Back Page: Looking Forward

Wayne Gretzky is famous for saying the reason he did so well in hockey was that he skated to where the puck was going to be and not where it had already been.

Charlie Hall, Ellison chair in international floriculture at Texas A&M University, spoke about this concept this spring at the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association and the North American Horticulture Supply Association annual meetings.

“For our industry, that’s the challenge — figuring out where the puck is going to be and to plan accordingly,” Hall says. The past few years have been challenging for the industry.

“Economic downturns really foster this consolidation,” Hall says. “We’re finding ourselves in the mature stage of our industry.”

But Hall says that recessions are a normal part of business cycles and shouldn’t be feared.

“We’ve seen a lot of shakeout, but we haven’t seen the end of the shakeout,” he says.

Hall also talked about how the shakeout the industry has seen has been good for growers.

“That shakeout has increased efficiencies,” he says.

But he also urged the audience to recognize that business practices have to change moving forward in order for the industry to develop.

“The same competitive advantages that brought you here are not the same that will carry you into the future,” Hall says.

He shared many statistics about the economy, consumers and the general population, and talked about what these numbers meant for the future of the industry and the economy in general. He went on to explain that there are two elements of fear. One element can keep you average and inhibit your strategic mindset. The other is better.

“Then there’s a positive element,” he says. “When you get in the trenches, you get your mind right.”

He summarized his talk in a few key points.

“The only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn and adapt faster,” Hall says.

He also said we need to spend as much time studying what not to do and that timing is critical.

And lastly, Hall says, “The future will always belong to those who see the possibilities before they become obvious to the masses.”

For more: Charlie Hall, ellisonchair.tamu.edu