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IGC Show Owners to “Reinvent” GCA
| Chris Beytes
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>> Published Date: 4/25/2012
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In a continued show of their support of independent garden centers, Jeff and Cheryl Morey, founders of the IGC Show, have taken over all activities and services of the trade association Garden Centers of America and will operate it under the umbrella of a new corporation, Garden Centers of America, LLC. Jeff will be CEO, Cheryl will be President, and the existing GCA Board will become the GCA Leadership Council to provide input to the new owners.
“GCA is the only association exclusively for independent garden centers,” Jeff said to me in an email. And in a press release, Jeff wrote, “It’s strength in numbers. Garden centers will discover more ways to combine forces to out-market, out-merchandise, out-manage and out-profit the mass merchants. Together, there is no limit to the successes we can achieve.”
I emailed some questions about the deal to Jeff, who is also president and publisher of IGC Retailer magazine (Cheryl is publisher of sister publication Garden Chic). Here’s what he had to say:
GP: Jeff, do you now own GCA? Or are you just hired management of the association?
JM: We have set up a new corporation, Garden Centers of America, LLC, to run all GCA activities. I am CEO, Cheryl is President and we own this new corporation. We are not hired managers.
GP: Will members still pay dues or a membership fee?
JM: Yes. We look forward to current members renewing, but also adding many new members. There’s strength in numbers!
GP: How will those moneys be spent?
JM: One hundred percent of dues will go to GCA activities. The existing GCA Board has become our GCA Leadership Council and will provide input as Cheryl and I run GCA activities and design new GCA benefits and offerings.
GP: Is GCA still a non-profit association?
JM: This new Garden Centers of America is in business just as the member garden centers are. The old association model is clearly no longer working.
GP: How will the new for-profit GCA be different?
JM: GCA will be recharged and newly relevant with many new activities. Also, GCA members will receive many increased VIP benefits while attending the IGC Show in Chicago. There will be much coming! Stay tuned.
Jeff added a few more notes. First, they’re going forward with the GCA Summer Tour of seven Detroit area garden centers June 25-29. Also, GCA will remain a member of the International Garden Center Association, giving GCA members the opportunity to participate in that organization’s annual international tour at a discount rate.
Lastly, Jeff explained why he and Cheryl have made this commitment to GCA.
“I’m doing this for the industry I love, and GCA is the only association truly for independents. Before (GCA past president and long-time supporter) Don Riddle’s tragic death last year, I told him that GCA needed to be reinvented and brought into a new day. He put his arm around me and gave me that big Don smile and said ‘I know you will, Jeff, I bet you will!’” GP
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