Several nursery-industry Lean practitioners shared their knowledge at the Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon August 25, 2022. We’re sharing their presentations as a courtesy to attendees, and those unable to participate.
Don’t miss your chance to learn about Lean directly from top nursery growers and practitioners in horticulture! Farwest 2022, the “biggest green industry show in the Western U.S.” is August 24 – 26 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
Here are three opportunities to learn how Lean can have a big impact on your business (click on each title for details):
(PANEL) Simple Improvement Projects Every Business Should Take On This Year
Lean has transformed green industry companies here in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve assembled a group of Oregon’s most effective nursery, greenhouse and garden center leaders who have applied Lean thinking to their businesses. They will share Lean-based, simple improvement projects that you can apply to your organization. Come and glean wisdom from these outstanding leaders, and bring your questions for the Q&A session afterward. Moderated by Elizabeth Peters, Vice President, The Peters Company.
Panelists:
Mark Bigej, Chief of Operations, Al’s Garden & Home
John Lewis, Owner, JLPN
Chris Robinson, Nursery Manager, Robinson Nursery
Ben Verhoeven, President, Peoria Gardens
Measuring for Change—the Lean Way!
“In God we trust. All others must bring data.” This quote by W. Edwards Deming refers to the significance of data measurement in doing business. This seminar answers questions like: How do we choose what to measure? Which metrics give us the best prospect of achieving our goals? How can we use data to manage and motivate labor effectively — and how do we use all this information to improve our business? This seminar looks at measures for different levels of a company. It offers an approach to implementing metrics and common pitfalls to avoid. Measurements drive behavior. What is driving your business? Presented by Rick and Elizabeth Peters, The Peters Company.
SPANISH ONLY – Case Study: Applying Lean Principles to Pulling Orders at JLPN
In February 2022, JLPN hosted a rapid improvement event focused on its process of pulling customer orders. Learn how the team applied Lean principles to reduce motion and defects and increase productivity while improving communication and teamwork in their order pulling process. Presented by Carlos Vergara, Lean Manager, JLPN.
Visit https://farwestshow.com for complete information. Hope to see you there!
The 2019 Farwest Show, held August 21 – 23 at the Oregon Convention Center, is an important annual gathering place for nursery and greenhouse professionals from across the globe. It’s presented by the Oregon Association of Nurseries and supports this key industry–one of the state’s largest agriculture sectors.
The Peters Company will offer two case studies during the educational sessions and is sponsoring the Farwest Show Tours on Tuesday, August 20.
Lean Shipping: Better All The Time
Thursday, August 22 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., Room B114
This case study looks at how Robinson Nursery Inc., a grower of bareroot shade and ornamental trees and shrubs, improved productivity and flow in pulling and preparing trees for shipping. Through a series of highly focused rapid improvement activities, the company was able to create standard work that cut their lead time in half, eliminated 32 percent of product touches, reduced the crew size from 11 to six, and engaged and motivated their employees. Prior to this Lean activity, it took three days to process a full truck order (about 3,200 trees). That same order can now be done in about a day and a half with greater accuracy and less strain on the team. We’re proud to partner with Chris Robinson and Jonathan Villasenor of Robinson Nursery to offer this inspirational story of transformation.
Case Study: Receiving Product the Lean Way
Friday, August 23 from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Room B114
This presentation looks at the transformation of receiving product at Al’s Garden & Home, the largest full-service independent garden center in the Willamette Valley. Before Lean was applied, the team had to physically touch each product 11 times. Employees had to stop to make corrections or ask for help. Products were processed inefficiently, in batches, due to seasonality. No standard work procedures were in place. Learn how one of the region’s top garden retailers applied Lean principles to cut days off their time to receive product and slashed their labor cost per unit by 35 percent. In doing so, the company gave its employees the ability to work creatively as a team to improve the business. Al’s Garden and Home Receiving Manager Jessica Lowden will share the story and we’re thrilled to partner with her.
Join The Peters Company at the Farwest Show by registering here.
Building exceptional improvement leaders in every organization
2022 Elizabeth Peters
PO BOX 1247,
WILSONVILLE, OR 97070
