Tray's

Six-count trays make it easier to handle 1-gallon plants.
Container handling is no easy task. Growers of gallon material know the hassles of moving these individual pots.

Whether it’s for simple spacing as crops mature, or for pulling orders for delivery, handling these pots is tedious labor, which gets expensive. And this doesn’t stop once the crops leave your front gates.

Once these products hit your customers’ locations, they can become handling problems.

Stacy’s Greenhouses in York, S.C., ships trade gallon perennial crops across much of the country. They identified this handling issue and began growing and shipping 1-gallon crops in six-count trays from Summit Plastic Co.

It’s an additional up-front expense, but it pays off in the long run, said Greg Mitchell, production and propagation manager.

“The trays really simplify order pulling, loading and the whole shipping process,” Mitchell said. “We also ship on carts, and we think the flats keep the carts more organized.”

There are a few of Stacy’s retailer customers that do not want the trays, and request that they be returned to Stacy’s after delivery. But most appreciate having them, Mitchell said.

“A lot of them take the trays and mix and match different perennial species in them,” Mitchell said. “They appreciate the trays too, and they help us stand out from our competition.”

For more:   Stacy’s Greenhouses, (800) 426-7980; www.stacysgreenhouses.com.