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In October, Shemin Nurseries announced its new consumer-financing program. Through the Shemin Outdoor Advantage, the chain of 31 distribution centers lets landscapers provide customers with a line of revolving credit.

This is in direct competition with John Deere Landscapes' (250 locations) John Deere Credit program.

For me, these programs are pure beauty. After a quick credit approval, the landscaper and the distribution center get paid. Let the giant lending corporations backing these programs bother with collection.

Not only that, it allows average homeowners to spend more on their landscapes than they would otherwise. Most people have no idea how much professional landscape jobs costs. That leads to sticker shock when design-build contractors offer their bids.

But with these programs all the landscapers have to say is, "No problem. Just finance it."

So instead of putting off the project -- or doing a scaled-down version that they will ultimately be disappointed with -- the homeowners charge it.

They get the beautiful landscapes they want, their property values go up and both the contractor and the distributor have money in the bank.

Like I said, pure beauty. The problem is that most landscape distribution centers have no way to compete with these programs. So are independent LDCs doomed to remain second tier to the chains?

No, there are some ways that independents can compete.

First, there are plenty of financing options out there for homeowners. They don't have to use a Shemin Outdoor Advantage or John Deere Credit to put a project on the payment plan.

The problem is that most homeowners are as familiar with financing options as they are plant materials -- not very. We need to educate potential customers on home-equity loans and other options. For LDCs, that means educating your customers. Teach landscapers how to get their clients to finance their jobs. They'll listen when you tell them it will increase sales.

The second option would take collaboration from independent LDCs across the nation. Yes, I'm talking about a cooperative.

If they joined forces, they'd have the power to form a partnership with a large lending corporation just as Shemin and John Deere have. That way independents can better compete with the chains as well as giving landscapers one more reason not to buy direct from growers. So who's on board?

. . © 2005 Branch-Smith Publishing