The nursery industry has grown exponentially. Starting from just a few small family-owned businesses in rural Tennessee selling fruits and other commodities to local people, the tree farmers of Middle Tennessee now sell plants all over the country. Some of our trees even find their way to Canada and Europe. However, it’s not just the industry and our consumer base that has grown. The economy has grown as well. And in the modern economy, the days of cash-on-delivery purchases are almost a thing of the past. Everyone wants credit, and they want a lot of it.

Sadly, I’ve watched my own family business struggle with customers who abuse credit. Even when a shipping ticket and statement are labeled “Net 30 Days,” this can often turn into a months or years-long struggle to wrench even a penny from some customers. Fortunately, for my family, my father was in banking before he started his business. He understood certain things about credit, and insisted his customers sign a credit agreement before selling them anything on an other-than-cash basis.

Unfortunately, many people don’t have such a background. This isn’t something commonly spoken of, because most farmers hate to admit that they’ve been beaten out of hard-earned money. But it is something that is happening, and with much more frequency in today’s sour economy and era of fly-by-night business.

On February 17, I will deliver a short presentation to the Middle Tennessee Nursery Association on the nursery industry, credit, and commercial collections. I hope to present important facets of a strong credit agreement, information on the commercial collection process, and also information on the formation of LLCs and Corporations so that nurserymen can protect themselves individually from certain liabilities.

The meeting will begin at 7:00 CST in the Magnolia Room of the Warren County Administrative Complex. The MTNA will provide dinner for members, go over monthly business, and my presentation will follow. Both Jason and I will be available for questions afterward. We are looking forward to helping an industry that is so near and dear to my heart.

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