I hope this finds you in the midst of a great fall selling season.  As the weather starts to cool down and the rains have come, I hope your business is wide open. This has been a busy and strong summer for the ALNLA.  This past August we had the second annual Auburn Landscape, Greenhouse and Nursery School held at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center.

Along with great speakers, tours were lead out to Moore and Davis Nursery and Young’s Plant Farm, along with the Auburn University Greenhouses.  Over 250 people attended this year’s program.  The crowd was great as was the enthusiasm.

Remember last year’s drought?  How could we forget? Well, sometimes we do forget when we start getting rain again. The state of Alabama has set up a Congressional Committee to establish future water policy for the entire state.  To do this the committee has established three sub-committees to look into water policy.  The ALNLA is well represented on all of these sub-committees.  The water policy that gets set up will effect out businesses for many years to come so we knew we had to be involved and have a voice.

The next Economic Impact Study (EIS) will probably not get sent out until next year due to state budget cuts.  We are doing everything we can to get this study out.  As you know, our first EIS showed our Green Industry strength to be 1.9 billion dollars annually.  I am sure if we can get the response needed for the next study, we will show how much bigger our industry really is.  When the EIS comes to you, please take the time to fill it out and mail it in.  Thanks!

Gulf States is just around the corner (January 30-31) so I hope you will start making plans to be there.  There will be more booths and exhibitors there this year so I hope you will plan on being in on the Winter’s Best “Selling” Show.  I hope to see you there.

Here’s hoping you have a busy fall and a blessed winter.

Sincerely,

Steve Thomas