A central focus of Lean is finding process steps that add value, and identifying and reducing those that don’t add value from the customer’s perspective. In the May, 2019 edition of Digger magazine, Editor Curt Kipp takes a look at how some Oregon nurseries have increased productivity and improved workplace morale by thoughtfully applying this concept in […]
Digger magazine recently posted news of the Oregon Lean Consortium’s 2019 launch. Check out the story here! The longstanding industry magazine is published by the Oregon Association of Nurseries, a non-profit trade association that represents more than 700 individual nursery stock producers, retailers, landscapers and related companies serving the nursery and greenhouse industry.
The Oregon Lean Consortium welcomed two new companies as it launched its 2019 program year with a planning workshop on January 15. Seven diverse horticulture businesses will work together on process improvement for the next 12 months: Bailey Nurseries, Yamhill Eshraghi Nursery, Hillsboro JLPN Liners, Salem Marion Ag Service, Saint Paul Peoria Gardens, Albany Robinson […]
After another successful year together, the Oregon Lean Consortium is now open to new members for 2019. The Oregon Lean Consortium is a tight-knit group of companies that work together to learn Lean principles and methods, and then apply them to processes in each other’s businesses. Each company engages three people who are trained and […]
Members of the Washington Lean Consortium reported significant improvements when they met for final reports at Skagit Farmers Supply in Burlington June 7. Leaders from Botanical Designs, Skagit Farmers Supply Agronomy Division, Skagit Horticulture, and T&L Nursery worked together for one year to apply Lean in each others’ organizations. Reports from the year showed gains […]
First printed in Greenhouse Grower magazine. Horticulture businesses across the U.S. are deploying Lean, a proven method for eliminating waste that results in more value to customers, delivered at a lower cost, in a shorter time, with fewer defects and less human effort. A handful of Oregon and Washington companies, however, are taking this even further by […]
Digger magazine showcased more than a dozen nursery and greenhouse industry professionals for their process improvement ideas. The May, 2018 issue delivers an array of ways horticulture companies have gained efficiency by improving four areas: management, workflows, inputs and workspaces. Digger also sought The Peters Company’s perspective on Lean’s impact to nursery and greenhouse businesses. “Lean is […]
When asked to describe “Lean,” many professionals cite cost reduction, labor savings, or “Isn’t that a manufacturing thing?” With consolidation, workforce reductions and the shrinking labor pool, it’s no wonder many see Lean as just another way to save money. Viewing Lean as a cost-cutting effort alone understates the real power of Lean. Worse, if […]
The Oregon Nursery Lean Consortium helped one of its new members reduce process steps by 55 percent on an order fulfillment process. The improvement was made during Marion Ag’s first hosted improvement event with the Consortium, held at the company’s new fertilizer processing facility in Aurora, Ore. The team focused on the process of fulfilling […]
A new consortium has begun among horticulture-industry companies in Washington state to deploy Lean in each others’ businesses. The group, primarily consisting of companies in the Puget Sound region, has committed to learning and applying the principles of Lean together for one year. Top practitioners from each business will meet for one-day or two-day sessions at […]
Building exceptional improvement leaders in every organization
2022 Elizabeth Peters