Playing a vital role

This spring, I stepped into the role of President of the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association (NGMA). With many years in management and as a volunteer under my belt, I am proud to now lead NGMA. We are an organization that must play a vital role for our members and the greenhouse industry.

We have built, and continue to build, relationships that make a difference. Whether it is connecting our greenhouse structure manufacturers, the component manufacturers, and the service suppliers, or building relationships in the green industry, NGMA cultivates long-term relationships and partnerships that benefit our members.

NGMA spends a considerable amount of time, energy and money to monitor the building and energy codes as they apply to the horticulture and greenhouse crop production industries. Through our Codes and Standards Committee, NGMA proposes appropriate changes and clarifications, opposes proposals that have a negative impact on the industry and provides resources for education and interpretation of the codes.

NGMA educates our members and the industry. During our annual Spring Meeting, members get important information related to doing business, and just as valuable as the formal training is the informal sharing of ideas amongst attendees. This past year, NGMA was intentional about sharing our collective knowledge and experience with growers. We offered a webinar for the cannabis industry and started a YouTube channel of resources for growers. This year, we will be developing a speaker’s bureau so that other organizations can tap into our members as resources.

NGMA is an active community of volunteers. We have dedicated ourselves to promoting our trade through networking, advocacy and education. I encourage you to get involved. Let’s all work together to build NGMA and continue to advance our industry.

Tom Vezdos
General Manager
Rough Brothers, Inc.