THE RIGHT TEAM AND INFRASTRUCTURE AT HAARS NURSERY

By Matt Ross

Having experienced rapid and considerable growth in recent years, Haars Nursery have been focusing on consolidating their team, processes, and infrastructure, to be the agile business they want to be. We visited their Lyndhurst and Somerville sites to meet the team and learn more about the changes they’ve made to support continued growth.

Established in 1981, Haars Nursery has grown through strong relationships with international breeders, investment in quarantine, elite and mother stock facilities across two sites, as well as an inhouse propagation division to ensure they have control over a high-quality supply chain.

They are committed to providing the market with quality flowering indoor and outdoor plants, an extensive range of herbs and vegetables, including The Diggers range, hanging baskets and shrubs for garden landscapes, which are clean, virus indexed, and great performers in Australian gardens.

Haars have represented the genetics of many of the world’s best breeders for years and these relationships continue to strengthen and evolve.

The right team

The Haars senior management team, understand the importance of having the right people in the right positions. Over the last two years they’ve invested in strengthening the management team to take the business forward.

Damian North was brought in as Head of Operations, 18 months ago. Formerly in the wine industry Damian is enjoying his first role in horticulture and has been focusing on establishing efficient processes across the business to ensure they are ready for the next phase of growth. Damian has introduced centralised systems for everything from workplace safety, production planning and despatch management offering every department across the business with access to up-to-date information and records.

‘As a business, we had reached a point where our systems and processes weren’t as efficient or as agile as they needed to be to keep up with demand for our stock. I’ve been focusing on embedding the right infrastructure to allow the team to do their jobs to the best of their abilities, without coming up against obstacles. I’m confident we now have the right environment to bring everyone on the journey.’

It’s not unusual at Haars that Damian was recruited from outside the industry. With a focus on driving a great culture, the Haars leadership team are more concerned with bringing the right people in to the team than selecting for industry experience.

‘We want to reach those individuals who may never have considered horticulture as a viable career choice, and believe we’ve created an environment and culture to allow the right people to thrive, no matter what past experience they might have.

‘We take a broad approach to recruitment. We’ve developed relationships with local councils and TAFE institutions, to promote horticulture as an outstanding career choice, highlighting the variety of roles and the opportunity for ongoing learning. We also advertise roles through the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria.’

New Fuchsia Shadow Dancer varieties – Shanaya, selected for its colour, form and flowering time.

Emily Moorhead, Propagation Supervisor, Haars Lyndhurst with team member.

Kylie Balmain and Rob Thorpe – members of the team, supporting the development of the propogation and genetics division.

It’s that expansive approach to recruitment that saw Haars identify Matthew Robertson in March last year. Now the Head Grower for their Propagation Department, Matthew was studying horticulture having pivoted from a career in manufacturing. He was seeking hands on experience to supplement his studies and fast track his career in horticulture, having come into the industry at 35 years old.

‘Having previously studied biology, the transition into horticulture has come quite naturally, I was able to grasp horticultural concepts given my scientific background. I spoke with Jordan and Damian, making them aware of my desire to take on more responsibility and progress my career.

To their credit, they listened, and I’ve quickly established myself as the Head Grower in Propagation, a role I’m really enjoying. It’s something I’ve really noticed during my time at Haars, it’s a business that listens to its employees and when appropriate acts on their feedback, and that’s really refreshing. I now manage a young, dynamic, enthusiastic team and I in turn take a lot of pride in being open to their input and helping them to develop their skillset,’ said Matthew.

Another key introduction to the team was Emily Moorhead. She too came from outside of the industry, previously working in hospitality, her enthusiasm, professionalism and capacity to learn, has seen her climb the ranks to the position of propagation supervisor at the Lyndhurst site.

‘I’d never really considered horticulture as a career choice. A friend who works at Haars suggested I give it a go and I haven’t looked back; I love it. The variety of work, the constant learning, the opportunity to work outdoors and create life, all make it such a rewarding industry and I’d encourage other young people to give it a go,’ enthused Emily.

The right infrastructure

One of approximately 40 new Pelargonium varieites Haars have brought to the market P. Mexica Ruby.

New Range the Belleconia Begonia’s perfectly suited for baskets, B. Belleconia Soft Orange.

Great winter colour lines, with new vareities of Erysimum being introduced. E. Winter Orchid Establishing an in-house propagation division at both their Lyndhurst and Somerville sites has given the business more control to adapt to changing market demands, emerging sales trends and quality over the supply chain. This division also enables the team to develop technical skill in propagation and mother stock management. Broadening the skill set of the team provides more development opportunities and improves labour flexibility through the seasons. In two years, they’ve gone from outsourcing propagation to doing 80 per cent of their own.

‘The flexibility of in-house propagation has allowed us to deliver the right product, at the right time, in the right quantity into the retail channel. We’ve learnt a lot in the last couple of years about how important that quality control and agility is,’ said Kylie Balmain.

They’ve also invested in automation and technologies across the two sites allowing them to control the growing environment to improve quality, conduct growing trials of new genetics, and introduce more diversity into the range.

Rolling benches, temperature control, shade, feed & spray systems, and blackout facilities, have all been added over the last couple of years.

Haars Nursery are supplying over 10 million plants a year to their customer base of partner growers (from WA, NSW, TAS & QLD) as well as strong retailers, and the landscape industry. Their focus on innovation, agility and quality remains a constant. The team’s position in the industry is also being strengthened by obtaining well recognised accreditations such as Fair Farms status.

Establishing their own bio-security houses, elite mother stock facilities, combined with a knowledgeable, passionate team and access to new plant genetics, makes the next chapter of growth and diversification for the business a very exciting one.