GMPro continues the success

We take so much for granted these days -- voicemail, Prozac, David Letterman’s Top 10 list, Windows, Doppler radar and the smiley :).

Not only does GMPRO (then Greenhouse Manager) predate every one of those things. It was the very first magazine of its kind, the original.

If your greenhouse is more than 25 years old, you remember what it was like to glean your information from trade publications that also covered retailing, row crops or landscape maintenance. There was that, and the information distributed by universities or horticultural suppliers.

Change can be good

In May 1982, that all changed.

Greenhouse Manager quickly became the first independent, centralized source for the greenhouse community, open to every grower and supplier. Cover stories in the first three issues reflected what was on growers’ minds in those days (below).

The 1980s were all about change for growers. Retail florists cringed as Kroger, A&P and other supermarkets began to stock fresh cut flowers -- and even offer wedding services. A quiet shift was taking place where ornamental crops grew under cover, as well. On the one hand, energy costs and foreign competition kept your sights and research dollars centered on improving efficiency in production and facilities. At the same time, associations like Bedding Plants Inc. and Ohio Florists’ Association wanted to nudge you into a deeper concern about something called “marketing.”

The industry was suddenly more complex -- so complex that a new depth of information was required to meet your needs.

Branch-Smith saw that need while publishing another magazine, SF&N (Southern Florist & Nurseryman). Greenhouse-specific information had outstripped the space we had available there. By the end of 1981, it became apparent that we could continue to shortchange that greenhouse community, or we could create a special new place for it.

We chose to create, and 64 suppliers joined us for the May 1982 launch. Reader response was immediate and positive.

We grew with the industry -- and the industry grew with us. When technology made weekly news e-mails possible, we were the first to offer that option with the greEn-MAIL newsletter -- 10 years ago! Meanwhile, Greenhouse Manager had grown into GMPRO -- Greenhouse Management & Production.

Thanks to you for making us a success. Our goal is to keep doing the same for you. We don’t take you for granted.

On your mind in 1982

May

MS DOS was only a year old, and growers were hungry for information about computers. We featured “8 questions to ask before you buy a computer system” and introduced a column covering European technology.

June

Cooperative marketing was a matter of great debate, as the Society of American Florists championed development of a program called Floraboard. We developed a board game based on the concept and ran it in the magazine.

July

Floral imports were changing the marketplace in the United States. Cuts from South America already put a dent in growers’ pocketbooks, and Dutch pricing was a threat. We put ourselves in growers’ shoes to report on the issues.

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- Mike Branch