Broker

To source trees, plants and shrubs for planting projects.

Tree brokers operate between landscape contractors and tree growers, providing a valuable service to both. Tree brokers locate trees and other planting materials of the best quality for the best price. Everybody wins! Tree growers save on the cost of marketing to landscape contractors. And contractors engage tree brokers for specific projects, letting the brokers do the shopping for them.

This arrangement gives the brokers a great deal of flexibility in their work schedules with virtually no overhead costs and absolutely no inventory expenses. Many, like Chris McMahn, work out of their home offices, which allows them to balance schedules between work and family.

A broker's success depends largely on networking abilities with growers and contractors. Much time is spent shopping on the telephone. On site visits to wholesale nurseries solidify relationships and insure compliance of the trees to the project specifications. Profits are made on the difference between the cost of the trees purchased from the grower and the markup for which they are sold to the contractor, and are typically in the 10% range.