<b>2011 Profit Quest: </b>Tags and labels that actually make money

Reducing expenses is a key component to increasing profitability, correct?

Then how does one Michigan grower figure that increasing spending on labels and tags will increase the company’s profits?

The answer is by increasing consumer demand. The company is counting on using large photos to attract more homeowners to the product. And by giving them plenty of plant information to help them succeed, Walters Gardens is counting on increased sales of its product at the retail level in 2011 and beyond.

Walters Gardens in Zeeland, Mich., specializes in selling plugs and pre-finished perennials to other nurseries and greenhouses nationwide. The company is finishing the details of a new program for 2011 that will use larger tags to promote specialty perennials to consumers.

This will involve several varieties, both old and new, that have superior performance in the landscape, said Jodi Munoz, customer service representative.

“We haven’t worked out all the details, but we’re going to be using the larger tags like we’ve been using for our Designer series the last few years,” Munoz said.

The Designer series uses 3½-by-7-inch MasterTag tags to promote Walters’ daylily and hosta varieties.

“The retailers seem to like the Designer tags. They’re a bigger label, but with bigger tags comes more cost for our grower customers. We want to develop programs that get the big, custom tags that consumers want, yet are also affordable for our grower customers. We think we’ve found a good compromise,” Munoz said.

For more: Walters Gardens, (888) 925-8377; www.waltersgardens.com.

Specifics:
Name: Walters Gardens.
Location: Zeeland, Mich.
Founded: 1946 by Dennis and Harriet Walters.
Products: Perennials, primarily plugs and prefinished product sold to other growers.
Production space: 15 acres of greenhouses and 425 acres of field production (1,200 acres total, used in rotation).
Cooler and freezer space: 75,000 square feet.

Quotable:
“Retailers like the big photos that we provide on the tags, and also all the detailed plant information on the back. That helps them sell, and helps the end consumer have more success with the plants.” – Jodi Munoz