Big 10: Growing with the business

When Premier Growers Inc. decided to start using an online ordering system, it simplified the ordering process for everybody. Its customers — strictly landscapers — are able to design their orders with the help of photos, and once an order is completed, the system handles converting the order sheet into an invoice and pull sheet. Lewis Sharp, vice president of Premier Growers, has seen several benefits result from the online ordering system.

“[It’s] been a big, big help for us, not only in our time, but our mistakes on pulling orders has gone down extremely compared to what it was before that,” he says.

The system has removed the hassle of breaking down an order, converting an order, writing tickets for shipment, turning tickets into invoices, and so on. Sharp says the customers like online ordering because they can track their invoices just by logging onto the website.

The online ordering system is also another way for the company to keep up with its customers. The company has been in business for 25 years, and has been growing for the majority of them.

“We’ve been growing consistently in our market for the last 18 years,” Sharp says. “I think we have a quality product and a high level of service, and our reaction time’s very quick. Our ability to get stuff to the market is just quicker than what most people can do.”

Sharp believes Premier Growers’ large greenhouse space and trucking line allows them to be ahead of its competition.

“That gives us the ability to fill orders, take orders at the last minute, and handle large customers without much notice,” Sharp says. “We tried to become more of a larger company that could match our larger customer base.”
 

How does Premier Growers continue to attract new customers? Sharp believes word-of-mouth has a lot to do with it, which boils down to the quality of the plants.

“That’s the No.1 thing that’s going to sell your material,” he says. “People know that they’re getting something that’s very consistent, very healthy.

“That’s our main goal, to make sure the end-user believes that the flowers they’re planting are very healthy and are going to grow fast. And if it grows fast for them, it makes their customers happy.”

For more: Premier Growers Inc., (770) 932-5234 or www.premiergrowersinc.com