What works for James Greenhouses

Husband-and-wife-team Ken and Leah James provide custom-grown perennial plugs to greenhouses and nurseries across the United States. James Greenhouses’ specialty is vegetative material. The first-generation growers believe in picking a specialty and excelling. The company’s slogan: “Custom grown to a higher standard.” They are working on a 3-year plan for the greenhouse, which includes implementing Lean principles into production and shipping; offering real-time liner availability; switching to stick-on tray labels; and adding a late fall liner crop. Ken and Leah’s work is being recognized by their peers. They received the 2006 Distinguished Young Professional award from the Georgia Green Industry Association.

The Nexus Greenhouses dual atrium design is everything you want in an open-roof house with 50 percent fewer vents, motors and gutters. It goes up fast, is sturdy and just plain works. Our houses span 42 feet between columns, allowing for efficient benching layouts and tons of light. This structure will disappoint your power company -- it costs almost nothing to cool. The people at Nexus Greenhouses deliver on what they promise.

Ebb-and-flood systems deserve a look from every grower. Life has become much easier since we installed our Midwest GROmaster flood benches. We are saving fertilizer, chemicals and electricity on the order of 80 percent compared to overhead irrigation. Runoff is eliminated. Watering is now precise and efficient, requiring fewer people. One person waters an acre of liners with ease.

There is no smarter way to conserve energy than to install or improve insulation. For our under bench heat, we install micro foam skirts to keep the heat trapped below the bench. It works equally well with open mesh benches and flood benches. Replaced yearly, payback takes less than a month.

James Greenhouses

Founded: 1998 by Ken and Leah James.

Location: Colbert, Ga.

Crops: Plugs and liners with a focus on hardy perennials.

Production space: 1.75 acres.

Market: Commercial growers of all sizes, primarily in the Eastern United States.

Employees: 27.

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For more: James Greenhouses, (888) 332-1826; www.jamesgreenhouses.com.

June 2008