It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.

Charles Dickens

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a message from mike

Today I was reviewing our core values and I was reminded of a few that are at the heart of our company. The first one that comes to mind is “Embrace Change” - this can be a challenge for a lot of us. This year, we made the decision to close our B&B nursery in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Our Kenosha nursery has been serving the landscape market for over 30 years, and we are proud of the legacy that we have left behind. Mariani Plants had the pleasure of providing trees for some of the best landscape projects in the Midwest. The quality that came out of that ground was never in question; the team in Kenosha always operated with extremely high standards and aspired to grow trees that would thrive for years to come. I was always impressed with the consistency the team was able to produce year after year. I viewed them as artists.

Although the decision was extremely difficult to make, we must look forward to the future to where we think this industry is headed, and that is an exciting opportunity for us. We believe in our Accelerator tree program, and we have seen the success of the program continue to grow. The balance between our container shrubs and perennials complements the Accelerator tree program nicely. Another benefit of focusing on one nursery is labor. We’ve had success with finding labor in Garden Prairie and, as you all know, that is extremely important. This reminds me of another one of our core values: “Thrive Together”. We want to ensure that each of our team members has an opportunity to grow and develop in their career, and we believe that we can offer that opportunity here at Mariani Plants. Over the years, we have watched our labor force grow, and we have now been able to promote associates from general laborers to experienced growers. We want our team at Mariani Plants to know that they can have a long-term career and opportunities within the company.

This makes me think of another core value, and my favorite: “Be Passionate”. One thing that motivates me every day is the shared passion within our team. Mariani Plants has some of the most passionate people in the industry. The willingness to help a customer or teammate is inspiring. I want our team to enjoy the journey; we work really hard to hit goals and satisfy needs, but when we can be present and appreciate all the great work we do, it reminds us what an incredible industry we are in.

Team Mariani never wants to settle, and the phrase “good enough” is not in our vocabulary. We continuously re-assess our goals and strive to aim higher. The future at Mariani Plants is bright, and we are excited to bring a well-rounded inventory of quality trees, shrubs, and perennials to IGC’s, re-wholesalers, and landscape customers throughout the Midwest. This year we invested in an improved website and online ordering platform that will give our partners better access to inventory and order placement. One thing that will never change is our willingness to invest in the future and focus on customer service that is second to none.

We look forward to working with every one of you in 2024.

Sincerely,

Mike Mennenoh