Greenhouse operator thrives on change
New varieties, new approaches to business allow fast response to shifting consumer demand.
You’ve got to hand it to the Canadian greenhouse producer. How many other farm sectors deal each year with dozens of new varieties to grow, fickle consumer tastes, intense competition and the need to maintain productive growing conditions amid a harsh climate?
Yet despite these abundant everyday challenges, the Canadian greenhouse industry has been thriving and growing in recent years. For a look inside this industry’s success, Dentoom’s Greenhouses in Red Deer, Alta., is the perfect place to visit.
Since he bought the business 15 years ago,owner John Bouw has been on a mission to give his customers what they want and to build the Dentoom’s brand name in Western Canada. Bouw, who raises and markets annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs, offers four lessons that may benefit other producers.
 Investing in efficiency pays in the long term.
“The original facility was built in 1967. At the time I started here it had become inefficient for both heating and labour,” he says. “In 1997, we started building a new facility that’s more energy efficient and where the labour flow is better. That’s saved us a lot over the years.”
 Listening to the consumer fuels steady sales.
Not long ago, the Canadian gardener liked nothing better than to dig in the dirt and plant their greenhouse-grown annuals in a flowerbed. Today, the time-pressed annual-buyer wants convenience. That means less work done in flowerbeds and more planting in window boxes, pots and other containers. It also means Bouw must keep more varieties in stock to meet his customers’ changing needs. He spends more time than ever at industry trade shows and other events, staying on top of trends and ensuring he can market the best of what’s new each year.
 Diversifying when times are good makes sense.
Bouw has made it a priority to diversify beyond his own retail garden centre, even though its business has been growing every year. He is now a significant supplier to the professional trade and bigger retailers. “We now supply over 800 items to other growers,” he says, “and we’ve been working hard to meet the demands of the big-box stores because they are becoming much bigger players.”
 Quality can build a brand.
When consumers and trade customers see the Dentoom’s brand name, Bouw wants them to get a clear picture of what’s most important to him. “On our logo, it says Grow with the best. Every plant we ship out of here we want to be the best, and that’s what we strive for every day.”
Operating in Alberta’s resource-driven economy, Bouw competes for labour with oil and gas companies that have deep pockets and ample budgets. Maintaining a tight crew of 10 full-time and 60 seasonal staff members might be the biggest challenge he faces today, along with high prices for the natural gas to make indoor farming possible in Central Alberta.
Despite labour and energy cost challenges, Bouw believes that after 15 years of hard work, the fundamentals of the business are working in his favour.
“I think that the floriculture industry in Canada will continue to be successful,” he says. “The economy here is good right now. After a long winter, people enjoy plants and they want to have their garden in the spring. As long as we can get plants in front of people, we can do well.”
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