BOTANIX: THE KEYS TO SUCCESS

Hard work and business acumen the keys to success for Carl Soderlund and Botanix

By Matt Ross

It’s always fascinating to sit down with a grower and understand the origins of their horticultural journey. For Carl Soderlund, Director of Botanix Plant Supply, there was an air of inevitability that his career path would lead him to growing.

It was in the blood. His Swedish great-grandfather, a merchant seaman, who decided on a life in Australia as an orchardist. His grandfather followed him into the orchards. And his parents, Alan and Sylvia, were founding partners of Plantmark, a large national wholesale marketing company for the nursery industry.

Carl’s first day at work

Growing up, nursery visits were commonplace, even family holidays were sometimes hijacked with horticultural goings on. And whilst he has no formal horticultural training, he’s always been immersed in the industry, and he’s learnt through osmosis.

But whilst there’s a consistency to the family industry, Carl was adamant that he wanted to make his own mark in the nursery industry and not to inherit an established business from his parents.

“Before my parents sold Plantmark in 2004, there was a brief conversation as to whether I would step into the business. I felt I didn’t have the relevant experience at that time, and still wanted to forge my own path” And so, in 2007, a 26-year-old Carl, established Botanix Plant Supply, a wholesale nursery in Carrum Downs growing trees and shrubs.

Launching a horticultural business in the midst of the Global Financial Crisis and the millennium drought, would have put many off.

“I backed in myself and worked damned hard. I said yes to every customer request which led to some long days. We still have customers from those early days because we’ve always been able to deliver for them. I had a sense that if I could establish Botanix under such adverse conditions, it would set us up well for long-term success.”

He also acknowledges the role his wife, Mandy, played in those early days.

“Mandy backed me and encouraged me to focus on the business, working full time to ease the financial burden of a new business. Our rapid growth would not have been possible without her support”.

Like many small businesses, family played a large part in the early days. “My parents were, and are, a great help, both as a sounding board for ideas, and pretty cheap labour when I needed some weeding done!”

Botanix was finding its feet when in 2011, their 9-acre site at Carrum, suffered a massive flood and they lost $200,000 of stock and put them back 18 months in production and replacing stock.

Aftermath of the 2011 flood

“The flood taught me an important lesson. From that moment I vowed not to invest energy into the things I can’t impact and to focus solely on the things I can.”

The result is a calm, unflustered demeanour, that serves him, his business and team, well.

And having recovered from the impacts of the flood, Botanix has grown year on year to what it is today; a 24 acre, two site, wholesale nursery, with a reputation for outstanding professionalism, competitive pricing, and quality tree and shrub stock.

The knowledge gained through his Business Management degree proving to be an invaluable resource as Botanix rapidly scaled up.

Carl is also quick to credit the team behind Botanix. He’s strived to create a workplace that retains its nine ongoing staff.

“I love coming to work and a lot of that is about the team we’ve assembled. Our staff are well looked after, the work is varied, the nursery is largely automated to minimise risk of injury. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we have a lot of fun. We’re a tight knit team.”

Casual workers are brought in during busy periods through NGIV Partner, Sidekicker, a service Carl has found to be cost effective, convenient and reliable.

Another pivotal moment came in 2018, when Botanix engaged fellow NGIV Partner, Moshie Enterprise Coaching and Development, and underwent the Lean Leaders Program, an approach to business management that focuses on cutting out waste and inefficiency, whilst ensuring quality.

It was quickly identified that Carl was spreading himself too thinly and his team were not being effectively utilised. From that point, he put his trust in the team, giving them clearly defined roles and came off the tools himself. The restructure freed up time in Carl’s working week, time he could spend working on the business and not in it.

These days their customer base is a mix of commercial landscaping, large-scale infrastructure projects, local government, wholesale nurseries and high-end residential. They actively encourage their customers to visit the nursery so both client and grower can understand one another’s processes and needs. It’s helped Botanix to develop an understanding of future market trends.

Carl feels that Botanix are now at a point where the business is running efficiently, and the focus is on fine tuning the business, like an improved inventory system for increased visibility for customers.

So, what’s next? Carl admits he gets bored easily and needs new projects. “I am sure 2022 will bring further opportunity to our business and industry, so watch this space!”

And having reaped the rewards of the industry Carl is extremely conscious that he wants to put back in; whether it’s providing stock for MIFGS designers, attending horticultural careers fairs, or sitting on the NGIV Board.

“The industry gives me my livelihood; I’d feel I was letting the industry down if I didn’t put back in. Sitting on the NGIV Board has actually been a fantastic learning tool and exposed me to situations and organisations I’d otherwise not be involved in.”

His one vice is a well-earned annual fishing trip with his dad and friends in far north Queensland. No phone, no work, no hassles.

And what advice would this grower, who has gone from 500 trees to over 60,000, give to others who are interested in starting their own nursery? “Have a crack, back yourself and be prepared to work hard.”

And if you need any more evidence that Carl was destined to be a successful grower …

“In year 8 the school ran a history trip to Europe. My parents were happy for me to go on one condition. I had to pay for it. I grew and sold 4000 English Box in 8-inch pots.”

The seed was sown early, and it’s never stopped growing.