One of the
first key lessons I learned was to make sure that I found a
line of work that I truly enjoy. The flower seed business,
especially wildflowers, has provided the right balance of
research, growing, creativity and beauty to provide endless
challenges and enjoyment. I never get bored and I believe this
applies to everyone on our staff, too. Another important
lesson was learning one's place in the market. One can’t be all
things to all people. Our company’s strength has always been
developing new products and new markets. Our goal has been to
offer the best quality horticultural products possible and to
be the first with new ideas and concepts. Our successes in
this arena have given us much satisfaction and prestige and
have been the stimulus for further growth and development.
A harder lesson for me was learning
about the right kind of managers and staff to surround myself
with. Fortunately, my wife proved to be an ideal partner. From
years of observation and experience, I learned how difficult
family operations can be. Many of them either fail or live
with much internal anger and resentment. I vowed to avoid
this. My wife brought many needed organizational, editorial
and creative skills. We achieved a good balance of skills and developed our own areas of responsibilities. Most
importantly, we had a strong mutual respect for each
others’ abilities. We learned how to hire key managers and
other self motivated staff members who could help the company
grow. We have learned about succession planning, and we have
tried to hire people who are better than we are in as many
areas as possible. We offer competitive salaries and a strong
benefits program which are essential to maintain long term
commitments.
Here are some other important
principles that I honored over the years. Profitability is
more desirable than big sales. The seed industry is a slow
growth affair and steady, consistent growth is much easier to
cope with than big surges and declines. The customer is king
and maintaining his/her goodwill is essential. Listen to your
market and it will tell you what your next product will be.
