MICHELLE SIMAKIS

1. Customize the experience for customers.

Kelly Norris, director of horticulture and education at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, said during his talk about contemporary consumers that if you only remember one thing from his presentation, remember the importance of customization. He challenged garden center owners to think about how they can customize the retail experience for customers. The first step is to examine who your customers really are and what they want. Traditionally, 35- to 55-year-old women have been the primary garden center demographic, but Norris says men under the age of 40 are increasingly important and tend to spend more when compared to peer groups. In speaking of the under-40 audience, they are also the largest patron group to the Des Moines Botanical Gardens. Although digital-savvy Millennials can access information in seconds from a smart phone, the generation tends to value meaningful, in-person experiences and expertise, something independent garden centers are best at. Millennials aren’t buying products, he says, they are buying experiences and knowledge.

2. Emphasize the benefits, not features.

Consumers are willing to pay a premium for plants that benefit pollinators, and they care more about what the plant can offer than some of the horticultural features retailers tend to value, Norris says. “Deer resistant” and “pet friendly” mean more to consumers than how large they grow or rare color patterns.

3. Houseplants: “We try so hard to crack the nut, and sometimes we just need to sell the nuts.”

“Consumers are rabid for houseplants,” Norris says, and a third of all houseplants sold last year were bought by Millennials, according to the latest figures from the National Gardening Survey. Norris says that instead of understanding why houseplants are so in demand, retailers should just start selling and promoting them, noting which seem to be most popular. Pilea peperomioides and Monstera deliciosa are some of the most popular at the moment. Check Instagram to see what your customers are posting and sharing and to keep up with the latest trends.

4. “Gardening may not be the operative word anymore.”

The word “planting” performs better at a sales level than gardening does, Norris says, and it could be because “gardening” sounds like a lot of work. Plus, activities like “planting” more accurately describe the modern consumer experience and the interest in succulents and houseplants.

5. Curate products, focus on exclusivity.

Garden centers tend to have an overwhelming selection of plants, and studies show that humans like some choice, but too many options can overwhelm and frustrate people, Norris says. Plus, consumers like to know that they can’t get a specific plant or product anywhere else. Try organizing plants by benefit, i.e. deer resistant or pollinator friendly, and curate the selection to make it easy for them to choose, Norris says.

6. Turn customers into brand ambassadors.

Word-of-mouth marketing and peer recommendations, even from strangers, can make or break your business — just look at the influence of Yelp and other online review websites, says Mason Day, co-founder of GrowIt, an app that allows people to review and share information about plants. Garden centers don’t have to take a wait-and-see or build-it-and-they-will-come approach when it comes to online reviews, he said during his talk at Cultivate’18. They can recruit brand ambassadors — people who are loyal and love their brand — and ask for specific promotional help based on company goals, which can be anything from increasing attendance to a specific event or boosting SEO strength. Retailers can start by identifying people who like them the most, leave five-star reviews, or who they know are fans of their companies, and reach out to them. These are not necessarily people who are spending the most, Day emphasizes. The first step is to find out more about them, ask them gardening and unrelated questions and start engaging with them. Garden centers can try sharing insider information that they want “leaked” to the public but that will make customers feel they are getting an exclusive opportunity and a behind-the-scenes look at the business. They will be inspired to share these experiences with their social media followers and friends. For more on this topic, stay tuned to future issues of Garden Center magazine.

7. If you decide custom containers are right for your business, consider key factors.

Will Heeman of Heeman’s in Ontario, Canada, detailed the custom order program they have at the family-owned garden center at one of his talks during Cultivate’18. Heeman said one of the most important considerations is pricing, and advised attendees to price it so it’s worth it. It is difficult to maintain custom containers for customers, so before venturing in this segment, make sure to factor in all costs, like labor, soil, and of course, plants. Another key decision is what plants you will incorporate into the program. “We offer 2,000 different types of annuals, but you will not even find a fifth of them in our custom program,” he says. “We offer the world, but we keep it simple.” Look for more details about their system in future issues.

8. Suggestions in “Marketing to Millennials” presentation will resonate with all your customers.

Heeman also gave a talk on winning over Millennials, but many of his tips could be considered good business practices for customers of any age. They included: offer a personal shopping service, (which we have written about in this magazine, bit.ly/2OI2Et1,); be accessible online; allow customers to sign up for workshops online; and promote what matters to customers. In advertisements or other promotions, don’t focus on quality, customer service, “blah blah blah,” as Heeman says, but talk specifically about the benefits of plants, gardening and the things that make you different. Do you have a Koi pond? A coffee bar? Events? Do you allow pets? If dogs are welcome, go beyond inviting them in and offer water and treats, because, as the saying goes, “an action that gets rewarded gets repeated.”

9. Sell “cat nip” to Millennials.

Not really, though Millennials do have a certain affinity for cats. Heeman shared plants that people in the generation tend to gravitate toward, including fiddle leaf fig, air plants, cucamelon and succulents.

10. Good knowledge, customer service will win them over.

“Millennials just want knowledge and to go someplace where they feel special. The bar for customer service is low; we just need to provide good customer service,” Heeman says.

11. Town Hall: The industry needs to promote what plants do for people and the environment.

The Cultivate Town Hall gives panel members and attendees the opportunity to openly discuss challenges and other issues in the industry. One rule is that press cannot share direct quotes, but media can share highlights from the discussion. Key points made included:

The industry needs to use language consumers are familiar with and that resonates with them; one example is “planting” vs. “gardening.”

The industry needs to promote the value of plants — there are arguments that retailers are not charging enough, but at the same time, studies show while work used to be a barrier to gardening for consumers, cost is now cited as a roadblock to invest in the lifestyle.

CONNER HOWARD

Emphasizing the prettiness of plants is not enough — the industry needs to promote their greater value to our overall health, wellness and the environment.

Emphasize what plants do for you and how they make you feel.

12. There are specific challenges, and opportunities, for women in horticulture.

Greenhouse Management, Garden Center and Produce Grower columnist Leslie Halleck gave a presentation on how women can harness their inner strength to succeed in the horticulture industry. Halleck addressed details about sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement, as well as other difficult situations women face, such as when managers sometimes don’t take their ideas seriously. She then explained how women can “level up” in life by being direct, assertive and confident, as she has done. She suggested women learn to interrupt, stop apologizing and use fewer words when trying to make a point.

13. Horticulture industry raises money for breast cancer research.

Spring Meadow Nursery, the company behind Proven Winners ColorChoice Invincibelle Spirit II hydrangea and the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign for a Cure, announced they have surpassed their million-dollar fundraising goal for breast cancer research. Spring Meadow Nursery owner Dale Deppe and PR specialist Natalie Carmolli shared the news before Sunday’s keynote address at Cultivate, announcing the Invincibelle Spirit Campaign has surpassed the $1 million goal set about 10 years ago.

14. The state of the industry: “Greater Uncertainty.”

Dr. Charlie Hall once again delivered a keynote on the state of the horticulture industry. He said while last year the overall theme was “uncertainty,” this year’s talk centered on “greater uncertainty.” For example, he said consumer confidence is always a unreliable metric because “people afford what they want,” quoting economist Lowell Catlett. “I don’t care how we feel, I care about how we spend money,” Hall says. “Somehow, we find a way to buy the things that really matter to us.” Retailers are also in a conundrum, because while they need to raise prices, surveys show that consumers consider cost to be a barrier to gardening.

CONNER HOWARD

15. Retail bus tour visits Cleveland

In years past, the Cultivate retail bus tour has given attendees a glimpse at the operations of Midwestern independent garden centers, but Cultivate’18’s tour was a particularly exciting opportunity to see how one company approaches three distinct markets and customer bases. Bremec Garden Centers, with locations in Chesterland, Cleveland Heights and Concord, Ohio, was the subject of this year’s excursion. The day-long tour began at Bremec’s largest and original location in Chesterland, which specializes in pottery and features a dedicated structure for fountains, containers, statuary and other hard goods. The second stop was Bremec on the Heights, the company’s smallest location with a 1,000 square foot main retail building and about 15,000 square feet of outdoor sales space. This urban IGC focuses less on nursery stock than the Chesterland store, but attracts a strong holiday business during the winter and also sells poinsettias grown by the Concord location, a visit to which ended the tour. In terms of size, Bremec Concord sits between the other two locations at about 2 acres of total space. This store featured a newly-built indoor boutique, carrying an array of jewelry, clothing, accessories and other giftware.

16. Leaders with the same tools can get different results.

Light a fire within your team, not under them says Scott Greenberg, who gave Sunday’s keynote address. There are three factors that contribute to the success of a person and determine why some leaders get better results using the same tools — circumstances, operations, and mindset. Sometimes we don’t have control over our circumstances, like weather, or even operations, but mindset is always something we can manage, and he focused on ways leaders can achieve a high performance mindset. Clear your head of clutter and silence the mental heckler — the inner voice that tells you you’re not good enough or smart enough. And, most importantly, have gratitude for what you have, even during difficult times.

Associate editor Conner Howard and Patrick Williams, associate editor of sister publication Greenhouse Management, contributed to this article.

Clipping: Istockphoto.com

It's hard to imagine where the retail garden industry would be without families. In Garden Center’s 2017 State of the Industry Report, 92 percent of independent garden center owners and operators surveyed indicated they are family-owned businesses, with 48 percent of those reporting to be second-generation owners.

Relatives, working together to keep an inherited business going, is such a common thread in the business of garden retail that many IGC owners plan to pass the torch to their own children upon their retirement. This makes it all the more challenging when first, second or third-generation owners find out the next generation is unavailable or unable to take the reins.

Succession planning is often cited by IGC retailers as one of the more daunting and challenging aspects of long-term business operations. In Garden Center’s 2017 SOI report, 48 percent of respondents answered “no” when asked if they have a succession plan in place. In the event their children aren’t available or willing to inherit the business, many independent retailers are left searching for a suitable buyer.

That was the case for Charbel and Ruth Harb, who had owned Harb’s Oasis, a garden center and landscape company in Baton Rouge, La., for more than 35 years.

“When we realized not one of our highly educated children were going to run the garden center and landscape company that we owned for over 35 years, we started looking at different options,” Charbel says.

The Harbs considered an employee ownership model, but when that proved unfeasible, it was time to step onto the open market, where the real challenges began. [Editor’s note: Read our January cover story for more on employee ownership models at bit.ly/2BWeYy5]

Playing the field

When some businesses start looking for a buyer, one of the first things they do is set up a “for sale” sign in front of the building. Charbel says he and Ruth started by hiring a business broker and advertising their sale on regional business-for-sale websites. The broker helped them navigate the commercial property landscape and organize interested buyers, but the early crop of candidates didn’t exactly impress.

“We soon found out that selling a garden center with a landscape business on the open market is not a cake walk,” Charbel says. “The buyers we found were financially unqualified, or they had no knowledge in our industry, or [there were] some that know plants [but] lacked common business sense.”

Some retailers have a more difficult time in this process than others. Kim Redman, owner of Sassafrass Garden & Gifts in Lake City, Mich., has owned her IGC since 2012 and put it on the market earlier this summer, with hopes to retire if a buyer is found. Redman says Lake City, which relies heavily on seasonal tourism for its economy, is short on qualified business buyers.

“In Lake City, there are a lot of businesses going out, there are empty buildings,” Redman says. “It’s very hard to sell a business [here]. We’re a tourist town, so we get mostly just seasonal [business]. There’s a lake here for cottages and houses, it’s a great market, but businesses have a kind of tough [time]. Finding the right person is tough.”

During the search for a buyer, it’s helpful to attract a large quantity of applicants, but the even the largest candidate pool does little good if quality is lacking. Management consultant John Kennedy, a service provider with the Garden Center Group, says that if an owner wishes to sell, there are steps they can take to make sure their business is profitable, desirable and has a dependable staff to make it all work — while communicating those qualities to potentially interested parties.

“If I was a buyer of anything, I would want to make sure it was built to last, that there are systems in place, there are financial reportables, there’s profitability over a consistent period of time,” Kennedy says. “Do I have the right leadership team at the helm? Because I’m buying the business, and part of that business is that strong team. The human value of an organization beyond the financial value of the organization is probably, to some degree, a percentage of the value of the business.”

Not only did the Harbs plan to keep their employees on board throughout the retirement and transition process, but they also intended to be involved with the new owners for onboarding and to bridge the gap between existing staff and new leadership. Kennedy says this is an important factor to consider in any business transaction — when staff feel disillusioned with new ownership, the future of the business is at stake.

Kennedy tells the story of a client he worked with previously who, after selling the business, stayed on for the next three years and was paid off gradually by the new owners. When the prior owner departed, a smooth and organic transition had been accomplished.

“By that point, it wasn’t a surprise. A lot of employees realized that they’d slowly been integrated with the new management team,” Kennedy says of his example. “The new management had time to build rapport and respect and connection so that final thread that was pulled wasn’t like cutting a rope. The people buying [the business] were smart enough to know the value of the folks that were running it to begin with.”

The Harbs would find value in this process themselves when they eventually settled on suitable buyers — although finding buyers took some outside-the-box thinking.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARB'S OASIS

The right fit

Choosing a buyer is not a decision to take likely. The Harbs understood that the new owners of Harb’s Oasis needed to be both passionate and competent, and thusly turned down potential buyers they weren’t confident in. Redman agrees that the task of running her business calls for a person (or ideally, a couple or team of people) invested in seeing Sassafrass Garden & Gift grow.

“I would hope that [the business] would flourish the way it is, because it has evolved on its own, and I would hope that it would get better and better [under a new owner]. There’s a lot of possibility here, it just has to be the right person,” Redman says. “Not saying I’m not the right person. I’m just trying to do a lot of it myself, and it really needs to be a couple or a team to help each other through this. It has to be somebody that’s very passionate and wants to follow their passion.”

After combing through a long list of applicants and coming up empty, the Harbs decided to do the unexpected and go directly to their clients and loyal customers to gauge their interest in owning Harb’s Oasis.

“We decided that our clients would be our best hope,” Charbel says. “They were affluent, loved gardening and had the resources to buy our business. So we started talking to many long-term clients about the nursery being available for sale and that my wife and I and our employees would guide them and make them prosperous.”

The Harbs crafted their sales pitch to appeal to their clients, making it clear that they would retire but continue to own the land, and would pass on the existing employees and business model to the next owners.

At the same time, they trimmed down on unnecessary inventory to make the business leaner and more affordable for the prospective buyers Charbel and Ruth were in talks with.

“In this plan, we kept all fixtures, office furniture, registers, leased equipment, company-owned trucks, trailers, Bobcat, forklift and business equipment,” Charbel says. “Merchant services, utilities, insurance, and service leases would remain in effect, plus whatever inventory we did not sell would be available for the new buyers to be able to take over and continue the business immediately.”

... we started talking to many long-term clients about the nursery being available for sale and that my wife and I and our employees would guide them and make them prosperous." — Charbel Harb, former co-owner of Harb’s Oasis

This process called for what is known as a liquidation sale, so the Harbs hired a retirement sale specialist to help organize the inventory reduction. The specialist recommended a mid-week sale, guided Charbel and Ruth through the different ad campaigns and press releases they needed and cautioned them to “pray for good weather,” according to Charbel.

“The Wednesday came Oct. 11, 2017, on a beautiful, sunny day and the people came in droves and poured in,” he says. “We realized that being in business for 38 years meant something to our clients, as well as the discounts! We did not have enough registers, and people had to wait in line over 30 minutes, yet they visited with us and reminisced about the Harbs and their retirement. We got lots of hugs that day, it was a very emotional experience for us.

“The people kept coming Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in droves, less than Wednesday, but sales were still very strong,” Charbel adds. “We kept going for three weeks and sold as much as we could. Our landscape department was still going on. We must have mentioned over a thousand times to our clientele that our business would continue with their favorite employees still working here.”

Meanwhile, a young couple, Jerry and Lindsey All, who were regular clients of Harb’s Oasis, were establishing themselves as strong candidates for succession of the business.

“They had no plant or retail experience, but they were business savvy and very professional in their approach,” Charbel says. “They also [kept] the well-known name ‘Harb’s Oasis,’ the telephone number, website, email address and all our customer base emails as part of the deal.”

After roughly three years on the market, Harb’s Oasis was sold to the Alls on Jan. 16, 2018. As part of the sale agreement, the Harbs remained involved in the day-to-day operations through the following months to ensure Jerry and Lindsey were confident in running the business on their own.

“We stayed on as consultants for a period of time to help with spring ordering, bookings, sources, landscape sales, displays and advertising,” Charbel says. “After Mother’s Day, we were able to step aside and, with the help of our faithful employees, they were able to be on their own.” [Editor’s note: The Alls could not be reached for comment.]

For businesses going through an ownership transition, Kennedy stresses that the process should be given the time it needs, but conflicts can arise if outgoing leaders take too long to cut the cord.

“It’s messy and muddy, and there’s no right answer because every business has a different personality to it and a different sense of energy in employees and how they interact,” Kennedy says.

Understand the options

Family inheritance is especially common among garden center succession planning, but many IGC owners have found themselves in situations similar to that of Harb’s Oasis — the next generation isn’t always an option, as much as their parents might wish for them to follow in their footsteps.

Kennedy suggests that keeping the business in the family may not always be the best option, even when the kids are interested in taking over. Family connections are deep, but being a relative of the current owner shouldn’t be the only qualification for succession.

“Some of [the next generation] aren’t interested. Some of them were born on third base and want to convince you they hit a triple,” Kennedy says. “Some just very well may not be the right person [for the position], although they believe they are and think they’ve earned the right as a member of the family.”

One option that Kennedy recommends to simplify succession planning is installing a board of directors. Long-time managers and other senior staff can serve as directors of a business, selecting the most qualified and capable person for the ownership position — whether they’re in the family or not.

“There is wisdom in, probably five years out [from retirement], creating a board of directors that can help take the personal element out and put the professional element in to guide, steer and facilitate the change, so that any final decisions are in the best interest of the company and the employees and not so specific to the family,” Kennedy says.

Another alternative to simply selling a business or passing it onto family members is to “break out” specific departments or services within the garden center, empowering managers to run them independently, while paying the owner a share of the profits. Kennedy suggests that a pottery or container department, for instance, could be run as a pop-up in an open market setting. He cites the North Market in Columbus, Ohio, Urban Space in New York City and Pine Street Market in Portland, Ore., as examples of smaller, independent operations sharing a market space.

This practice of turning employees into owner-operators of their own departments is being embraced in other industries, including salon stylists and cosmetologists. Kennedy says that by piecing out their brand into smaller, more independently-run settings, garden center owners can expand their brand, secure a form of continuity for their business and raise up a potential future owner in the process.

“Now, all the sudden, I’ve taken apart my garden center; I haven’t really sold it, but I’ve re-purposed it in a more independent way,” Kennedy says. “I see these as market shifts that may very well find a spot in the green industry.”

Plan, but don’t forget to execute

When it comes to selling a business, the right time to start planning is five years ago. Kennedy says it’s crucial for business owners to keep careful and consistent financial records so they can accurately prove their long-term profitability to prospective buyers.

Redman, who decided to pursue a plan to sell her IGC relatively recently, has made a renewed commitment to accurate and thorough bookkeeping.

“I am planning, in three years, to get this place sold. I expect it to take time, and I’m trying to keep my ducks in a row for this process more than I have in the past. In the past, I wasn’t really seriously thinking [about selling] because I loved it so much,” she says. “I’m working harder at that. Think ahead of when you want to [sell] and give yourself some time, because it’s going to take time ... and keep your reports straight.”

Kennedy also highly recommends working with a business broker who can help seek out buyers, screen offers and prepare a company for a changing of hands.

... if there’s a time in the next year or two to get your ducks in a row and really make yourself [attractive to buyers], it would be now. — MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT JOHN KENNEDY, a service provider with the Garden Center Group

As far as current opportunities to sell, Kennedy says the economic climate is encouraging investment activity across the country.

“There are a lot of folks who are cash-heavy right now because of the tax breaks. They’re sitting on a ton of money and their interest is ‘how can I invest it?’ There are a heck of a lot of mergers, acquisitions and purchases happening,” he says. “So, if there’s a time in the next year or two to get your ducks in a row and really make yourself [attractive to buyers], it would be now. An economic recession is inevitable, and you don’t want to try and sell something on the way down. You want to sell it at the height.”

In other words, it’s best to get moving on a business transaction while the getting is good, as long as you can demonstrate strong financials. Planning thoroughly is important, but Kennedy cautions owners not to think so hard that they forget to start courting buyers.

“If you keep thinking about it, you’re going to miss this opportunity,” he says. “Now is the time most organizations are cash-heavy and have a lot of assets available. Maybe an independent garden center might be something they’d want to think about. Stop thinking and do.”

1. What are the advantages of flame-based weeding compared to manual weed removal or herbicides?

ML: Most people, when it comes to weed removal, have two choices; dig and pull them out or use chemicals. Digging or pulling is a very tedious task spent kneeling or bent over to get at the weeds, and most of the time the root system is not entirely removed. Chemicals are somewhat effective but must be used carefully to not damage wanted plants and make sure no animals or humans are contaminated. Chemicals are also becoming less effective on some weeds because a chemical resistance has occurred in an ever-increasing number of weeds. Flame weeding is a “slow kill.” Essentially, you are destroying cell structure in the plant leaf. The weed will no longer put energy toward growth, taking the kill through the root system. Even on big weeds (over 6 inches), you will see a stunting effect and even a kill within a few days, depending on how established the root system is and how long the plant was exposed to heat. Multiple flames may be required.

2. What other functions can Flame Engineering torches serve?

ML: Propane torches can be used in the winter time to thaw a thin layer of snow or ice. After a sidewalk or driveway is cleared by shoveling or a snow blower, a thin layer of snow remains. This can cause safety issues as the sun thaws the thin layer and then it freezes when the temperature drops or the sun sets, creating an ice layer. Utilizing our torches can eliminate the freeze/thaw effect.

3. Which type of torch seems to be most popular with customers?

ML: It all depends on how quickly the consumer wants to get the job done and how large of an area is being treated. Our Red Dragon 500K BTU torch kit with a 3-inch bell can produce a flame from 18 to 24 inches in length, and when pointed toward the target area, creates a large flame lick covering about a 12-inch wide area. Our Weed Dragon^® 100K BTU torch kit with a 2-inch bell can produce a flame from 12 to 16 inches in length, and when pointed toward the target area, creates a medium flame lick covering about an 8-inch wide area. Our mini Dragon^™ 25K BTU cane style torch kit with a 1-inch bell can produce a focused flame about 2 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches in length. It’s perfect for smaller areas like spot weeding in yards, cracks in sidewalks or pavers.

4. What advice do you give retailers on how to better market, merchandise and sell Flame Engineering products?

ML: Consumers now more than ever have increased awareness of protecting our environment and are looking for alternatives to chemicals. If torches are placed in the chemical aisle, the consumer will see that choices are available.

5. Do you encourage your IGC customers to educate customers about the safe handling procedures of these products, and if so, how?

ML: As a U.S.-based manufacturer, Flame Engineering takes safety very seriously. Our instruction manuals and online videos explain the safe usage of our open flame torch kits. Our U.S.-based customer service is available to answer any questions at 800-255-2469 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information: www.flameengineering.com

1. How would you describe the mission of the Trunk Mat Company?

SD: Our mission is to get the garden center’s printed logo and information into the hands of their customers. Custom trunk mats help our garden centers increase sales by providing a branding and marketing product that helps protect their customers’ vehicles from the green goods they sell. What other product can advertise, increase sales, increase return business and save employee time for only 30 cents?

2. Why do you think it’s important for retailers to carry products that keep customers’ cars tidy?

SD: First and foremost, I am a consumer! I grow flowers, vegetables and have chickens. Now my local garden centers have trunk mats, of course. But I can’t think of anything worse than having to put a bag of dirty soil or wet plants in my Suburban. Who wants to have to clean the carpet in their car?! And imagine how customers feel if they spend their hard-earned money, and the employee only has an apology to offer for not having a trunk mat to help them. Green goods generally turn any vehicle into a mess. Trunk mats are a necessity for successful garden centers. It is so important to continue customer service after the visit and purchase are complete.

3. The Trunk Mat Co. has always focused on building relationships with independent retailers. Why is this so important to the company?

SD: The success of our business is 100 percent the result of our focus on building relationships with our customers. We work one on one with each customer to help them design the best custom trunk mat for their business. We also feel our family’s purpose is to help other family businesses grow. Our product is specifically meant for the mom and pop garden center. Our trunk mats help set a family-owned garden center apart from a big box retailer or chain. Trunk mats communicate to consumers that their business is important and appreciated.

4. How can retailers better communicate the utility and convenience of the Trunk Mat line of products?

SD: Our durable, steel trunk mat stands make it easy for garden centers to keep their trunk mats readily available to their customers. Our vertical stands allow the rolls to be displayed at the register, loading area and door openings, so there are many opportunities for employees to offer a trunk mat or for customers to take one on their own.

Our mats are not just a customer service tool, they are the least expensive marketing and branding tool available in our industry. Customers will store custom trunk mats in their cars and see the garden center’s information over and over.

5. Are there any new or upcoming Trunk Mat products that you’re excited about?

SD: Our latest and most popular design, “Shop Local,” promotes the trend of growing your local economy by keeping your spending dollars where your roots are. “Support your local economy. Shop at your local Garden Center!” Our customers love this trunk mat!

For more information: www.trunkmat.com