Greenhouse Grower’s annual State of the Industry survey gives our team a chance to assess the heartbeat of the floriculture industry as we transition from one year to the next. In recent years, including this one, we’ve collected so much detailed information that we’ve opted to shift much of our survey results and analysis to our website.
Here are a few key insights from this year’s survey, which includes both ranking and open-ended questions for growers as well as suppliers and researchers.
I’ll start by providing some context for the survey based on the size of the companies we polled. This year, 78% of respondents were medium-sized (100,00 to 500,000 square feet) to small-sized (less than 100,000 square feet) operations. By filtering survey responses, we can get a better handle on how growers might approach technology investment, labor challenges, etc. based on their size.
Improving profits is certainly the goal of every grower in the industry. Here are just a few of the responses we received to this question: “What was the best thing you did in 2024 to improve profits?”
- Increased production during the shoulder seasons.
- Offered an increased variety of perennials.
- Rooting our own liners.
- Made use of discounts when buying media, plugs, pots, and flats.
- Streamlined transplanting and movement of product around the greenhouse.
One of the other questions in this year’s survey was about the most important factors you consider when deciding whether to invest in new technology. Leading the way, 76% of respondents cited return on investment (ROI), followed by 47% who mentioned cost, and 29% who noted how to fit technology into their current production space.
Because suppliers and vendors represent an important part of the industry, we also wanted to get their thoughts, including the top business challenges their grower customers mention to them. This year, 55% of vendors said their customers were most concerned about the economy, followed closely by weather (45%), and the availability of a qualified workforce (43%).
Finally, we recognize the critical work being done at universities on behalf of the industry. One of the questions we asked was about areas that might need more dedicated research. The most common responses included new greenhouse crop development, diseases and pest issues, environmental monitoring practices, and sampling for plant problems.
You can find more results from this year’s State of the Industry survey at GreenhouseGrower.com. In the meantime, best wishes for a safe and rewarding holiday season!
