NJ Plants Trade Show & Conference Press

Press Contact
Feel free to contact Kevin McLaughlin, Show Director, for further information regarding NJ Plants at 800-332-3976.

NEW JERSEY’S NATIONALLY PROMINENT HORTICULTURAL
SECTOR SHOWCASED AT INDUSTRY EXPOSITION

EDISON, N.J. – NJ PLANTS, the metro area’s leading green industry conference and trade show, convenes here this month to focus attention on a thriving landscape and horticultural industry in which New Jersey plays a leading role.

The exposition held Jan. 24 and 25 at the N.J. Convention Center brings together a wide-ranging business sector that includes landscape construction and maintenance professionals, nursery and greenhouse growers, retail garden centers, public works crews, golf course groundskeepers and arborists – every trade that works to keep residential and commercial landscapes green.

Growing, selling and maintaining plants is big business in the New Jersey-New York region, which represents one of the strongest markets for the green trades. About 25 percent of show exhibitors are from the greater New York City area, including Staten Island and Long Island. The remainders are New Jersey-based.

In the Garden State alone, horticultural businesses contribute to an industry that has annual revenues measured in billions of dollars. A single segment of the industry represented by nursery growers generated $348 million in annual wholesale sales according to a 2009 horticultural census. The document prepared by an agency of the USDA ranks New Jersey fourth in the nation in cut flowers, fifth in perennial production, sixth in nursery stock and tenth in ornamental foliage plants – eighth in horticultural crops overall.

“This industry serves a very densely populated region with a breath of products that ranges from nursery stock to world-class sod used on professional athletic fields as far west as Ohio,” says Al Murray, assistant secretary of the State Department of Agriculture. “The department has recognized the value of this sector by expanding our signature ‘Jersey Fresh’ produce campaign to include a ‘Jersey Grown’ promotion for ornamental plants. Our corn and tomatoes may be more famous, but horticultural production is bigger by far.”

NJ PLANTS was launched last year to give the vital horticultural industry an annual focus, drawing representatives of all sectors to an event that includes continuing education opportunities, certification classes for pesticide applicators, a forum for the exchange of business-enhancing ideas and a marketplace featuring the latest equipment, products and services.

“People may not realize how large and important this industry is in our regional economy but its impact is huge and nearly everyone benefits from it,” says Dominick Mondi, executive director of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association. “When homeowners install walks and patios, hire landscape designers, arrange for mowing and snow removal services or buy tomato plants for their gardens, they are connecting with a trade that rivals other industries in our region.”

NJ PLANTS is already reporting an increase of more than 100 percent in attendee registrations compared to this time last year. Show producers expect the roster of exhibitors to exceed 180 businesses, a substantial boost over last year when about 145 companies displayed their wares.

The show serves all segments of the industry, offering seminar “tracks” geared toward the special interests of every group from landscape crews to greenhouse operators and garden center owners. Practical advice is the dominant theme of talks, which include advice on cost-effective improvements at garden centers, pointers on competitive pricing for landscape installations, and updates on plant disease and pest control. All programs are included in a single $30 admission.

The show also has developed a comprehensive approach to assembling under one roof an array of equipment, services and supplies that the industry needs to get the job done.

As one example, an expanded array of heavy equipment and commercial trucks will be on display this year along with accessories required by contractors and specialists. Landscape companies need not only trucks, but snow plowing attachments for winter maintenance work, custom inserts for irrigation supplies or pesticide applications and secure storage for expensive power tools. All of that and more will be on display.

“Everyone who works in the region’s horticultural trades as a landscaper or arborist, who grows or sells plants, or works on grounds, golf course or sports field maintenance will want to see and be seen at this event,” says Kevin McLaughlin, a partner in MAC Events and the show’s producer. “It’s the most comprehensive and important forum for anyone who has anything to do with making a living in the green industries.”

To learn more, register as an exhibitor or buy advance tickets to the show, visit njplantshow.com or
call 800-332-3976.

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Media Contacts:
Kevin McLaughlin, MAC Events partner and show producer
732-449-4004 ext. 116

Dominick Mondi, executive director NJ Nursery and Landscape Assn.
609-291-7070

Photos available on request

Calendar Listings September 29, 2010