

Pioneer Pointers 



Essential Steps 

 in Expansion Planning 



The past few years have been really good. All 

 of your products sell out early. In fact, you 

 usually have to turn customers away because 

 you can't grow enough plant material. This sce- 

 nario usually leads to a grower wanting to ex- 

 pand the operation. The following are some 

 pointers to help you In the planning stages of 

 an expansion. 



First things first: your business has to be 

 built on a solid foundation. This means: 



• Have more demand than supply; 



• Have customers who are reliable and finan- 

 cially strong; 



• Have a good staff In place. 



1. Business Plan: Every business needs to know 

 where It's going. This means the owner and 

 management team have to put some effort Into 

 focusing on mission and priorities. 



2. Capital Spending List: This should Include 

 short- and long-term Investments. Include cost 

 estimates and prioritize the Items In order of 

 Importance. 



3. Budget: A budget should be completed for 

 the coming year and should Include a best case 

 and worst case scenario with a backup plan If 

 the worst case becomes reality. 



4. Organizational Structure: Develop a chart that 

 shows how the people In the business fit to- 

 gether and get the work — especially the In- 

 creased demands of a bigger business — done. 



5. Bid Package: if this Is a major Investment, 

 then you need a bid package that Includes de- 

 tails of layout and a list of materials along with 

 all permit requirements. 



This information was taken from a presentation 

 given by Don Rogers at a greenhouse industry 

 forum in Riverhead, New Mork. Don is a consultant 

 with First Pioneer Farm Credit and has been an 

 invaluable resource for the many folks with growing 

 businesses. For more, call the Bedford Office at 

 1-800-825-3252. (O.W.) 



>/Notes 



'XT 



One at a Time 



How many times in the course of the year do 

 we evaluate some new component of our 

 growing system? It seems like everywhere I 

 travel, growers are evaluating new mixes, fertil- 

 izers, pesticides, pots, plastic. You get the 

 picture. 



Unfortunately, the process of evaluation is 

 flawed more often than not. We owe It to our- 

 selves to have some procedure in place to 

 evaluate any new purchase we make that's go- 

 ing to in some way affect production (and, 

 hopefully, make It more profitable). 



If at all possible, you need random replica- 

 tions. If you're evaluating a new pot or soil mix, 

 samples can be placed at various locations on a 

 bench or within a house. This will ad|ust for 

 any temperature or watering variation. Poly, 

 heating, or ventilation systems can be reviewed 

 by trialing one house rather than your entire 

 range. Evaluating for more than one crop cycle 

 or season will help as well. January's sunlight is 

 different than April's. The humidity affecting 

 your polnsettia crop Is not the same humidity 

 affecting your mums. All these factors will make 

 a difference. 



And finally, avoid evaluating more than one 

 product at a time. The more variables present, 

 the more difficult it is to tell what's causing the 

 final results. 



]im Zablocki is Technical Manager of the Northern 

 Horticultural Croup, Scotts Company. He can be 

 reached at 603-224-5583. 



Perennials, Plugs, Geraniums, Prefinished Mums 

 Bulbs, Holiday Crops, Flowering Plants 



Joseph Giannino Co. 



Representing Fine Growers 

 of Quality Plant Material 



P.O. Box 757, Rowley, Massachusetts 01969 

 Telephone: 888/948-2001; Fax: 508/948-8167 



THE PLANTSMAN 



