a 5, 7, 10, 12 or 16 gallon containers. We hold them for one season to allow them to root and they are ready to ship the next season. These trees will arrive at your garden center or jobsite ready to sell or plant. We are continuing to grow as a family nursery with the addition of Jan and Ans’s sons Nick and Jeff over the last five years. With the addition of the second generation, we will continue to produce high quality product for many years to come.
Business Profile Family owned
Generations in the business: 2 Established: 1979
Property size: 875 acres (354 ha)
Cold storage: 85,000 sq ft (7,896 m2) Customers: 400 - 500
Busiest months: March to May for harvesting and shipping October and November for harvesting Number of varieties produced: 400 - 450 Labour Figures
Full time employees: 20
Offshore labour: 42 Summer students / part-time: 10 - 15
Labour as a percentage of production cost: 40-45% including benefits
Lowest hourly wage rate: $12 soon to be $14.00 in 2018 and $15.00 in 2019
The Local Market
Market area: from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland (about 4,000 km)
Population in market area: 40 million+ Top 3 Product Categories 1. Bare root 2. Container 3. Wire basket Top 3 Sales Categories 1. Independent garden centers 2. Wholesale nurseries 3. Municipalities, conservation authorities and government organizations Awards 2014 Canadian Grower of the Year 2014 AIPH Grower of the year finalist
A commercial and residential district located east of downtown, containing numerous cafĂŠs, restaurants, and shops housed within heritage buildings of the former Gooderham and Worts Distillery. The 13 acres (5.3 ha) district comprises more than forty heritage buildings and ten streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. The district was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988. Congress delegates will have three hours of free time to explore the district as well as other areas downtown Toronto on Tuesday. Bonus Point! Take a picture under the Gooderham & Worts sign and tag your bus
Holland Park Garden Centre was founded in 1966 in the west end of Toronto, Ontario. Holland Park Garden Centre relocated to Burlington, Ontario, in 1974 and built the present location in 1981. A second location in Dundas, Ontario was added in 1989. The business is presently owned by Joe and his daughter Jennie. The Burlington Garden Centre encompasses 6.5 acres with a 50,000 square-foot showroom / greenhouse. We have been able to expand our product line over the years to include patio furniture, landscape design service, water gardening and a unique Christmas display featuring crafts, gifts, decorations, everlasting and live trees and related accessories. The Dundas store boasts a unique retail greenhouse design that allows customers easy access to products and services. Holland Park Garden Gallery is known for our unique combination of “hands-on� personal service (usually found at much smaller centres) teamed with a huge selection of the best quality gardening live goods and supplies. What makes Holland Park unique? 50,000 square feet of Christmas wonderland featuring over 40 themes and decorated trees. Events: Annual Easter Egg Hunt (30+ years) Christmas Open House (2 evenings and 3,000+ customers) Annual Garage Sale
Business Profile Family owned
Incorporated: 1966
Locations: Burlington & Dundas
Top 3 Sales Months 1. May 2. June 3. November
Size: Burlington Store is 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) of land, with a 15,000 sq ft (1394 m2) showroom / greenhouse
Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Annuals: 17.77% 2. Christmas: 15.9% 3. Nursery: 15.42%
The Local Market
Retail Figures
Population in market area 1 million+
Marketing (percentage of sales): 3.73%
Box stores in area: 7
Lowest hourly wage: $11.40
Market area: 75km (Niagara to Toronto)
Gross Margin: 45%
Competing garden centres in area: 4
Labour - 24%
Departments Annuals Nursery Indoor Plants & Cuts Pots Indoor Hard Goods Outdoor Hard Goods Floral, Giftware, Boutique Patio Furniture Christmas
Highest hourly wage: $28.85 Awards
Mapleview Mall ‘Fleurs de Ville’ - Best of Show & Fan Favourite Retailer of the Year - Retail Council of Canada Various Reader’s Choice Awards
Various individual awards for designers
We will enjoy a hockey themed meal, photos with the Stanley Cup, plus time to explore and interact at this fun attraction. Delegates may want to brush up on their hockey skills and trivia prior to this visit!
The TERRA that gardeners enjoy today is a product of the vision of Jim Pepetone. From the days of his youth growing up over the family fruit market in downtown Toronto to today, Jim has been committed to providing freshness and quality. These values instilled in him by his father, have become a way of life as his sons have joined him in building the dream that is now TERRA. TERRA operates five retail garden centres with full production capability. They are located in Burlington, Waterdown, Vaughan, Hamilton and on the Mississauga / Milton border. We now employ a large team of experienced and knowledgeable people and under the mentorship of Jim and his family have been proud to launch the careers of many young college students, hundreds of whom we employ each summer. All of this and a future that we very much look forward to has stemmed from that long-standing Pepetone family commitment to old fashioned value and service. We are proud to service our guests and the communities in which we are located. What makes Holland Park unique? Our creativity and fresh colour! Events: Workshops Winter Market Christmas Town Kids Crafts
Business Profile
Retail Figures
Established: 1991
Labour (percentage of sales): 18%
Family owned
Permanent Locations: 4
Square footage: 50,000+ sq ft (4,645 m2) The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: 100km
Population of drawing radius: 2 million Box stores in radius: 4 Departments Nursery Perennials Fashion Home DĂŠcor Dry Goods Pond Top 3 Sales Months 1. April 2. May 3. June
Marketing (percentage of sales): 3% Lowest hourly wage: minimum wage Awards FCC and CNLA
The founders of Van Dongens Landscaping & Nurseries Limited were born in a small town called Dongen in southern Holland. Michael was born in the year 1920 and Petronella was born in 1922. In February of 1953 the two of them immigrated to Canada with their two daughters Helen and Suzanne. Soon after emigrating, they had their only son Adrian and they purchased their first nursery on Dundas Street near Dixie Road in Mississauga. With Michael and Petronella’s knowledge of horticulture, business savvy and devoted work ethic, what began as a small lawn care business soon became a complete garden centre, selling everything from trees and shrubs to fountains and interlocking. Several other nurseries were purchased in Newcastle, Caledon, Oakville, and two in Milton to supply the garden centre and the expanding landscape department. Over the next decades, Van Dongen’s expanded with a bigger team of professionals that would change the garden centre into an outdoor living centre. We have increased our number of varieties of plants and trees, introduced many new lines of furniture, indoor and outdoor decorations, garden accents, and services offered. We have become a destination Garden Centre by opening up many family attractions. We have created a cedar maze, stocked a fishing pond, offer paddle boat rides, and many other attractions for family fun. We are also pairing with the community by making all of these attractions donation based, where the proceeds will go to the United Way and the Ontario Chapter of the Breast Cancer Foundation. Two organizations that remain close to the Van Dongen family. What makes Van Dongen’s unique? Relationships with clients, post service via Garden Club and computer infrastructure.
Business Profile Privately owned
Established: 1953
Permanent Locations: 1
Size: Square footage: 6,500 sq ft (604 m2) Seasonal covered: 20,000 sq ft (1,858 m2) Garden centre: 100,000 sq ft (9,290 m2) Farms: 250+ acres (101 ha)
Retail Figures
Marketing (percentage of sales): 1%
The Local Market
Drawing radius: 70km
Population in drawing radius: 3 million+
Competing garden centres in radius: 10+ Box stores in radius: 100+ Departments Garden Centre Greenhouse Nursery
Additional Services (percentage of sales) Nursery (Large Trees): 37% Garden Centre: 19% Landscape: 14% Stone Lot: 11% Hard Goods: 10% Seasonal (Christmas): 8% Plant Care: 1%
100,000 sq ft (9,290 m2) 15,000 sq ft (1,394 m2) 250 acres (101 ha)
Top Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. Second quarter: 45% 2. Third quarter: 27% 3. Fourth quarter: 26% 4. First quarter: 2%
Labour (percentage of sales): 23% Total Sales Split: Retail: 76% Landscape/Wholesale: 20% Other: 4% Average ticket: $254.00
Canadian Shieldâ„¢ Rose
Humber Nurseries Limited is Ontario’s largest, all-season outdoor living centre. Located on 24 acres in the southeast corner of Brampton, with a 100-acre growing farm in Caledon East that helps support the demand for high quality landscape plants, locally grown at competitive prices. Humber is also an industry leader in the production and supply of annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs and aquatic plants with varieties that are not commonly available at other nurseries and garden centres. When you visit, you will find over 135 different varieties of ornamental grasses, 3,000 different perennials, 190 herbs and over 60 aquatic plants growing in our greenhouses, along with a selection of trees, shrubs and evergreens that is second to none. From the most common shrubs to the most exotic of trees, you can find them all here. We further meet your outdoor living needs, by offering a full range of patio stone and retaining wall systems, natural rockery stone, fencing, bulk soils and many other items are available to get your projects started or to add that special finishing touch. What makes Humber Nurseries unique? Our size, selection and the combination of services and products we offer. Events: Interlock training events, Spring Pond Day, Build-a-Pond training day, Charity Auction, Ornamental Grass Festical, and Christmas Urn seminar.
Business Profile Family owned
Established: 1948
Permanent Locations: 1
Square footage: 24 acres (10 ha) The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: 50km
Population of drawing radius: 6.5 million Competing garden centres in area: 9 Box stores in area: 5
Departments Inside store Outside store Shrubs Roses Potted Trees Fruit Trees & Fruit Wire Basket Trees Perennials Tropicals Aquatics Annuals Vegetables Interlock Stone and Bulk products
Top 3 Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. May: 32% 2. June: 20% 3. July: 12% Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Nursery Stock: 32% 2. Hard Goods: 31% 3. Perennials: 12% Retail Figures (percentage of sales) Marketing: 1.04% Labour: 22%
Awards Numerous Landscape Ontario awards
Boutique Garden Centre | Landscape Design Build | Blossom CafĂŠ Pathways to Perennials, a landscape design and build company with over 35 years experience in the industry. They have appeared as gardening experts on television, radio and in print. The mission of Pathways to Perennials is to custom design and construct liveable landscapes that excite and enhance the families we serve in a professional, profitable manner while maintaining an ecological balance. The vision of Pathways to Perennials is to create an enterprise that celebrates nature, welcomes children, encourages continual education and respects all life.
Business Profile Family owned
Established: Garden Centre 1994 Café 2012 Landscaping 1980
Size: Square footage: 11.3 acres (5 ha) Retail covered areas: 3,200 sq ft (297m2) Retail uncovered area: half an acre Café indoor size: 450 sq ft (42m2) Café patio / outdoor size: 850 sq ft (79m2) Parking Spaces: 11 plus 40 overflow Full-time employees: 6
The Local Market Market radius: 25km Population of drawing radius: 1 M+
Competing garden centres in radius: 8 Competing grocery stores in radius: 8 Box stores in radius: 12
Top 5 Retail Sales Months (percentage of sales)
1. May: 22% 2. June: 20% 3. July: 10% 4. November: 10% 5. December: 10%
Part-time / seasonal employees: 15
Top 5 Retail Sales Categories
Retail Figures
1. General Gift: 26% 2. Perennials, Trees and Shrubs: 18% 3. Christmas: 11.5% 4. Natural Insect Control: 5.2% 5. Annuals: 5%
Total Sales: $1 million Landscaping: 65% Retail: 28% Café: 7%
Average gross margin: 46%
Labour as percentage of sales: Landscaping: 27% Retail and Café: 35% Transactions per year: 4,800 Lowest hourly wage: $12.00
(percentage of sales)
Awards Hard Goods Display Award
With two locations to serve you better, Bradford Greenhouses is your one-stop-shop to fulfill all of your home dÊcor and garden needs. Shop over 87,000 square feet of nursery stock at our Barrie location, rain or shine, in one of Ontario’s only indoor climate controlled nurseries. With thousands of varieties to choose from, our selection ranges from traditional to unique and ornate, you will surely find the right perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, or roses that best reflect your garden and sense of style. If you are in the market to spruce up your annual flowerbeds, our Bradford location boasts 10 acres of greenhouses where we grow and supply only the highest quality product to garden centres all across Ontario. What makes Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery unique? The size of garden centre with it all being under one roof, selection of product, knowledgeable staff, unique displays that change with the season and we offer a School Fundraiser Program. Certification Programs Pesticide License Machinery Certification Floral Certification We also partake in Co-Op programs for Landscape Design, Horticultural Technician and IT Technical Support Certification
Business Profile Family owned
Top 3 Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. May: 30% 2. June: 15% 3. November: 10%
Permanent Locations: 2
Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Greenhouse: 26% 2. Home/Outdoor Decor: 17% 3. Nursery: 14%
Established: Bradford Greenhouses 1961 First Retail Store 1975 (Bradford) Flagship Store 1993 (Barrie) Square Footage Barrie 192,000 sq ft (4.4 acres / 2 ha) Bradford Retail 99,000 sq ft (9,197m2) Bradford Wholesale 28 acres (11 ha) Full-time employees: 65
Part-time employees: 160 avg. The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: 50km
Population of drawing radius: 1 million+ Competing garden centres in area: 4 Competing grocery stores in area: 2 Box stores in area: 4
Additional Services
Greenhouse grower / Wholesale: 50% sales combined
Retail Figures
Gross Margin: 46%
Marketing (percentage of sales): 3.4% Labour (percentage of sales): 17% Lowest hourly wage: $11.60 Total sales: 10 million+
Transactions per year: 270,000+ Awards
Garden Centre of the Year 2016
Retail Business Excellence 2005
The business we see today began as a small greenhouse selling seasonal potted plants in 1961 by Gerrit and Pieternella Vermeer, Jerry and Nell, as they were always known, were born in the region of Westland, the Netherlands, and started their married life there in February 1952. In December 1961 Jerry and Nell purchased Emmon’s Flowers on South Pelham St. in Welland, Ontario. Times were tough as they worked hard to start a new business and provide a good happy home for their family. The dream of becoming a garden centre became a reality with the first wing of the garden centre being built in 1997, and the second wing opening only one year later. The first crops grown included potted Easter Lilies, bedding plants, and cut flowers such as Chrysanthemums and Snapdragons. Even Tomatoes and Cucumbers were grown before the decision was made to grow only Left to Right: Family Picture, Gerry, Margaret, Karin, Irene, and Lorraine Vermeerseasonal potted plants and bedding plants. We now grow Poinsettias, Easter Lilies, Hydrangeas, Primulas (3 varieties), Oxalis (shamrocks), Cyclamen, Ornamental Peppers, bedding plants and hanging baskets in our production area which now covers approximately 55,000 sq. ft. In the summer of 1975 a retail shop was built with various renovations occurring throughout the years. What makes Vermeer’s unique? Family owned wholesale retail, grows and retails almost all of our own seasonal plants (Annuals, Poinsettias, Hydrangeas, Easter lilies and Hardy Mums).
Business Profile
Top 3 Sales Categories (percentage of sales) 1. Floral: 20% 2. Giftware: 16% 3. Annuals: 13%
Family owned
Established: 1961
Permanent Locations: 1
Retail Figures
Square Footage:
Gross Margin: 44%
Retail 4,000 sq ft (372 m ) 2
Garden Centre 40,000 sq ft (3,716 m ) 2
Greenhouse 65,000 sq ft (6,039 m ) 2
Percentage of sales: Greenhouse Grower Wholesale 56%
The Local Market
Size of drawing radius: 20km
Population of drawing radius: 250 000 Competing garden centres in area: 8
Top 3 Sales Months (percentage of sales) 1. May: 22% 2. June: 14.5% 3. November: 12%
Profit Margin: 8%
Marketing (percentage of sales): 3.4% Labour (percentage of sales): 25% Awards
Specialty Niche 2003 CGTA Special Events
Heirlooms Artisan Market Christmas Open House Fall Festival
Enjoy Canada’s number one visitor experience by enjoying an up close tour of Niagara Falls onboard Hornblower Niagara Cruises! IGCC delegates should get ready to get a little misty (actually quite soaked), while experiencing the thundering roar, awesome power and amazing mist of the mighty Niagara Falls! Delegates may want to bring a change of shoes and clothes on Friday mornings tour day, depending how up close and personal you would like to get with the Falls on the cruise. We will dry-off and take lunch at Jackson Triggs Winery, while also taking a wine tour and tasting at this famous vineyard. Delegates also have the option of exploring the beautiful village of Niagara-on-the-Lake. A great opportunity to get some shopping done or just enjoy the view of the Niagara River. Bonus Point! Take a picture of someone getting soaked by Niagara Falls and tag your bus
In 2018, the Czech Republic will be the host of the International Garden Centre Congress. For the first time, the congress will be held in a post-Soviet country, in the heart of Europe. The country where the river Labe springs and where Antonín Dvořák, Franz Kafka and Jaromír Jágr were born. It is a country with one of the world’s most beautiful cities as its capital - Prague. The country with many castles and palaces as abodes of ancient and present-day aristocratic dynasties, with castle gardens that are integral parts of these abodes and many of them are registered on the UNESCO list. The country that has been enjoying its freedom for 29 years and develops free entrepreneurship thanks to this freedom. During your visit, you will see several independent garden centres. Some of them have picked up the threads of the family gardening tradition interrupted by years of lack of freedom and loss of property. Some of them are newly established businesses. You will visit the largest local ornamental nursery, a newly open modern candle factory and a progressive producer of design flower packages. You will visit the gardens of the Prague Castle and gardens in Český Krumlov.
We will show you our country in its entire beauty and diversity. During the congress, you will visit a renowned brewery, many preserved historic monuments and natural heritage. In our country, it has always been a tradition to eat and drink abundantly and during the congress it won’t be otherwise. We invite you to our little, beautiful country where the garden centre business has been established in the last 20 years. It is an immense honour for us to welcome the world of gardening. IGCA Congress 2018 Sdružení zahradnických center s.r.o. Na Dračkách 405/49 162 00 Prague 6 Czech Republic www.igca2018.cz
Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery 4346 Highway 90 Springwater, ON L9X 1T7 (705) 725-1845 http://bradfordgreenhouses.com Cole’s Florist 147 Main St E Grimsby, ON L3M 1P2 (905) 945-2219 http://colesflorist.ca Connon Nurseries CBV 656 Robson Rd Waterdown, ON L0R 2H1 (905) 689-7433 http://connon.ca Holland Park Garden Gallery 2243 Fairview St Burlington, ON L7R 2E1 (905) 639-7740 http://hollandpark.com
Humber Nurseries 8386 Hwy 50 Brampton, ON L6T 0A5 (905) 794-0555 https://gardencentre.com
Terra Greenhouses 12800 Britannia Rd Milton, ON L0P 1E0 (905) 876-4000 https://terragreenhouses.com
Pathways to Perennials 4681 Lloydtown-Aurora Rd King, ON L7B 0E3 (905) 939-8680 http://pathwaystoperennials.com
Toronto Botanical Garden 777 Lawrence Ave E North York, ON M3C 1P2 (416) 397-1340 https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca
Sheridan Nurseries Georgetown 12266 10 Line Georgetown, ON L7G 4S7 (905) 873-7547 http://sheridannurseries.com
Van Dongen’s Garden Centre 6750 Trafalgar Rd Milton, ON L0P 1E0 (905) 878-1105 http://vandongens.com
Sheridan Nurseries Toronto 2827 Yonge St Toronto, ON M4N 2J4 (416) 481-6429 http://sheridannurseries.com
Vermeer’s Garden Centre & Flower Shop 684 S Pelham Rd Welland, ON L3C 3C8 (905) 735-5744 http://vermeers.ca
Winkelmolen Nursery 148 Lynden Rd Lynden, ON L0R 1T0 (519) 647-3912 http://winkelmolen.com
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International Garden Centre Congress www.igcacanada2017.ca