Spring 2023 - President’s Message
Hello friends,
Spring is quickly approaching and the beginning of a new season is upon us. More than ever before it seems that there is less seasonal down time between busy seasons. Winter is always a great time to exhale, catch up on projects that have been put on the back burner, and catch up with friends and colleagues that we don’t often see enough. Hopefully you have had a chance to rest, regroup, and prepare for the challenges ahead. Our most recent event was this year’s winter conference which was well received and a great time to catch up with so many of you. I for one was excited to see the return of the networking social hour after the conference and am already looking forward to it next year!
I am deeply optimistic about the coming year. Spring is full of new energy and expectations of what’s to come, the excitement can be infectious as the landscape comes to life again. There seems to still be plenty of work on the books and construction continues, albeit at a slower pace. Although we will all continue to keep a wary eye on the economy and signs of a long term slow down there are positives that come from the current state of the industry. I think everyone would agree that the record sales years from 2020-2022 were both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. Growth is always a good thing; however unhealthy growth is not sustainable nor in the best interest of our industry. 2023 looks to return strong numbers throughout the spring and summer but possibly more measured growth than that of the previous three years. Slower growth will allow us to combat the challenges that arose from such staggering sales, supply chain disruptions, product shortages, and labor. While I have no concrete answers for our labor shortages, I do think what we can expect a mild reduction in demand to allow the supply side to start catching up. Evergreen shortages in particular continue to be felt across the industry and will not be rectified soon.
In my humble opinion labor will continue to be the single largest challenge that we face. Postsecondary horticulture programs continue to decline across the country and overall enrollment is down. The inability to hire the appropriate amount of people and the struggle to attract younger generations to our industry affects us all. We must continue to find new and innovative ways to both get more done with less and promote the benefits of our industry to entice new workers. People are what make this industry so uniquely special. The sharing and exchange of ideas, skills, and information passed from one generation of skilled craftsmen to the next is a rare thing in our technological age. Thank you to all of you who continue to teach and inspire younger generations to pursue horticulture. Mechanization and innovation will continue to be critical in keeping up with demand in light of a shrinking labor force. As I stated earlier I am deeply optimistic about the coming year and wish you the very best this season.
Brett Schroer
NNLA President