A Meeting of the Minds in Charlotte
The 2016 Big Grower Executive Summit has come and gone now.
Last week, growers from across the country convened in Charlotte, North Carolina, to network with their peers and learn about and discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the industry today.
On Monday, Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic, gave us a peek into the minds of Millennials and how they can and will influence our industry today and in the coming years.
Barry Sturdivant and Karen Sugihara from Wells Fargo Bank provided us with insight into some of the critical banking and asset management issues facing growers today, while AmericanHort’s Craig Regelbrugge discussed many of the issues going on in Washington and how this year’s presidential election could impact the green industry.
We also had a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville. The greenhouses (all 160+ acres of them) were really buzzing with activity as spring rapidly approaches in the Southeast.
On Tuesday, Jill Calabro brought everyone up to date on many of the different initiatives taking place at the Horticultural Research Institute. Next was Big Grower contributor Charlie Hall, Texas A&M, who examined the current state of the economy and provided us with his “forecast” for where it may be headed in the coming weeks, months and years.
Mariah Holland, Metrolina’s director of marketing, discussed “Marketing in the World of Live Goods” and how Metrolina does its consumer research to develop the products that today’s consumer wants.
Finally, Brad Julian, merchandising director at Lowe’s, provided a big box perspective on live goods. During his presentation, Julian discussed how the home improvement retailer’s customer continues to evolve, how Lowe’s goes to market in the live goods arena and how the company works with its growers.
I’ve created a photo album with some of the highlights from the Summit on the GPN website. You can see them by clicking here.
A special “Thank You!” goes out to everyone at Metrolina Greenhouses for the awesome tour of their facilities in Huntersville and their gracious hospitality.
We’d also like to thank our sponsors for this year’s event: BioWorks, MasterTag, NuFarm, Stockosorb and Summit Plastic Co.
If you missed this year’s event, stay tuned … we will be announcing our plans for the 2017 Big Grower Executive Summit in the coming months.
Meijer Announces Major Investment in New and Remodeled Stores
Michigan-based Meijer plans to invest more than $400 million in 2016 to build nine new supercenters and remodel 32 existing stores in the Midwest. The store openings are expected to create nearly 3,000 new full- and part-time jobs. The new stores will be located in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Since 2010, Meijer has opened 36 new stores in its six-state footprint.
Wal-Mart Opens Customer Service Training Academy in Texas
Last week, Wal-Mart opened its first training academy near Dallas, Texas, for employees of its supercenters and neighborhood market stores. The company plans to open 200 of these academies by the end of 2017. The training academy program is part of CEO Doug McMillon’s initiative to improve customer service. Two more academies are expected to open in Arkansas later this month.
Sam’s Club to Focus on Local Food
Sam’s Club is developing a team of regional buyers to stock its stores with more local and organic groceries. The move is being done to drive customer loyalty and appeal to a more upscale shopper. By using regional buyers rather than buyers based out of its corporate headquarters, the warehouse club hopes to build stronger ties with local producers supplying products that might attract wealthier shoppers. The regional buyers reportedly would handle approximately 30 percent of its food items.
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