Professional management of America in Bloom (AIB) is transitioning from AmericanHort to Second Wind Management effective January 1, 2017. Since AIB's founding in 2001, OFA (now called AmericanHort) has served as AIB's "home" and has provided administrative leadership and support. Now that AIB has reached maturity and is self-sustaining, it is starting a new phase of exciting programs designed to encourage economic development centered around horticulture, environmental awareness, heritage preservation, and volunteerism.

Second Wind Management, LLC is a Columbus, Ohio-based non-profit management company owned by Laura Kunkle, who currently serves as America in Bloom's executive director through her employment with AmericanHort. "I'm looking forward to the next chapter in my career. I've been involved with AIB since Day 1 and am excited to help lead America in Bloom into the future through managing the organization via my own company," said Kunkle. "Maintaining my long-standing relationship with America in Bloom is such an honor and I thank AIB's leadership for their trust and support."

"We thank AmericanHort for serving as AIB's home for the past 15 years. It's been a wonderful partnership, and AmericanHort's support has allowed AIB to grow to the point that we can now explore new directions," said Katy Moss Warner, America in Bloom president. "We appreciate the relationship we have had with AmericanHort. They were instrumental in helping us through our developmental years and we look forward to a continued strong relationship with this organization into the future."

"AmericanHort is honored to have been intricately involved with the launch and early growth of America in Bloom. We support the mission and vision of AIB, and plan to continue promoting AIB," said Ken Fisher, AmericanHort President and CEO. "This program is essential for the horticulture industry, and we will continue to help AIB spread its important message."

America in Bloom connects people to plants at the grassroots level, and educates and promotes the benefits of horticulture products and services. It is a volunteer-driven organization that depends on its active board of directors, professional judges, and others to fulfill its vision of creating communities across the country as welcoming and vibrant places to live, work, and play - benefitting from colorful plants and trees; enjoying clean environments; celebrating heritage; and planting pride through volunteerism.

Effective January 1, 2017, the contact information for America in Bloom will be:

America in Bloom

PO Box 44005

Columbus, OH 43204

Phone: 614-453-0744

Email: aib@AmericaInBloom.org

www.AmericaInBloom.org

When considering an insurance plan, many business owners think of what they can’t afford to lose. The equipment that produces your product is important, of course, but one of the most valuable aspects of today’s businesses is data.

“People have to be careful because they will insure equipment and media, but people have to check their policy to see if there is coverage for data,” says Nancy Zollo, CPCU, AIC, senior claim representative with Hortica®, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group. “Some policies may provide coverage; however, it may be an optional endorsement. You really need to know your insurance policy.”

Hardware failure, lightning strikes, power surges and fluctuations can all le

ave you without that precious data. Physical storms are a major culprit, and usually lead to a longer-term outage and suspension of your business.

In insurance terms, lightning and fire are considered standard perils. Power surge isn’t always covered, so check your policy.

Storm surge is often part of a hurricane. Most insurance policies do not cover this peril, but The Federal Flood Program is an option to cover Business Personal Property, which includes computer equipment. Because data recovery may be an out-of-pocket expense for the affected business, any and all precautions will only help post-storm.

What to protect

From an accounting and bookkeeping perspective, sales, inventory, payroll and income statements are crucial. You might have an accountant who takes care of this part of the business, but many smaller retailers and growers may not.

“Those records are key in the event of a loss, whether it’s a failure of hard drive or physical damage from a hurricane or tornado, because you want those available to reload, to get back in business as soon as possible,” Zollo says.

Income statements are particularly important if you have business income insurance. In the event of a claim, you will need them to show your carrier your typical income for a given time period. Insurance companies prefer monthly profit and loss statements, because they are the most up-to-date, but quarterly reports may suffice.

“You have to have data — we can’t just guess,” Zollo says. “Especially if you’re seeing an uptick in income. Even if you can say ‘I’ve implemented a new business plan, I’ve added service XYZ, and my sales this year are up 25 percent from last year.’ You have to be able to prove that trend. A claim representative will look at historical data to show what income you should have seen if not for the loss. If you’ve made changes or if you have an upward trend, it’s important to meet with your accountant quarterly. You want to be able to document that.”

Preset sales agreements, equipment leases, corporate records, and existing contracts that are suspended at the moment but may be picked up again are more examples of data to protect. LLC documents and payroll records would be a major headache for a business that lost them in a disaster.

“Anything with a raised seal needs to be safe,” Zollo says. “To reproduce those would take time and expense.”

In the horticulture industry, smaller nurseries and greenhouse growers may keep track of their own payroll. Zollo highly recommends these growers back up that data — even if it is a manual process. You may need to be able to prove what you’ve paid to which employee.

In addition to financial data, it is important to protect your customer database. If your hard drive is wiped out from a storm surge, or your facility is lost in a tornado, you need to be able to know who still owes you money and who’s scheduled for a delivery. When your business gets back on its feet, you’ll need those customers.

“You could have a fire in your main production building, but still have plants outside you can still sell,” Zollo says. “So you need your customer information so you can get shipping as soon as possible.”

How to protect it

There are two main options for backing up your data: manually copying files to a disk or external drive, or using an outside service to automatically back up your files to a remote location.

If you do it yourself, Zollo has a few tips: check the backup to make sure the copy actually worked and you could use it, if necessary. Next, get the backup away from the business — at home or with your accountant. Your backup won’t do much good if it’s lost in the same disaster as the original.

There are also network-attached storage options — separate servers for saving data that can be set for automatic backups.

There are also cloud storage options that give a small amount of space for free. The major advantage to these is that data entered syncs between multiple machines.

“If you’re evacuated for a hurricane, you can grab your laptop and whatever you can and you go,” Zollo says. “If your place has severe damage, with the cloud-based options you can sync your data with your laptop and start notifying customers while you’re away.”

Zollo says the cloud-based backup can be a good option for small to midsize businesses. A large wholesale nursery or retailer may consider an internet provider that provides encryption, more space and more options for a fee.

— Matt McClellan

Image: Cloud-based data backup can be a good option for small to midsize businesses. Dreamstime.com

What to do about water

Water goes where it wants and finds the lowest spot. To help protect any equipment and contents remaining on site, consider these four tips:

1. Sandbag around the building. Keep a look out for vents, and other potential open paths for the water to find.

2. Elevate equipment in basement areas and/or on the ground floor to minimize damage.

3. Turn off electricity and unplug hardware.

4. Make sure data backups are not on site. If the normal off-site data storage location is nearby and also in the warning area for storm surge, move it.

Employees are at risk for many types of injuries, but with proper training and diligent inspections, companies can avoid many of these hazards. One of the most common problems at work is a back injury; it’s the second most common cause of lost work time, with the common cold being No. 1.

OSHA does not have any specific requirements for back safety training or back injury prevention programs, but back injury has important workers’ compensation cost considerations, says Brent A. Bates, Director of Safety Services at Hortica®, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group.

To keep employees healthy and to avoid work stoppages, it’s a good idea to develop a back injury prevention program, including injury prevention techniques, available lifting equipment, proper lifting techniques, and lifting hazards specific to your workplace.

“Everything you do both at work and at home impacts your back,” Bates says. “Most back injuries can be prevented if you always think defensively about your back. When people injure their backs, not only does it impact their work, it impacts every facet of their lives. A back injury can prevent you from doing many of the things you love to do and can even make daily movements near impossible.”

Although statistics show that back injuries occur more often at home than they do at work, it’s a business owner’s duty to keep the risk of injury low while at work, especially since injured backs are often subject to re-injury, he adds.

Make sure your employees know how to properly lift. Don’t assume that it’s common knowledge. Here are some tips you can share with your employees.

• Know where you are going to lift a load: Pre-plan your lift.
  
• Get a firm footing: Keep your feet apart (shoulder width) for a stable base and good balance; point toes out.
• Bend at your knees and hips: Don't bend at the waist. Keep the principles of leverage in mind. Don't do more work than you have to. Maintain your three natural back curves.
• Lift with your legs: Let your powerful leg muscles do the work of lifting, not your weaker back muscles. Maintain your three natural curves.
• Lift smoothly; don't jerk as you lift: Sudden movements and weight shifts can injure your back.
• Keep the load close: Don't hold the load away from your body. The closer it is to your spine, the less force it exerts on your back.
• Keep your back upright: Whether you are lifting or putting down the load, don't add the weight of your body to the load. Your nose and your toes should be facing up when lifting.
• Turn with your feet: Avoid twisting; it can cause injury.

Post this information in areas where employees are more likely to be lifting objects. Remind them of these steps during routine safety meetings. Remember to treat your back with respect at all times. “One wrong move could cause you a lifetime of pain,” Bates explains.

— Kelli Rodda

IMAGE: Whether it's loading and unloading carts, benches or trucks, continually remind employees how to protect their back from injury. Kelli Rodda.

Disclaimer: This document is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. No one should act on the information contained in this document without advice from a local professional with relevant expertise.

Disclosure: Hortica® property and casualty coverages are underwritten, and loss control services are provided, by Florists’ Mutual Insurance Company and Florists’ Insurance Company, members of the Sentry Insurance Group. For more information, visit hortica.com. Policies, coverages, benefits and discounts are not available in all states. See policy for complete coverage details.

You can now read the entire November 2016 issue of Garden Center magazine online as a web version and as a digital edition.

Our annual State of the Industry Report went in a slightly different direction this year. Instead of focusing solely on overall findings, the 2016 report is divided into sections for data from independent garden centers in the Northeastern, Western, Southern and Midwestern regions of the U.S., as well as results from Canada.

This year's report also includes findings from surveys of the greenhouse, nursery and landscaping industries.

In the November 2016 issue, we also examined the "do-it-for-me" customer movement, garden center trends anticipated for 2017, ways to ensure effective leadership at an IGC, a partnership between a zoo and its local garden centers to promote pollinator-friendly plants, and strategies for focusing inventory to stand out as a destination store.

Industry experts Ellen May and Sid Raisch offered their perspectives on the changing community role of IGCs and the challenges of online plant retailing.

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