Executive Director message

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 Looking ahead 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. “I’ve been in the market for 30 years and have never seen it like this – it’s a supplier’s market.” 4

Despite the challenges, business-wise, 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been banner years! Demand “Product is tightening up, and we are seeing growers 4 is up and continues, but landscape contractors are protect crops for this fall and next spring concerned about having to turn away for two reasons: by limiting current availability and not selling into lack of labor and supply chain challenges. future crops. Anything new on the market in the last

I contacted several of our members to ask them what three years does not have the numbers behind it in they have encountered, and their outlook for the production to sustain it during a crunch like this. This remainder of 2021 and beyond. Here is a sampling of goes for trees and shrubs.” 4 their comments: “We were fortunate to see some of the demand coming, so we gambled and purchased (plants) very heavily in “Raw material shortages are a real issue - resin for containers, PVC and possibly even pine bark for potting. Growers are having a 2 to 3 month lag time 4 the fall and winter, and still hade most items available in getting containers and our main irrigation supplier for sale through May. Early June, we are seeing tells us their PVC manufacturer is not taking any new many suppliers with extremely limited availabilities orders at this time.” but the promise of more product by July/August is encouraging. “ “Inflation is also a large concern. We have already seen the price increases on the front end with timbers, 4 “Through late May, sod supplies were scarce. Hopefully, with warm weather, sod suppliers should be 4 mulches, etc. I believe it is only a matter of time before that increase trickles down to the grower and back online in mid-June.” ultimately to the consumer.” “Hardlines have been extremely profitable over the last 18+ months, but supplies have continued to dwindle.” “Advice to suppliers: Honor your customers and you’ll come out ahead. Be upright and honest in how you 4 4 “Riverstone from Tennessee – wait time is 3-4 months – no labor!” 4 communicate to them – don’t promise what you can’t deliver!” “Man-made stone and wall building systems have been rationed over the last 12 months or so due to labor 4 Christian Roberson, Buck Jones Nursery, said it best: and raw material shortages. Demand has far exceeded “Despite all of the challenges, we are grateful for supply and there is a waiting list for product.” the tremendous year we have had to date, and we “Timbers have tripled in price due to shortages along with pinestraw and prices are increasing.” 4 are hopeful for a strong second half of the year. Challenges are a part of every business and the job “Out of all sectors of our business, hardlines has suffered the most (to date) due to the shortages. Sales, 4 would be far less interesting if everything just fell into place. As I like to say, 'It’s farming.' We all strive to however, remain high – almost at a record pace. “ do the best we can do, put all of our best practices in “COVID is the root cause of these shortages as West 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, 4 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! as well as many, will be held back only by the amount of product that can be produced given the potential shortage of materials.”