  The landscape business tanked for Dave Self, owner of Wyld West Annuals Inc. in Loxahatchee, Fla., in September 2008. "Prior to the economic downturn, I'd see landscapers come in two to three times per week," Self said. "After the economy declined I only saw them two to three times per season in a 12-week period. In the fall of 2008 I ended up dumping nearly half of my inventory. Everybody put their pocketbooks away and didn't spend because of the economic uncertainty. And 2009 wasn't any better." Self grows primarily annuals and perennials that he sells to golf courses and gated communities within a 50-mile radius of his operation. One sign that the economy is getting stronger is that Self is starting to see more landscapers buying plants. "They are starting to come back. I'm picking up a lot of new ones," he said. "I think the good landscapers that were solid and had good customers and did good work were able to survive." Marketing differently Prior to the economic downturn, Self provided his customers with proposal books for the plantings he was bidding on. He said some potential customers would request as many as eight to 10 books, but producing that many books would take three days and got to be too costly. "I still carry a proposal book with me, but I have really worked to upgrade the company website," Self said. "Both my customers and their customers can use the website since there are no prices on it. I am planning to beef up the content on the website so that it has more information." Self also is making more personal visits with customers. Changes in product offerings As the economy improves, Self has seen more customers asking for specialty plants rather than just the traditional landscape crops. "People are once again starting to ask for more of the vegetative plants like Proven Winners, Fides and Syngenta," he said. "Some of these crops I grew before. But with the downturn in the economy, budgets were tight and customers were looking for cheaper materials. Now people are starting to say they want to take their plantings to the next level. This is mainly with the gated communities. They want their entrances to stand out and to show everyone that they are doing OK. I am also seeing some of the landscapers coming in and asking for these specialty plants." Even though Self said most golf courses are budgeted tight when it comes to ornamental plantings, some are stepping up and looking to set themselves apart. |
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