Adapting to the times

Jim Gilbride
Publisher

We at Greenhouse Management are excited to bring you our annual State of the Industry Report which is showing that the market is still recovering, and growth is slow, but steady. We partnered with a third-party research firm to get you the most in-depth information, which will help you to make the appropriate adjustments for a more profitable business in 2015. We also compared our findings with those from our sister publications, Lawn & Landscape and Garden Center, and further confirmed that things are moving in a more positive direction. Take a look at our comprehensive report starting on page 10.

Speaking of making adjustments, I also want to take this opportunity to introduce you to two new faces at Greenhouse Management and Produce Grower. Karen Varga has taken the helm as Editor of these two publications. You may already know her from her exemplary work on Garden Center magazine. In addition to her responsibilities on Garden Center Karen will now also be lead Editor on Greenhouse Management and Produce Grower. “I’m excited for the opportunity to return to the commercial grower market,” Karen says. “My time working on vegetable production and retail magazines has shown me that these are not isolated markets; each market’s success is invariably linked to the success of the other. I’m looking forward to providing business owners with the tools they need to continue growing.” Karen came to GIE Media, our parent company, in 2012 and was previously Managing Editor for a publication serving vegetable growers in Mexico and Central America. Please feel free to reach out to Karen and introduce yourself, she can be reached at 216-393-0290 or via email kvarga@gie.net.

Our other new addition is Leslie Halleck, green industry consultant and owner of Halleck Horticultural, who will be lending her expertise to Greenhouse Management and Produce Grower as our Staff Horticulturist. Leslie is a Certified Professional Horticulturist via The American Society for Horticulture Science and has more than 20 years of green industry experience, including affiliations with many industry associations. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Horticulture at Michigan State University, where her work focused on greenhouse production of perennial plants and a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a focus on botany and plant ecology from the University of North Texas. Leslie has been working with Karen on Garden Center as a contributing writer since January 2013, drawing on her experiences managing a successful garden center in Dallas, Texas. She can be reached at lhalleck@gie.net.

We’re excited to welcome these talented individuals to our editorial staff, and look forward to bringing you the in-depth research, innovative expertise and fresh perspectives you need to maximize your business’ bottom line in 2015.

Jim Gilbride, Publisher
jgilbride@gie.net
216-236-5744  |  Twitter: @jgilbride