The timing was perfect. Landscape distribution is the fastest-growing segment of the nursery industry. Though the concept for landscape distribution centers was conceived shortly after World War II, these centers seem to have blossomed in the past few years.

Existing chains such as Shemin Nurseries and Skinner Nurseries are expanding. Both production and retail nurseries are starting their own one-stop-shop wholesale centers for landscapers. Corporate giants John Deere and Home Depot have even joined the party, buying out and building their own facilities.

This year, the American Nursery & Landscape Association launched the Landscape Distribution Group (LDG), a division within the organization designed to address the unique needs of this segment.

It was at an LDG meeting this summer in San Diego that I announced NMPRO would be launching Landscape Distributor. Dennis Molitor, vice president of finance and accounting at Home Nursery in Edwardsville, Ill., joked that the section should be placed in the middle of the magazine, since landscape distributors are the middlemen of the industry.

But we're more than just that. Distributors are in the business of offering landscapers convenience and a wide array of products. By buying through distributors, landscapers can eliminate travel time and the need for costly holding yards. We can also offer vital information to help these contractors do their jobs better.

Unfortunately, there are people who view landscape distributors as just more links in the chain. It's up to all of us to change these perceptions, and Landscape Distributor is here to help.

. . © 2002 Branch-Smith Publishing