The biggest greenhouse headlines of 2025

2025 was a year of big changes for both people and companies in the greenhouse industry, from new CEOs — including the first non-family CEO in one legacy business’ 120-year history — to big mergers.

This year also saw lots of updates on labor in the horticulture industry. With a new presidential administration beginning in January and focused on U.S. labor and immigration crackdowns, significant effects were felt in the realm of H-2 visa programs. Several lawsuits related to the programs were also filed this year.

Here are the top stories we covered in 2025.

Changes across the industry

With several high-profile mergers, CEO changes and bankruptcies scattered throughout the last year, the industry has a veritable new guard to get acquainted with. These are some of the biggest headlines to keep in mind as you plan for 2026.

January: Shifting leadership
With Jill Hoffman moving into the role of CFO at Hoffman Nursery, David Hoffman stepped into the position of CEO. According to a news release from the company, Hoffman has played a pivotal role in the growth of the business, including the Green Infrastructure Collection and the Grass Solutions and Perennial Solutions product lines.

His appointment coincides with the announcement of new COO Craig Reynolds, formerly the senior director of operations, whose expertise in operations management, process optimization and leadership has been instrumental in Hoffman Nursery’s ability to deliver high-quality products and services to customers, the organization said.

April: Dümmen Orange names new CEO
After a transitional year with interim CEO Anthony Christiaanse, Ellen Mackenbach-Lakeman stepped into the position of Dümmen Orange CEO in May. Mackenbach took on the role after serving as chief human resources officer on the Dümmen Orange Executive Committee, where she was responsible for developing company culture, rolled out the sustainability agenda and led the global human resources department.

May: Back from bankruptcy
Everde Growers emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after initially filing in February. TYFCO LLC acquired the company as part of the court-approved sale process, keeping the existing ownership and leadership team in place.

The company said in a news release that it remained committed to delivering top-quality service across its national network, honoring existing partnerships as a part of the acquisition.

August: Outside of the family
Bailey Nurseries announced the appointment of Jorge Becerra as CEO, with fourth-generation owner and former CEO Terri McEnaney transitioning to board chair.

The changeup marks the company’s first non-family CEO in its 120-year history, with the nursery calling the milestone the result of intentional and collaborative efforts by the Bailey family, executive team and advisers to identify the best candidate to guide the organization forward. Before taking the new role, Becerra spent 25 years at Cargill, a large family-owned global agricultural business.

October: Joining forces
Historically operating as two distinct businesses that controlled and operated the Proven Winners brand in North America, Pleasant View Gardens and Four Star Greenhouse joined forces this year, forming a unified company under the Proven Winners name.

Day-to-day operations, as well as licensing partnerships, remain unchanged. The key focus, according to the company, will be expanding reach into underserved markets.

The Huntington and Smith families — founders and owners of Pleasant View Gardens and Four Star Greenhouse — will remain active owners and leaders in the company.

As a part of the merger, Staple Street Capital joined as a new partner, providing additional resources and support to Proven Winners. Staple Street maintains about $900 million of capital under its management, including Garden State Bulb and Delaware Valley Floral Group in its portfolio.

Labor in limbo

As Donald Trump’s presidential administration began in January, he prompted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ramp up its investigative work as a key part of his administrative platform.

That increased activity from the Department of Homeland Security’s main enforcement agency placed a spotlight on labor sourced from the H-2 visa programs.

But the first major news connected to the guest workers in 2025 had nothing to do with the incoming administration. Instead, it was connected to rules governing the program that had been put in place under the Biden administration.

April: FEWA labor lawsuits
In April, the Federation of Employers and Workers along with several allied organizations filed a lawsuit on behalf of the H-2 community against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services over a new rule governing the H-2A and H-2B guest worker visa programs.

Federation of Employers and Workers of America et al v. Mayorkas et al challenges a final rule issued by the Biden administration in December 2024 that went into effect Jan. 17, 2025.

The rule, “Modernizing H-2 Program Requirements, Oversight, and Worker Protections,” allows DHS to blacklist employers for “illegal” fees paid by H-2 workers — fees that employers may not be aware of or have control over in other countries. The suit is still in litigation.

June: Protection rule undone
The Department of Labor announced June 20 it would end enforcement of the Biden administration’s Farmworker Protection Rule, effective immediately.

The rule strengthened protections for workers in the H-2A program and according to the Biden administration helped ensure the program didn’t have an adverse effect on the working conditions of similarly employed workers in the U.S.

The enforcement of the rule was suspended to provide clarity for American farmers navigating the H-2A program while also aligning with the administration’s strict enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, according to a DOL press release. The rule itself was not suspended — only the enforcement of the rule by the DOL.

July: Coalition seeks clarification
In July, another coalition of H-2A labor employers, including The North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association, the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, the North Carolina Sweet potato Commission and 27 additional agricultural organizations, sought transparency on adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) calculations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The coalition claimed the USDA’s current AEWR methodology contributes to a self-compounding wage inflation cycle, undermining the economic viability of U.S. agriculture.

The coalition also claimed that the methodology also led to risks to national food security, increased American dependence on imported food and threatened the stability of rural communities across the country.

UPDATE: On Oct. 2, 2025, the rule determining the AEWR calculations in question was vacated after a lawsuit won by a Louisiana sugarcane harvester. The immediate outcome was that the AEWR would once again be determined by the USDA’s Farm Labor Survey, which had been the traditional method prior to 2023.

However, shortly after, the USDA reported it would discontinue the farm labor survey. That prompted the U.S. Department of Labor to step in with emergency interim rules that change how the wage rate will be set.

October: Filing streamlined, stopped
The were more changes to the H-2A filing process on Oct. 2. On that date, the Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule to streamline the H-2A filing process.

The new rule allows U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to begin processing petitions for H-2A temporary agricultural workers while the Department of Labor reviews the requested employment to ensure it would not harm American workers.

Petitioners seeking unnamed beneficiaries can electronically file the newly published Form I-129H2A, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker: H-2A Classification, after DOL issues a notice of acceptance of the application for temporary labor certification (TLC) and before DOL approves a TLC.

Petitioners must provide the ETA case number issued by DOL with the initial filing. This allows USCIS to immediately begin processing electronically filed petitions with unnamed beneficiaries and gives petitioners the flexibility to file with USCIS sooner.

USCIS will not approve any petitions until after DOL has approved the corresponding TLC.

The United States government shutdown ended Nov. 10, but lingering effects of the 43-day shutdown may still cause a backlog and slowdown of returning H-2A workers.

Patrick Alan Coleman is editor and Anthony Elder is assistant editor of Greenhouse Management magazines. Contact them at pcoleman@gie.net and aelder@gie.net.