Nursery Owner or Manager
To propagate, purchase, care for and sell potted trees either wholesale or retail
Shielded from the commotion of urban life, the nursery is a natural
haven filled with lush potted trees and the familiar cat prowling among
the leaves. Here, the nursery manager enjoys a daily routine that
centers around the earth and trees.
Managers oversee the daily operations and provide a link between
growers and wholesalers or the general public. They keep abreast of
changing fads and trends in the tree industry and watch their
inventories closely to avoid damaging to the trees.
Managers in retail nurseries may find themselves handling a variety of
tasks from ringing up customer sales, answering the phone and helping
customers select appropriate trees. Wholesale nursery managers supply
large quantities of trees to contractors, tree groups and other large
organizations.
Although the nursery industry tends to be seasonal with most sales
coming between March and June, there is plenty of work to be done in
the off season including maintenance, restocking, signage and repairs.
Nursery managers enjoy working outdoors on balmy spring days and brisk
fall afternoons, but they also work outside through the chilly winters
and hot summers.
In addition to management, nurseries also offer a variety of entry
level positions and opportunities to gain experience in the field and
move up the ladder. Many of the tasks in a nursery are physically
demanding such as loading and unloading trees and potting materials and
require strength and good health.
"I think to be a good manager, you need to start from the bottom," said
Amparo Rodriguez, manager of Cooper's Nursery Wholesale in Bakersfield,
California. "I'm real happy with my job. I like everything."
Many nursery managers began at the bottom and worked their way up,
taking on new responsibilities and learning new facets of the industry
along the way.
"I started weeding, feeding and watering and then moved into sales,"
said Jere White, owner of White Forest Nursery in Bakersfield,
California. "The entry level position is laborer or worker and it
requires little experience. The next level is sales which requires some
education and experience."
Those seeking a career as a nursery manager need a wide range of
knowledge from soils, trees species, diseases, design ideas along with
public relation and sales skills.
"You need to really love working with plants to enjoy this kind of
work," White said. "It's very rewarding to develop a plant from a
seedling, to develop it into a very nice specimen. It's very relaxing,
therapeutic."
Requires: Physical strength and lots of experience
Salary: Is dependent on management and
sales experience. In wholesale nurseries, pay ranges from $25,000 to
$40,000. Large urban areas start Nursery Managers at $40,000. A top
notch nursery like Monrovia pays its managers about $70,000.
START UP: Costs are high for nursery owners. Inventories are minimally $25,000 to over $250,000.
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