Tag Archives: Georgia green industry

Georgia’s Green Industry Faces Big Challenges but Stays Resilient After Hurricane Helene

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Duluth, GA |

Here in Georgia, the green industry is more than just landscaping and nurseries—it’s big business that plays a vital role in the state’s economy. Encompassing everything from greenhouses and sod farms to landscape companies and garden centers, the sector generates over a billion dollars in economic impact every year while supporting Georgia’s number one industry: agriculture.

“The green industry in the state of Georgia is around over a billion-dollar industry and impact,” says Dr. Ben Campbell, Extension Economist with the University of Georgia. “We’re the tenth biggest state for nursery and greenhouse production in the country, and second in the Southeast behind Florida. The industry employs roughly over 100,000 people, both directly and indirectly. Its impact goes beyond plant sales for yards—it extends to restaurants, local businesses, and any place that values beautiful green spaces.”

With such an important role, industry events like the annual Southeast Green Conference and Trade Show have become crucial gatherings. They allow growers, landscapers, and suppliers to learn from one another, see the latest equipment and technology, and connect with partners from across the region.

“This is a good place for people to come together and meet,” says Stan Deal, Chairman of the Southeast Green Conference. “We offer three days of educational sessions for people wanting to learn about new technologies and get credits for pesticide application licenses. The trade show brings in industry folks from around the Southeast, so attendees can learn about new plants, pesticides, fertility products, equipment like mowers, application tools—everything they need to stay up to date.”

This year’s conference feels especially important. Just months ago, Hurricane Helene dealt a major blow to the industry, causing widespread damage to greenhouses, plants, and infrastructure.

“Overall, the impact of Hurricane Helene on the nursery and greenhouse industry in Georgia is around $440 million,” says Campbell. “That breaks down into around $300 million in short-term losses—plants, trees, and shrubs destroyed at the time of the hurricane or shortly after. There are also future losses—trees and plants that won’t be available to sell in years two, three, four, or five—about $84 million. On top of that, infrastructure losses like destroyed greenhouses and plastic are about $50 million.”

Hurricane Helene is just one of many challenges the green industry has faced in recent years. Labor remains a top concern, alongside rising input costs.

“Labor is one of the biggest issues—not just the cost, but the supply,” says Campbell. “Other impacts are on the input side. Costs for fertilizer, pesticides, insecticides—they’ve all gone up, but prices for products really haven’t kept pace. It’s created a squeeze for producers: how do you stay profitable when costs go up, but your prices don’t?”

Despite these challenges, events like the Southeast Green Conference highlight the resilience and innovation within Georgia’s green industry—one that continues to support communities, local economies, and the landscape we all enjoy.

By: John Holcomb

Green Conference Showcases Economic Impact

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Duluth, GA |

The horticulture industry in Georgia is far more complex than just flowers and plants, as machinery, irrigation systems and even decorations play a major role on its economic impact. And all of those sectors were on full display at the Southeast Green Conference and Trade Show, the only multi-day event of its kind here in Georgia.

“Each year, as our industry grows, new plants come out, it is time to get together, new technology. Our industry is always evolving and changing. So, it’s just a really good time to get together and see what everyone’s got going on and how we can grow our businesses. Farm gate value has us up in the top ten each year, and when you combine all of horticulture together, we’re the number four ag commodity in Georgia. The green industry is a very diverse industry. We cover nurseries, landscape, irrigation, garden centers, allied product and services. So, anything and everything related to ornamental horticulture,” says Lanie Riner, GGIA Executive Director.

Just like any other big industry, horticulture does face challenges along the way. Aside from emerging pests and weather events, there is one particular problem that has remained a constant for nurseries around the state.

“The other big issue, I think, has been for a long time and will continue to be is labor, temporary labor, whether that’s H2B, H2A, farm worker labor, and then union opportunities, but I think the big thing that just came out that we’re really engaged in is the department of labor just put out new rule changes to the H2A program. It’s very union friendly. It was written by the unions,” says Rachel Pick, Senior Manager of Government Affairs with AmericanHort.

With the growing popularity of gardening, plant sales are at an all-time high and only projected to increase. So, with so many new people looking to start up their own garden, one expert’s big piece of advice is to take it slowly.

“I have a garden at home. I love my garden and one of the real benefits of my garden is it is small. You know, I’m all over five acres or fifty acres, that’s great, but if you put a garden in, start with a container. Truly, start with a container. Put a whole bunch of plants, look at them all. Stick them in there and then you’ll have two containers. Then you say maybe I’ll put a little something by the deck or something. Start small and then once you get the, kind of the bug, you can expand. Again, that’s what I do in my garden. It’s a small garden, but it’s full,” says Allan Armitage, UGA Horticulture Professor.

Even though maintaining a beautiful landscape does take plenty of time and effort, the countless benefits gardening has to offer is the reason it has become so trendy over the past decade.

“We always have something to look forward to, always. You put a seed in the ground, you look forward to the tomato. You put a bulb in the ground in the fall, you look forward to the daffodil in the spring. You put something in the spring, you look forward to what it’s going to do, always something to look forward to. It keeps us happy, keeps us young, keeps us active. What more do you need?”, says Armitage.

By: Damon Jones