EDITORIAL: Market Will Dictate Merger

Recent news out of Washington D.C. revealed that the Professional Landcare Network and the American Nursery & Landscape Association would not merge as had been anticipated by many throughout the landscape industry.
 
Merger talks between the two national associations surfaced six months after the union of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the Professional Lawn Care Association of America became official last year.
 
If an association of design/build, maintenance, interior and lawn care professionals can make a difference in Washington – where pesticide, noise, emission and water issues are routinely deliberated – then why not embrace nursery, distribution and retail groups as well?
 
After all, the desired goal of becoming a national voice for the service segment of the green industry would gain momentum if all facets of this incredibly large yet exceptionally fragmented industry were housed under one establishment.
 
What’s good for the grower, for the landscape contractor, the maintenance professional, the interior specialist and the lawn care operator is good for the entire professional service industry.
 
Legislation, health care, insurance, labor challenges, small business issues and understanding the ins and outs of a profit/loss statement are concerns for growers and contractors alike.
 
From an association vantage point providing certification, ongoing education and a vibrant trade show can be tricky to navigate. So why not eliminate a seemingly duplicative association structure and go with one, superior brain trust?
 
Now, if we had all the answers, we’d be vying for the CEO opportunity at PLANET. But alas, that’s not in the cards, just as my predication for one national umbrella organization was ahead of its time back in 1990 when the Green Industry Expo made its debut.
 
At that time, three careful years of planning set the stage for the GIE show to become the one and only national conference and trade show for landscape professionals. This advancement became possible only after three associations (ALCA, PLCAA and the Professional Grounds Management Society) decided to set their autonomous views aside and craft a superior expo that replaced smaller, struggling shows.
 
While the individual associations did not merge at the time, the trade show move was at the forefront of preliminary beliefs that one strong national entity could raise the visibility and promote the strengths of the landscape industry.
 
We still believe a well-organized, forward thinking association can benefit professional service firms big and small. While the merger between PLANET and ANLA did not go through, I’m sure both organizations learned a lot about each others’ strengths and weaknesses as well as what can be accomplished should they choose to follow that course sometime in the future.
 
In the meantime, we hope that each association will work diligently to fortify the goals and objectives for each market segment they represent, and reaffirm their commitment to expanding their membership reach.