FNGLA's March 2016 Greenline

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March 2016 | Volume 37, Issue 3

FNGLA’S MONTHLY PUBLICATION: DIGITAL MONTHLY ISSUE LOCATED AT HTTP://GREENLINE.FNGLA.ORG

The Real Business Value of Membership? You Bet and it’s Time to Renew Your Commitment By: Ben Bolusky, FNGLA’s Chief Executive Officer Return on investment. Tangible value. Thunk value. Bottom-line value. All of these “catch phrases” are kicked around by industry associations when trying to convey worth and usefulness to their members. It’s not an easy task as human nature’s short-term memory almost always trumps spin and positioning. Members of all associations routinely ask, “What’s my association done for me…lately?” FNGLA and its members are no different. So, every once in a blue moon, it’s good to be reminded FNGLA membership has real business value for you. To underscore this point, I wish to take a uniquely different tack. Here goes: Imagine Florida with no FNGLA… • Nursery production would not be recognized as part of agriculture. • Greenbelt tax assessments would not be available to nurseries. • Landscape irrigation rules would be so restrictive, plant sales would literally dry up. • Highway and road landscaping would be de-funded and installations would end. • Mandatory E-verify for all new hires would be in place. • No fertilizer would be allowed on lawns and landscapes. • Non-native, yet Florida-friendly, plants would be defined as invasive -- and prohibited. • UF/IFAS funding would be hit so badly, nursery/landscape research would end. • Business-disrupting plant shipping quarantines would be the norm, not the exception. • Nurseries would face exorbitant water permit and stormwater assessment fees. • Ag sales tax exemptions would be denied to nursery growers. FNGLA pushes a no-apologies, pro-business, pro-agriculture, pro-environment and pro-jobs agenda. Not to toot FNGLA’s own horn too loudly, yet, with no FNGLA, chances are our industry in Florida would be dysfunctional, politically weak and an easy target for repeated bullying. Of course, we haven’t even touched on the real business value of FNGLA’s two trade show marketing venues – TPIE and Continued page 3

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