FROM THE BOARD 



Dear Members of the NH Plant 

 Growers' Association, 



I have a few different topics to 

 write about. 



FIRST, I would like to take a 

 moment to reflect on the 

 NHPGA Board of Directors. I 

 have been on the board for sev- 

 eral years and last year I saw a 

 major decline in board members, 

 down to a very few. These peo- 

 ple managed to keep things to- 

 gether through the winter meet- 

 ing until a new slate was voted 

 in. So now we have new blood: a 

 full slate of board members, all of 

 whom are dedicated to this indus- 

 try. We are at a new beginning; 

 we have a lot of new ideas, new 

 projects, high hopes for the com- 

 ing year. I encourage all of you to 

 help us continue leading this 

 membership. It's a lot of time and 

 dedication from each board mem- 

 ber and we need your support. 

 Please try to attend our meetings 

 and events. We are here to help 

 you — please be in touch, ask 

 questions, give advice. Thanks. 



SECOND ITEM: HOW TO 



HANDLE CLAIMS 



To handle any claims you must 



follow some basic rules of the 



industry. 



1. Count the cartons received. 



2. Check for opened cartons. 



3. Inspect damaged cartons and 

 those delivered upside down. 

 (Sound familiar?) 



4. You must accept delivery and 

 pay any charges for freight or 

 collect delivery. 



5. Concealed damage — Call the 

 carrier to file a claim. 



6. If you notice damage when 

 items are delivered, sign for it 

 that way. 



To get damage claims from 

 carriers, it is vital that you act 

 immediately within 24-48 hours 

 maximum. When you call the 

 carrier, write down the name of 

 the person you talked to and a 

 brief description of their state- 

 ment to you. Be sure they send 

 or fill out a claim form. You need 

 as much documentation as pos- 

 sible to get your claim. Also call 



your salesman of the company 

 which sold you the product to 

 advise them of the problem. They 

 may be able to assist you in get- 

 ting your claim. 



Just to give you an idea, I 

 had a conversation on with a 

 customer service representative 

 for UPS and I think everyone 

 should know that their drivers are 

 only instructed to get a package 

 from point A to delivery point B. 

 They do not have to read instruc- 

 tions (Fragile, This side up, Keep 

 from heat and/or frost), so when 

 they give it to you upside down, 

 inside out, or whatever, they have 

 completed their job. UPS will not 

 honor claims for plant material, 

 and if you request UPS shipping 

 ,you take the risk. 



AND THIRD, my last thought 

 for today is a glimpse into what's 

 been going on in the industry. 

 I've been on the road now 

 for just over a year and I've had 

 a chance to see the industry in a 

 different light compared to when 

 I worked in greenhouses. As a 

 sales representative I get informa- 

 tion from both sides: the local 

 industry and the national trends. 

 When I first came to the sales 

 job, people would ask me. So 

 what's new? I had a difficult time 

 coming up with an answer. I've 

 learned over the past year to 

 search out new ideas, new prod- 

 ucts, and to watch what is hap- 

 pening in the nation that will 



affect our industry. There have 

 been many changes. 



Benlate has caused the shut- 

 downs of Steffens Clematis and 

 Margo Farms Foliage; Fischer 

 USA will no longer be producing 

 Regal Geraniums; Ecke introduces 

 Freedom as its new item for the 

 1992 season; Oglevee eliminates 

 several varieties of zonal geranium 

 and one variety of Regal gera- 

 nium; Goldsmith Seeds introduces 

 2 new colors in the Americana 

 series of geraniums; Barbour 

 Trucking out of Florida is shut 

 down by the IRS; Many of our 

 local people both in this industry 

 and others have closed their 

 doors. Banks closed, merged, cut 

 back, interest on loans dropped to 

 record levels as did interest on 

 savings. 



Without a doubt 1991 was a 

 year of drastic changes. Given 

 these changes. How could anyone 

 predict 1992? 



Simple... Do what you believe 

 in, do the best job you know 

 how, evaluate the past, use it as 

 a guide to the future and you will 

 prosper. You must have a positive 

 attitude !!!! 



Good luck in the coming 

 spring season. 



Sincerely, 



Bruce Holmes 

 Bruce Holmes is the northern 

 Neiv England representative for 

 Skidelsky. Bruce can be reached at 

 (603) 659-8106. 



The Qriffin Quru Concurs 

 LOSS AND DAMAGE CLAIMS 



When you or your employee signs a delivery slip, you are saying — 

 unless otherwise noted on the shipping papers (on both the driver's copy 

 and yours) — that all the goods are accounted for and in good shape. 

 The driver has to sign your copy too. 



Lots of times, we get a call from a customer saying that the truck — 

 ours or a common carrier — just left and that they are short some items 

 or — even worse — something is damaged. The first thing we ask is, "Did 

 you note it on the delivery slip before you signed it?' 



Any clam to be filed must start with the proper notations. Know 

 what you're signing for. 



April/ May 1992 5 



