JD PROPAGATION OPENS SUPPLY UP TO AUSTRALIA

By Bobby Birch, JD Propagation

One of the fastest growing propagation businesses in Australia, JD Propagation has recently announced their intent to supply all wholesale nurseries in Australia.

Growing young plants out of season is a challenge that needs to be fully embraced and not feared. This is a specialist part of the industry that requires 100 per cent focus on propagation in order to provide a quality plug tray. The fact is, it takes a dedicated team of passionate people seven days a week, 365 days a year to consistently produce a quality plug and reliable service.

How it all began

Dan Patience has always had an obsession with horticulture. Over 25 years ago, Dan would frequent the local nursery retailers with his mum and empty her purse in exchange for plants and potting mix. In 1997 Dan began a Diploma of Horticulture at Burnley. Six months later he had a need to get entrenched in the industry. This is when Dan secured a job at the largest bedding plant nursery in Victoria; FLORIANA. It was here that he gained a huge amount of knowledge from the likes of Dick Wall and his family, and Production Manager Bruce Wallace. Dan then moved onto Humphris Nursery where Barry Humphris also shared a lot of his expertise and knowledge with Dan. After 10 years in the industry Dan had a brief break, but Jen knew that he would re-enter the industry again.

In 2009, an opportunity opened in the industry to supply plugs to wholesalers, so that demands could be met in the retail market. With Dan’s many years of growing experience and Jen’s business knowledge they put together a plan to create a propagation nursey. Haars Nursery were Jen and Dan’s first customer, and they provided a solid volume for JD Propagation to enter the industry.

It all began with four humble greenhouse structures which they built on Jen’s mum and dad’s farm. Back then they worked long days, seven days a week, with helping hands of family when they had time. It was a very testing time for the two of them, but with many long reassuring chats with the likes of Dave Smith from Bangalay Tubes and Carl Van Loon of Powerplants, Jen and Dan pushed on and grew to love what they did more and more each day.

Fast growth through quality-based relationships.

Within three years JD had outgrown their four greenhouses and the pressure for more growing space grew. Holding and maintaining Motherstock in a virus free environment is critical for successful propagation. When producing plug trays and holding Motherstock, space is a constant balancing act. Within five years the nursery had grown to eight greenhouses and a dedicated Motherstock facility. This was the beginning of ongoing growth.

Seven years in and JD had outgrown the site and had to think and act quickly to keep up with the demand of their growing customer base. This is when they secured the 10-acre block just two doors down. The focus was not only on more room but putting in the right operational framework and technologies to best suit their customer base and the products they required. The new production facility was designed from the ground up and is now separate from the Motherstock facility. The production facility has its own dedicated Tissue Culture Greenhouse to ensure these products are grown in favorable conditions.

Seek and embrace the best

Jen and Dan realised very early in the piece that knowledge and supplier/customer relationships were key to a very successful business. They decided to travel overseas to trade shows like ESSEN, CAST and Week 24 Trials in Europe, to see what the benchmark was and the innovations that were available. They visited some of the highest quality growing facilities and viewed some of the best machinery, automation and of course plants. Quickly it opened their eyes to the possibilities of what they could do for their customers in Australia. One of the greatest benefits of visiting Plant Trials overseas was that it allowed them to establish wonderful breeder relationships which still ensures that JD continues to bring fresh and new products to the Australian market.

The twists and turns of the market

One thing JD have learnt over the past 11 years is that the horticultural industry never stands still. JD Propagation initially started producing vegetative plugs and a small amount of seed plugs. They have since added the importation and de-flask of tissue culture on a large scale from many different parts of the world. The business has had to be flexible and ready for the next challenge on a commercial level. Indoor plants have become a huge part of the industry and something that they believe could suit the JD business model. This evolved into sourcing tissue culture to meet customer demands.

Investing in people

With more people joining the organisation JD worked hard on their systems and dedicated teams were established. This gave the business a strong foundation and the confidence to meet customer demands and take on new product lines. Key Performance Indicators became critical to help schedule and deliver the weekly production requirements. Each week sets a new challenge to be completed, keeping them on track. While the production side of the business was taking shape, they were able to concentrate on a young growing team with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for plug growing.

Implementing a continuous improvement culture

With a large pool of staff and things moving so fast, it became critical that the business became more agile. The leadership team decided to implement a continuous improvement framework based on lean/six sigma principles, and within months every team leader was implementing sustainable improvements across the business. The results have been profound, and you only need to walk around to see how organised the business is today.

The business has a young team of leaders that bring individual skill sets, a desire to learn and get the job done. JD invests in supporting their leadership team with a designated business growth and improvement specialist. It’s a simple philosophy; if our people grow and improve so does the business. One of the most rewarding things for Jen and Dan is not only seeing how the team grows and evolves in the business, but also as individuals.

Moving forward

Jen and Dan believe that the industry is not going to slow down. That is why they continue to source the best genetics and bring them to the Australian market. They have a dedicated Tissue Culture Team who are constantly looking for new products in order for their customers to stay well placed in the market.

The focus is on building relationships and growing together. As a dedicated propagator that you can trust we will deliver a quality plug that is ready to go, so that you can grow and Motherstock that is constantly renewed. We take care of the Motherstock planning and scheduling, along with the plug production scheduling. We really look forward to helping our customers grow their business.

Our motto is simple; listen, understand and deliver.

More information

Jen and Dan would love to chat with you today about how they can build a relationship and work with you. Call – Dan 0418 147 358 or Jen 0410 655 569.