UAC NEWS
Dear UAC Members and Supporters, It’s been great to interact in person with so many of our members the past few months! If you have talked with colleagues from other areas of the US and Canada during the last year, you realize how fortunate we are in Georgia to have had the freedom to continue working and living our lives (safely and healthily) these recent months. Despite the challenges, business-wise, 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been banner years! Demand is up and continues, but landscape contractors are concerned about having to turn away for two reasons: lack of labor and supply chain challenges.
Looking ahead
been in the market 4“I’ve for 30 years and have
never seen it like this – it’s a supplier’s market.”
is tightening up, 4“Product and we are seeing growers
protect crops for this fall and next spring by limiting current availability and not selling into future crops. Anything new on the market in the last three years does not have the numbers behind it in production to sustain it during a crunch like this. This goes for trees and shrubs.”
I contacted several of our members to ask them what they have encountered, and their outlook for the remainder of 2021 and beyond. Here is a sampling of their comments:
“Raw material shortages are a real issue - resin for 4 containers, PVC and possibly even pine bark for were fortunate to see some of the demand coming, potting. Growers are having a 2 to 3 month lag time 4“We so we gambled and purchased (plants) very heavily in in getting containers and our main irrigation supplier the fall and winter, and still hade most items available for sale through May. Early June, we are seeing many suppliers with extremely limited availabilities but the promise of more product by July/August is encouraging. “
tells us their PVC manufacturer is not taking any new orders at this time.”
is also a large concern. We have already 4“Inflation seen the price increases on the front end with timbers,
late May, sod supplies were scarce. 4“Through Hopefully, with warm weather, sod suppliers should be back online in mid-June.”
to suppliers: Honor your customers and you’ll 4“Advice come out ahead. Be upright and honest in how you
4 from Tennessee – wait time is 3-4 months 4“Riverstone – no labor!” stone and wall building systems have been 4“Man-made rationed over the last 12 months or so due to labor “Hardlines have been extremely profitable over the last 18+ months, but supplies have continued to dwindle.”
and raw material shortages. Demand has far exceeded supply and there is a waiting list for product.”
have tripled in price due to shortages along 4“Timbers with pinestraw and prices are increasing.” of all sectors of our business, hardlines has 4“Out suffered the most (to date) due to the shortages. Sales, however, remain high – almost at a record pace. “
is the root cause of these shortages as West 4“COVID Coast harbors had not received freight for a long
period of time. Combine this with the labor shortage, both locally and nationally and I believe this industry, as well as many, will be held back only by the amount of product that can be produced given the potential shortage of materials.”
mulches, etc. I believe it is only a matter of time before that increase trickles down to the grower and ultimately to the consumer.”
communicate to them – don’t promise what you can’t deliver!” Christian Roberson, Buck Jones Nursery, said it best:
“Despite all of the challenges, we are grateful for the tremendous year we have had to date, and we are hopeful for a strong second half of the year. Challenges are a part of every business and the job would be far less interesting if everything just fell into place. As I like to say, 'It’s farming.' We all strive to do the best we can do, put all of our best practices in place, and in the end, put it all in God’s hands.” Have a wonderful and prosperous summer and I look forward to hearing from our members!
Mary Kay Woodworth | Executive Director SUMMER 2021 |
5
