Page 4 - Griffin Gazette Winter 2016
P. 4
PAINTaking the
Out of At-Once Needs
By Jeff Burkholder, SHS Griffin represents a broad range of young-plant producers to meet your
SHS Griffin Senior Business Manager at-once needs. Image courtesy of Costa Farms.
As growers are well aware, producing
perishable floral products comes with • How flexible can you be? Giving us the ability to make reasonable
many surprises and pitfalls. Even the most substitutions in variety or product size/form can save time and
dependable breeders and producers can run often allow us to secure more total units for you. A few examples
into unanticipated supply issues due to crop include: Could you accept a 72-cell instead of a 102? Can we sub-
failures, raw material shortages or delivery stitute red for pink? Will you accept raw seed in place of coated?
problems. Or, on the flip side, last-minute new
business may increase production demands. In both instances, a • Which shipping methods are acceptable?
grower needs reliable resources and a solid plan for securing inputs • Do you have price-point limitations? Giving us a ceiling for what
on an at-once basis.
This is the broker/distributor’s time to shine; it’s where we should you can pay per unit will influence what we can supply and
really show our worth. The SHS Griffin Sales and Customer Service where we source.
teams are ready and able to assist. With a national network of more • Are there any young-plant sources we should exclude from our
than 130 suppliers, we have no shortage of options from which search? We try to represent only quality young-plant suppliers
to source your inputs. Or if you prefer a self-service method, our but you may have your reasons why one or another isn’t work-
online ordering portal enables you to explore current availabilities able for you.
from many of our primary vendors and place orders immediately. Unfortunately, today, young-plant producers often speculate in
To secure your inputs most efficiently and provide the best oppor- limited amounts, if at all, and have tightened sowing or sticking
tunity for success, here are a few tips: buffers to control their costs. Following the suggestions above
Contact us as soon as the need arises. The more leadtime you can help negate these limitations and bring you better results. Our
can give from your required delivery date, the better. You may team strives to be a partner in your success; with your help, we’ll
still be able to meet a sow or stick date, allowing you to get more work diligently to source your inputs so you can stay focused on
of your first-choice items. Our goal is to secure product from running your operation.
availabilities as soon as our vendors update their counts. Vendors
update availability at different intervals; some refresh every few
minutes while others update only once a day or once a week
(often on Thursdays). Hesitation may mean a loss of inventory or a
delivery delay of a week or more.
Be prepared with the information we’ll need. Some of the most
common questions and considerations include:
• What are your required dates for sowing, sticking or
transplanting?
• Must everything arrive at the same time or may some items ship
a week later?
Suppliers with availabilities posted via SHS Griffin online ordering
Log on to orders.shsgriffin.com to browse current inventories
Aris Horticulture EuroAmerican Propagators Lucas Greenhouses Syngenta Perennials
Athena Brazil Four Star Greenhouse Malmborg’s Terra Nova Nurseries
Barone Gardens Gro'n Sell Mast Young Plants The Plug Connection
C. Raker & Sons Gulley Greenhouse Millstadt Greenhouse Total Growth Solutions (TGS)
Cohen Propagation Nurseries Hishtil Pacific Plug & Liner Wagner Greenhouses
Darwin Perennials Jaldety Pleasant View Gardens Welby Gardens
Dümmen Orange James Greenhouses Skagit Gardens Wenke/Sunbelt
Emerald Coast Growers Knox Nursery Syngenta Flowers
4 Griffin Gazette winter 2016
