Recent news on Tesco`s bid for Dobbies, and the implications of reactions to this by Wyevale and perhaps others, reminds us that our industry is poised on the edge of some radical changes that mean that we`ll all have to sharpen up our act even further.

It was noteworthy that Tesco cited the need to exploit the green credentials of the garden industry as part justification for their bid.

In considering HTA`s future plans, we have been anticipating changes of this magnitude and recognising that they will put more pressures on both the garden centre sector and on all suppliers.

That`s why we`re promoting the need for our industry to become ‘Leaner, Greener, and Meaner’.

‘Lean’ means taking costs out of the business, so that they can be re-invested in improving service. That`s why most of our good grower members and an increasing number of good retailers have taken on our lean initiative and are reaping substantial benefits from it.

There`s more to come, too, as we look at the huge cost reduction potential from a recent pilot lean study of a grower/retailer supply chain relationship. Our Retail and Nursery Business Improvement Schemes are also a way of benchmarking business costs. We`ve had a very enthusiastic response to the relaunch of these, and anticipate up to 200 retailers being involved before the end of the year as well as a number of new groups for growers being added to the list.

The ‘Green’ agenda strengthens by the day, is summarised within the new HTA Environmental Strategy and confirmed by new consumer research on attitudes to climate change and new work for HTA by Reading University on carbon footprinting of plants.

And we have to become ‘Meaner’, at least in the sense of getting more out of the relationship between growers and buyers. This doesn`t mean a crude attempt simply to force prices down, but it does mean working together to an agreed customer and supplier plan.

All this will be pulled together at the HTA Conference in October. Entitled ‘Green for Go for the Garden Industry’ it will, in fact, be carbon-neutral itself. Hope to see you there.