PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Simon Gomme

President, NGIV

With the end of year fast approaching I’m hopeful that we’ll be ending on a real high. Our retail members will get to open their doors and tap into the gardening boom; meeting the demand for spring stock and fulfilling green thumbed Christmas wishes. NGIV’s Trade Day will be up and running and busier than ever. And our growers will continue to meet the unprecedented demand for greenlife with premium stock.

I think we’ve all learnt something about ourselves and how we do business this year, as we get closer to a return to normal it’s up to us to bring those learnings with us as we prepare for the new ‘COVID normal’. We’ve all had to adapt how we operated as restrictions were introduced, now we need to apply the same level of commitment, preparation and strategy, to how we might reopen.

Whether your business is currently ‘Heavily Restricted’ or ‘Open with a COVIDSafe Plan’, we all need to be as prepared as possible for the future and have all foreseeable measures in place to provide a COVID-safe environment for all staff, patrons, and visitors. The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (victorianchamber.com.au) have created a host of informative resources to help guide you through the transition towards COVID normal business.

We came into this year as a united industry, proud and supportive of each other, I hope that 2020 will bring the Victorian horticultural industry even closer together. Look for opportunities to support one another and if anyone is doing it tough, lean on your peers or the team at NGIV for support.

Finally, I’d like to extend my gratitude to James Wall as his second two-year tenure on the NGIV Board nears its end. James has brought his extensive knowledge of both retail and growing to the table and has provided invaluable support and input to myself and the other Board members during this time. James’s father was a former NGIV President and Lifetime Member, and James continued that legacy with distinction.

Simon Gomme

President, NGIV Powerplants Australia