AmericanHort Connect July 2017

2017:August

An AmericanHort Member Benefit

IN THIS ISSUE

The Advocacy Edition EVENTS / pg10

FROM THE HILL / pg14

Fall Events

Impact Washington

Impact Washington & Production Technology Conference offer new opportunities.

Citizen advocates, it’s your turn to represent the industry.

Now—more than ever—your involvement in and awareness of political decisions is undeniably important.

Be informed, be aware, and be active in influencing outcomes.

Here’s a quick rundown of key issues and opportunities to help you do just that.

TOP ADVOCACY ISSUES Tax Reform Updates

4

Key Pests

6

The Labor Challenge

12

HELLO

About AmericanHort AmericanHort is the national association of horticulture businesses and professionals across the spectrum of the industry. Without you there is no us, so AmericanHort undertakes the critical task of protecting, preserving, and promoting the national horticulture industry so that people like you can do what you love in an industry that thrives.

The People in Our Corner A LET TER FROM TOM DEMALINE Dear Colleagues, Advocacy and representation in Washington, D.C., are some of the most critical responsibilities that AmericanHort assumes on behalf of the industry.

But green industry businesses like ours are equally responsible for participating in grassroots movements to stand up, speak up, and show how legislative decisions have real impact on our day-to-day business operations.

Politics are indeed local, and in the new political climate of the past year, it is more important than ever that we are paying attention and taking action when needed. Our collective advocacy success depends on it.

As members of AmericanHort, we have a seat at the table.

I recently had an opportunity to meet with President Trump and Ag Secretary Perdue at the White House as part of an agricultural coalition addressing some of the most important legislative and regulatory issues facing our industry. By working together we have a strong voice on issues that are extremely important to our businesses—but each of us has to participate.

Willoway has always taken an active role in getting to personally know our legislators. We have built these relationships by inviting them to the nursery in addition to visiting them in their office with the purpose of establishing us as reliable resource on issues that affect our business such as immigration, tax reform, water usage, and other EPA regulations. Your legislator is not an expert on every subject and welcomes the input from a constituent that they know and trust to help them make an informed decision. We have the best political system in the world; however, to make a difference, you have to be engaged in the process and know the players.

AmericanHort has directly influenced important issues, including: • The recent H-2B situation and working to address the visa cap

Plants are what we do, but people are why we’re here.

Supporting AmericanHort with your membership creates a healthier industry that’s driven to share the necessity of plants in everyday lives—which means better business for everyone.

• Advocating for tax reform in a way that’s beneficial to green industry businesses • Negotiating on behalf of our industry on pest and disease issues I’d like to personally invite and strongly encourage your participation in AmericanHort’s Impact Washington event September 11-13. It is an advocacy and leadership summit in Washington, D.C., that will give you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with decision makers and their staff and hear directly from them on upcoming and impactful issues that affect our industry.

The following pages will give you critical updates on some of the current advocacy issues. Then, I hope you will join me in Washington, D.C., to represent our industry September 11-13.

All Industry

AmericanHort represents the entire horticulture industry.

No matter your specialty, we have the resources you need to cultivate a successful business.

Business Plus

Floral

Greenhouse

Interior Plantscape

Landscape

Garden Retail

Generation Next

Nursery

Research

Register at AmericanHort.org/Impact.

Sincerely,

Connect

With Us...and Your Peers AmericanHort.org/KC facebook.com/AmericanHort instagram.com/YourAmericanHort

Tom Demaline Willoway Nurseries President, AmericanHort Chairman of the Board tdemaline@willowaynurseries.com

twitter.com/American_Hort

Hello@AmericanHort.org 2130 Stella Court Columbus, Ohio 43215-1033 USA (614) 487-1117 Main

AmericanHort Connect 2017:August

© 2017 AmericanHort. All rights reserved. This material may contain confidential information and it is for the sole use of AmericanHort members.

The information contained herein is for general guidance and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. It cannot be distributed, reprinted, retransmitted, or otherwise made public without prior written permission by AmericanHort. Please contact the editor at (614) 487-1117 for permission with acknowledgment.

Advocacy & Leadership Summit

Protect the future.

Facetime matters, especially when it comes to influencing the political decisions that impact our industry.

Register for AmericanHort’s advocacy summit and join industry leaders to show up, speak up, and stand up for what matters most for the future of your business.

Register now: AmericanHort.org/Impact September 11-13, 2017 Washington, D.C.

AmericanHort.org 2 | AmericanHort.org

2017:August | 3

REFORM EDITOR’S INTRO Tax reform was heavily promised during the 2016 election. For Republicans specifically, their prescription for long-term economic prosperity is to fundamentally reform the structure and scope of the Internal Revenue Code.

Ryan Stroschein from K-Coe Isom gives an update and summary of what we know now and what we might be able to expect.

The Status of Tax Reform Ryan Stroschein, K-Coe Isom

If asked, virtually every member of Congress will say they support a significant rewrite of the tax code.

No one defends its size or its complexity, and policymakers from across the ideological spectrum will agree that they would like to see changes. That, of course, is where the consensus ends. Opinions on what the Code should look like are as diverse as the members of Congress themselves—and the myriad groups that influence them.

House Republican leadership and particularly the House Ways and Means Committee, have been spearheading this effort. They have held countless hearings, commissioned studies, issued white papers, and campaigned tirelessly on the issue of fundamental tax reform. And this has gotten us to the point we are today—the closest to actually reforming the Code since the last major rewrite more than 30 years ago. The political momentum needed to push an effort across the finish line must be wide and deep, and it takes years to develop. It will impact virtually every person, business, and non-profit in the country— making it a heavy lift indeed.

It’s important to emphasize that they are not proposing a simple cut to tax rates as 4 | AmericanHort.org

K-Coe Isom is a firm comprised of consultants and CPAs who focus strongly on food and agriculture industries.

a quick jolt to the economy; their vision is a completely revamped tax code that fundamentally changes how income and goods are taxed at the federal level in the US. Furthermore, it’s intended to be “revenue neutral,” meaning that it will not add to the deficit, and Congressional Republican leadership has insisted that it will be. This means that any provision that reduces revenues must be counterbalanced by something else that offsets that income loss—a corresponding reduction in spending or an increase in revenues somewhere else. Thus the bill has no choice but to create winners and losers as compared to current law. Given this, it obviously behooves impacted industries to closely scrutinize both the proposal’s individual provisions and the package as a whole to determine if it will be a net positive or if it will create a squeeze for them over the long term.

While this analysis is important to everyone, it is particularly important for agriculture. This is because farmers have a variety of tax tools available to them to benefit their bottom lines. They have access to provisions that smooth out the revenue peaks and valleys, that enable them to defer tax liabilities for years, and that enable them to deduct much of the cost of doing business. And those tools are just on the income tax side. There are additional tools

“The “trillion dollar” question becomes whether or not these reductions will fully offset what is lost on the deduction and tax credit side of the equation.” that enhance their ability to pass on what are often sizeable assets and estates to their heirs with little or no tax consequence. And all of those tools are under scrutiny and potentially in peril.

Of course, if those tax mitigation tools go away, the bill’s supporters will argue they are offset by other benefits, the most obvious of which is the lowering of marginal tax rates for virtually all forms of income. The “trillion dollar” question becomes whether or not these reductions will fully offset what is lost on the deduction and tax credit side of the equation. That’s where the value of thorough analysis comes into focus. That and the ability to positively influence the process using hard data.

Last June, House Republicans released what they called their “blueprint” for tax reform. It includes the elimination of popular deductions such as the expensing of interest and limits loss carry-backs and carry-forwards. It also proposes to impose a “border adjustment” tax that fundamentally changes how imports and exports are taxed in the US. No one can accuse them of not

being bold in this effort.

Initially, House leadership planned to have their work on this legislation completed

by August. Unfortunately, given the delays in passing a bill to repeal Obamacare, and a lack of focused assistance from the Administration, that timeframe has slipped.

Their stated goal for completion is now by the end of the fiscal year on September 30, with the Senate hoping to act before next spring. Given frustrations among voters and with the non-policy distractions in Washington right now, Congressional Republicans are extremely committed to delivering a legislative victory on this key campaign promise. For this reason, we are convinced they will pull out all the stops to get a bill over to the Senate before this fall.

We expect to see draft legislation soon after Congress returns from their August recess.

And then the real lobbying will begin.

Ryan Stroschein K-Coe Isom Ryan.Stroschein@kcoe.com

2017:August | 5

PESTS

Getting the Best of Our Toughest Pests

Boxwood Blight on its own. Now imagine this on the plants!

Jill Calabro, PhD, AmericanHort

EDITOR’S INTRO Our in-house research expert gives a quick update on the top pest and disease pressures facing our industry and the outlook ahead.

What do boxwood blight, whitefly biotype Q, and green slime have in common?

They are all serious pests in our industry right now and, as such, each is a focus for AmericanHort.

Boxwood Blight Boxwood blight continues to be a major concern for nursery producers and likely will for some time to come. Research (much of which was supported by AmericanHort and our Horticultural Research Institute) continues to provide us with more practical information for management.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service allocated over $700,000 towards boxwood blight solutions through the Farm Bill Section 10007 this year alone. Look for updates on improved detection methods, composting impacts on the disease, and overall management strategies in the near future.

AmericanHort and HRI continue to support industry outreach with boxwood blight findings, with the latest effort being a webinar hosted in March. The webinar featured Dr. Chuan Hong, Virginia Tech, and Ms. Dana Rhodes, Pennsylvania State 6 | AmericanHort.org

Dept. of Agriculture, and the recording can be found on the AmericanHort Knowledge Center at AmericanHort.org/KC. All this good research translates into great resources for you! Currently, AmericanHort and HRI are in the process of updating the boxwood blight best management practices for nursery producers. (Retail, landscape, and landscape distribution boxwood buyers should take care to buy from growers who carefully adhere to the BMPs). Also look for some new university resources to be released soon; researchers at both Virginia Tech and Tennessee State are developing lists of boxwood varieties by their relative susceptibility to boxwood blight.

Whitefly, Biotype Q The second concern is a very small insect pest common in greenhouse production: Whitefly, biotype Q. In 2016, several outdoor sites in Palm Beach County, Florida tested positive for a Q infestation, signifying the first establishment of this pest in the landscape, outside of the controlled environments of greenhouses.

This is very concerning because biotype Q is twice as likely to carry plant viruses than other whitefly biotypes. Biotype Q prefers hibiscus, poinsettia, and lantana for feeding but can be found throughout

the greenhouse. The biggest threat is to outdoor vegetable production in southern regions; so, not surprisingly, the vegetable and cotton industries are carefully monitoring these new developments. State regulators are as well. USDA APHIS has reinstated the biotype Q whitefly task force with the goal of bringing together folks from industry, research, and regulatory worlds to best address the concerns.

AmericanHort and HRI have representation as acting co-chair in the industry segment of the task force.

The task force hopes to increase outreach and communication among all interested parties (greenhouse production, landscape management, cotton production, and vegetable production), evaluate IPM tools for biotype Q, and harmonize state regulatory strategies. More to come!

The Dreaded Green Slime Nostoc spp., a type of cyanobacteria (often called a blue green alga) that forms globs of green to brown squishy, slimy ooze, has become a serious worker safety hazard in nursery production in recent years. It creates slippery surfaces and unsightly plant material.

The green slime is made up of chains of bacteria that grow along surfaces, such as gravel, cement, ground cloth, and soil.

When dry, Nostoc dehydrates into paperlike sheets that protect the cyanobacteria from extended drought and cold / freezing temperatures. These paper-like sheets also make it difficult to control.

Green slime continues to be a safety hazard and an unsightly presence in nursery business. © Dr. Joe Neal, NCSU Through HRI support, Dr. Joe Neal, North Carolina State University, is researching ways to control Nostoc, such as herbicides, sanitizing agents, and physical disruption, to help make nurseries safer work environments!

Jill Calabro, PhD AmericanHort JillC@AmericanHort.org

ITCHING FOR MORE?

Read Connect online in the AmericanHort Knowledge Center, along with thousands of other articles and resources.

AmericanHort.org/KC

2017:August | 7

#MEMBER MOMENT

Playing the Long Game Dale Deppe, Spring Meadow Nursery Founder, reflects on his business’ 36-year history as a way of looking forward.

“It’s just a good start.”

“Dale-isms” are something that many in the industry— and certainly many of his employees— are familiar with. The one that has been a daily mantra for Spring Meadow Nursery, a grower of flowering shrub liners, has been “It’s just a good start.”

“Business always changes,” Dale Deppe, Spring Meadow Founder and Owner, said, “You take a look back, and you’re grateful for a good start. And then you have to look ahead to the future.”

Deppe founded Spring Meadow Nursery in 1981, along with his wife Liz, after leaving Zelenka Nursery during the 1981 economic downturn. With 20 acres in nursery material started and the support of Liz’s accounting job, the Deppes began the adventure into business ownership.

It was a great deal of on-the-go learning, but one thing immediately apparent about Deppe is that he’s a man with principles, and those principles drive him forward.

When Deppe realized that his business couldn’t grow by competing solely on price and that it wasn’t feasible to compete in the exclusive crowd of licensed growers selling proprietary material, Deppe decided to focus on releasing his own genetics.

8 | AmericanHort.org

Fortunately, Tim Wood, “plant hunter” (official title Product Development & Marketing Manager), shared Deppe’s passion and insatiable interest in plant breeding and genetics. Together, they worked to form partnerships with overseas breeders and even developed Spring Meadow’s own R&D department for breeding new varieties.

And then Deppe does what Deppe does best—strike outside the box and be confident about it. With the introduction of ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea, ‘Wine & Roses’ Weigela, and ‘Little Henry’ Itea under the Spring Meadow ColorChoice brand, Deppe did what no one else was doing. He made these “exclusive” genetics accessible to all.

Where the former industry model had been to drive up price for proprietary material by limiting supply, Deppe took the alternative route of driving profit by driving demand.

“We asked ourselves ‘What if the entire industry liked these plants and could participat?’” explained Wood. “There wasn’t a whole lot of demand for new plants, so we knew we had to create that through stories.”

Not only did Spring Meadow allow anyone to grow their proprietary material, but they also took the leadership role of marketing new plants to the end consumer. Both

Wood and Deppe had found Anthony Teslar marketing of Flower Carpet Roses impactful.

This acted as the impetus for the consumerfocused marketing Spring Meadow has generated around its introductions and varieties.

“Our goal is for our customers to be successful,” both Wood and Deppe explained, which is why Spring Meadow focuses both on growers and end consumers. For the growers, Spring Meadow produces exceptional quality material so that there’s confidence in the grower. For consumers, Spring Meadow markets plant features, attributes, advantages, and stories so that there’s both confidence in the consumer and a higher demand.

“We probably market about 90% to the end consumer and 10% to the trade industry,”

said Wood. That marketing has taken strong footholds in consumer publications like Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Sunset, and Southern Living. Spring Meadow also provides their marketing calendar to their grower customers so that retailers and distributors can leverage Spring Meadow marketing to also influence endconsumer sales.

The next important chapter in Spring Meadow nursery came when ColorChoice joined the Proven Winners brand.

“A shrub brand alone doesn’t have enough volume to really make an impact in the market. But by partnering with a brand like Proven Winners that has annuals, then you start capitalizing on those brand impressions, as well,” Wood explained.

Deppe saw the partnership with Proven Winners as the next important growth phase for Spring Meadow and a strong opportunity for their steady stream of new genetics.

“We commit that each introduction will be better than the last. Yes, we market the plants, but it’s the quality of the plant behind the brand that makes the difference,” reads Deppe’s words in their company’s list of priorities.

And that idea of “It’s a good start” and the relentless drive for improvement is reflected in the acres of nursery genetic trials and R&D greenhouses. Hydrangeas are pitted against hydrangeas, roses against roses, barberry against barberry—and the top more on page 10…

2017:August | 9

EVENTS

IMPACT WASHINGTON: Advocacy & Leadership Summit Presented by AmericanHort, the unifying organization representing the voice of the horticulture industry.

11-13

WASHINGTON D.C., USA Cut-Off for the best hotel rates is August 21!

IGCA Congress 2017 | Canada Hosted by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association Indulge your sense of adventure and your quest for revolutionary ideas for the modern garden center. AmericanHort represents American garden centers and encourages our members to attend for a week of international networking, touring, and experiencing of the finest Canadian garden centers and culture.

contenders end up in the Spring Meadow Arboretum—which doubles as Deppe’s 16acre yard.

There, mass plantings and layers of trees and shrubs create a display of that causes serious envy even in non-gardeners.

It’s also a strong testimony to the patient persistence, consistency, and discipline of Deppe as he’s worked to build Spring 10 | AmericanHort.org

CONFERENCE

Production & Technology Conference Presented by AmericanHort to help advance the industry and bring the latest technology to the forefront.

AmericanHort’s Production Technology Conference will be the place for nursery and greenhouse growers to get handson with the latest technology advancements in production components and explore the ROI potential of equipment purchases and upgrades. The event will include a Technology in Action Tour, cutting-edge exhibitors, and educational sessions designed to help growers feel confident about making decisions on upgrading and investing in their production operations.

OCTOBER

9-11

DALLAS TEXAS, USA

AmericanHort.org/Tech

SEPTEMBER

17-22

NIAGARA FALLS O N TA R I O , C A N A D A

Congre ss CA IG

CANADA ag

Ni

IGCACanada2017.ca

AmericanHort.org/Impact

ara

F a ll s

17

SEPTEMBER

A gathering of industry leaders (that means you) to meet directly with elected officials, their staff, and issue experts and to discuss key topics that are affecting the horticulture industry. This gathering represents the horticulture industry as a united front and key economic player, while also facilitating valuable face-time between the decision-makers and the business owners.

Production Technology

20

Meadow. But you’ll never hear him claim the credit. “It’s bringing on the right people at the right time and bringing on people who are better than you. Sheer will is not enough. Things come together to build a business and build a life—and then it’s what you do with it.”

Looking forward, as Deppe does, he sees nothing but continuing opportunity

for nursery businesses. That is, if current businesses allow themselves to think beyond paradigms. “ ‘Success’ isn’t in the old facilities,” said Deppe. “Successful hort companies are innovative and doing something different and better. Spring Meadow is successful through consistency, which allows for mechanization. There’s such a huge opportunity for start-ups to get into this industry, begin with a clean slate, and look at how to do things through mechanization and technology.”

When asked what’s next for his career, Deppe says he’s doing “as little as possible” (short of travelling the world; the week after our visit, he flew to Serbia to meet with

breeders). His son, Jeremy Deppe, is General Manager of Spring Meadow and intent on continuing the family business’ trajectory of growth and success.

As the day wound down and the impressive tour over, I asked Deppe what legacy he hoped Spring Meadow would leave with the industry.

He paused before answering, “That we were leaders in everything that we did and advocates for industry folks—always. And that we helped the industry to be more profitable.”

Lauren Snyder AmericanHort LaurenS@AmericanHort.org 2017:August | 11

LABOR EDITOR’S INTRO

The Labor Issue Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort

Just about everyone everywhere in every sector of the horticulture industry is talking about labor.

Or more to the point, a dearth of labor.

While there are no single, silver-bullet solutions, folks are trying various labor solutions and strategies with varying degrees of success, a topic covered in Cultivate’s State of the Industry address on July 17.

Meanwhile, the list of needed tools and solutions starts and ends with federal legislation. That’s true if you want to see the existing temporary and seasonal visa programs made more user-friendly or augmented with fresh ideas and approaches.

The same is true if you are concerned about the current workforce instability stemming from the fact that half or more of the hardworking folks making it happen down on the farm have papers that look better than they really are.

Labor continues to be a belabored point for our industry, and its growth and success will certainly be determined by how well this issue is addressed. Many businesses are creating their own solutions, while the government stands to either help or hinder.

Craig Regelbrugge offers a quick overview of what’s helping—and hurting—our efforts to find solutions.

horticulture contribute to rural economies and stimulate farm-dependent job creation in rural America. They understand that our workforce dilemma is setting back growth. They would welcome an opening to move forward on a package of reforms balanced with security and enforcement improvements in order to secure our borders and economy.

Who’s Not? We have antagonists in high places. The Attorney General, various advisors and policy staff at Homeland Security and the White House, and the ever-present hardliners in Congress are indifferent – even downright hostile – to the labor woes we face. They oppose current or expanded visa programs and earned legal status. They are noisy, determined, and constitute a formidable obstacle to progress.

The Congressional Calendar.

So with this cheerful backdrop and given the “new world order” (new Administration, new Congress), let’s consider where we stand. For all you list makers and five-card poker enthusiasts, here are five key factors shaping the near-term environment for reform.

Regardless of Congress’ appetite for immigration reform, it seems there is always a higher priority. There are the “must-dos” such as funding the government. Next, there are top GOP priorities ranging from replacing Obamacare to comprehensive tax reform. These efforts have already fallen behind, leaving a shorter and very crowded legislative calendar.

Who’s Our Friend?

A Catalyst.

We have friends in high places. From the Secretary of Agriculture, to key economic advisors at the White House, to friends on both sides of the aisle in Congress, these folks appreciate how agriculture and

Congress responds best to crisis and often responds best to a disaster or a hard deadline, such as a government shutdown.

Growth-stunting worker shortages unfold

12 | AmericanHort.org

quietly and are best understood in hindsight.

An analysis in 2012 showed that America forgoes $3.3 billion in annual GDP growth and $1.4 billion in lost farm income due to labor shortage constraints. But there is still little sense of urgency.

The President.

The wild card in the poker hand! Where will President Trump ultimately stand on visa programs and the status of our current workforce? Tough campaign rhetoric energized the anti-immigrant groups. More recent events, including the April farmer roundtable, suggest an open mind. Getting this issue right matters to rural America.

Will Trump see that there’s a deal to be had?

Looking ahead, the next the best shot at a window of opportunity will come this Fall. The House may take up enforcementonly bills, potentially including mandatory E-Verify. Will they be brought to the floor? And, proponents of a “wall” on the southern border might threaten a government shutdown as the new federal fiscal year arrives October 1. In this tumultuous environment, our challenge will be turning threat to opportunity. Stay tuned, stay active!

Craig Regelbrugge AmericanHort CraigR@AmericanHort.org

“In this tumultuous environment, our challenge will be turning threat to opportunity. Stay tuned, stay active!”

Stay active by joining us in Washington, D.C. September 11-13.

Advocacy & Leadership Summit Impact Washington is a two-day leadership summit where you can make an impact on the decisions that affect your business.

Advocacy is truly a grassroots' movement, and we need your help to advance the industry.

Register before

August 21

for the best rates at AmericanHort.org/Impact.

2017:August | 13

FROM THE HILL

3 Days Jam-Packed with Super Savings, New Products, Great Food & Fun Events!

A D V O C A C Y U P DAT E S

The Grassroots’ Responsibility: Be involved!

Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort

Why is our timing good?

We’ve got a new Congress. That means new relationships to build and new awareness to create of how our industry contributes to the economy, job creation, environment, and human health and well being.

Secondly, Congress will be in session. This increases the possibility of conference attendees being able to meet directly with Congress Members themselves, as well as their staff. Congress staff, of course, are really important and have tremendous influence.

Finally—and most importantly—the key issues for our industry are expected to be in play, making your presence and experiences incredibly valuable in potentially influencing the outcomes of these issues.

We plan to cover tax reform over the course of these two days. House Speaker Paul Ryan told AmericanHort and other guests at an event in mid-June that the House absolutely will bring a tax reform bill to a vote this fall. We’ll address how a tax package might treat cash accounting, estate tax, and various business-friendly deductions and exemptions.

We’ll also have the next five-year Farm Bill taking shape. Several Farm Bill programs have become essential tools for pest prevention, research, and development for horticulture. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), who 14 | AmericanHort.org

take flight

chairs the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology and Horticulture, is in the middle of the process and will address our group on how things are moving along.

Atlantic City Convention Center

The federal fiscal year will also be coming to an end September 30. With deep doubts for a normal appropriations process, our timing should be relevant for a last-minute push on priorities like Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative funding and H-2B visa program cap relief.

LEARNMORE&REGISTERAT www.arettopenhouse.com 800-257-8220

the can’t miss

Last but not least, we face daunting workforce challenges. Sen. Thom Tillis (RNC) is emerging as a strong and thoughtful leader in the Senate on immigration reform and will share his thoughts and advice before we head up to the Hill to work on this critical challenge. Our keynote speaker, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, in a presentation he’s calling “So Close and Yet So Far Apart,” will share deep insights into the U.S.-Mexico relationship now and in the future.

of the year • Seminars • Show Day Specials • Great Deals • Marketing Services • FREE Food • Lots of New Products • Plus So Much More!

It’s been eight years since we (as ANLA) convened this this kind of legislative summit, and it will be the first time for AmericanHort proper. We as an industry have lived through some pretty dark times since then, but hey, we’re resilient! And it’s a great time to put on your citizen advocate hat and step up, especially given the challenges and the opportunities facing our industry and our nation.

Learn more, register or book your room at www.arettopenhouse.com

Participation is limited, so don’t wait too long to register. You can do that on our website at AmericanHort.org/Impact.

Craig Regelbrugge AmericanHort CraigR@AmericanHort.org

Premier Distributor of Lawn, Garden, Home and Holiday Supplies AAD-2431

Timing is everything, and our timing for Impact Washington, our advocacy summit (September 11-13, Washington, D.C.) is looking quite good.

Learn more. Visit us at www.arett.com Call: 800-257-8220 Email: mail@arett.com 9285 Commerce Hwy., Pennsauken, NJ 08110

2017:August | 15

Register today!

AmericanHort.org/Impact

August 21

Best hotel rates end

Impact the issues by joining us in Washington, D.C. September 11-13.

Advocacy & Leadership Summit

Name Company Street 2 Street 1 City, State ZIP

Barcode |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Mail Sort Line

Electronic Service Requested

2130 Stella Court Columbus, OH 43215 USA (614) 487-1117 AmericanHort.org

Presorted Standard Mail U.S. POSTAGE PAID Columbus, OH Permit No. 1560