Session Title: Nursery Swap Shop

Monday, July 12  4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Description:  Join us for this nursery-specific, interactive dialogue.  Art Parkerson of Lancaster Farms moderates quick presentations that share both successes and challenges in nursery operations, while encouraging audience participation and collaboration.  

Level: Intermediate         Type: Growing

Session Speakers:

Arthur Parkerson, Owner & CEO at Lancaster Farms Inc
Jake Pierson, Owner at Pierson Nurseries Inc



    Arthur Parkerson,

    Owner & CEO Lancaster Farms Inc 

    Arthur Parkerson works for Lancaster Farms, a wholesale container nursery in Suffolk, VA.  We grow flowers, shrubs and trees. Our customers are landscapers, nurseries and independent garden centers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Great employees and excellent customers make my job pretty easy!


    Lancaster Farms ... Quality is a Matter of Choice  
    Lancaster Farms is a wholesale container plant nursery serving the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Founded in 1969 and based in Suffolk, VA, we have committed ourselves to growing and providing the highest quality plant material.



    Address:   5800 Knotts Neck Rd. Suffolk, VA 23435
    Email:  Art@lancasterfarms.com    
    Contact:   Art Parkerson
    Phone:  (757) 484-4421   FAX:  (757) 686-8637

                 





    The Lancaster Farms Team is broken up into several divisions, but we never want to lose sight of the fact that we are all part of the same team working toward a common goal: to provide you with the finest plant material available anywhere.




    Delivery Questions

    1. Where do you deliver?
      • Lancaster Farms, Inc. delivers its own grown material in the Mid-Atlantic and New England areas.
      • The materials sold in the Plant Center (our local distribution yard) are offered for local delivery only.
      • If you are outside the Hampton Roads area, you are still welcome to pick up materials from our local distribution yard.
      • Large quantity material delivery may be arranged as a direct shipment from one of our vendors. Speak with a salesperson for details.
    2. What requirements are there for delivery?
      • We require that your yard or job site be of a size to handle a tractor trailer or straight truck for deliveries.
      • We also require that you provide ample help to unload your order in a timely manner. Our drivers will assist you in unloading, but they are not expected to unload without help.
    3. How do you charge for delivery?
      • Our Plant Center charges a graduated rate for local deliveries based on distance from the nursery.
      • We deliver into the Mid-Atlantic and the New England areas on a regular basis.
      • Delivery charges for non-local deliveries are established as a percentage of the invoice unless the order is 1/2 of the trailer load or more.
      • If orders exceed 1/2 trailer load, the rate charged is a flat rate based on the trucker's fee to your area (which is usually less than the published percentage rate to your zone).
    4. How do you load your plant material?
      • Most Lancaster Farms container grown materials are shelved on our closed van trailers and straight trucks.
      • Balled and Burlapped material purchased from our Plant Center may be delivered locally on our flatbed trailers.
    5. How many trailers do you have?
      • We have a fleet trailers of various sizes and capabilities to meet your delivery requirements.
      • With large B&B tree, stone or paver deliveries we have a forklift that can come with the delivery to assist you in unloading.
    6. Who drives your trucks?
      • Local deliveries are usually made by Lancaster Farms employees.
      • Many deliveries made outside the Hampton Roads area are made by Arthur Transport Services. This firm has been delivering our material for many years and you will find their drivers helpful and courteous in assisting to unload at your nursery.
      • Our drivers will help unload, but they are not expected to fully unload your orders without help. Please arrange to have ample help for your delivery.

    Ordering Questions

        For New Customers

    1. Who can buy from Lancaster Farms?
      • We sell only to Horticultural Businesses (i.e. Retail Garden Centers, Landscape Businesses, Grounds Maintenance Contractors, Tree Care Companies, and Major Property Management Businesses).
      • We do not sell retail.
      • We do not sell to mass-merchant chain stores.
      • We do not sell outside of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions.
    2. How do I become a customer?
      • You need to fill out our customer information application and present a copy of your business license and tax-exempt certificate if applicable.
      • For an application, please call us toll-free at 1-800-336-2200. (757-484-4421 Local)
    3. How can I get a current availability and price list?
      • Please note that we sell wholesale to legitimate businesses in the green industry in the Mid-Atlantic region only.
      • We'll be happy to fax or e-mail our availability at your request.
      • Call us toll-free at 1-800-336-2200 (757-484-4421 Local) and mention that you saw us on the internet and are interested in buying from us. We'll set you right up.
      • You may also put your company on our Frequently Faxed List.
    4. How can I get a Lancaster Farms product catalog?
      • Call us toll-free at 1-800-336-2200 (757-484-4421 Local) and we will mail you our 2008 Catalog. It is also available for download on our home page in .pdf format.
    5. What are your terms?
      • Our terms are cash, company check (no personal checks accepted), or company credit card (Visa or MasterCard) for all sales to customers who do not have established credit terms with us.
      • We give a 2% discount for cash, and for established credit accounts paid within 10 days.
      • Larger discounts are allowed for volume orders paid for upon delivery, and for volume annual combined sales amounts. Ask your sales representative for more information.
    6. How much do I have to order?
      • We have a $100.00 minimum sale policy for the Plant Center, and new accounts will pay a 20% up-charge on each invoice until a $2,000.00 total sales level is reached. At that time the 20% up-charge will be refunded to you in the form of a credit voucher to be redeemed on future purchases. From that point on, your account will not be charged the up-charge unless your annual spending falls below the $2,000.00 level.
      • Minimum non-local delivery order is 1/2 trailer load. Plants are delivered to one location at one time. Select your assortment from any container plant on our current availability.
      • 10% discount / Payment on delivery. Otherwise 2% / 10 / Net 30.
      • Please note that if you order less than 10 of any item, add $.25 for 1 gallon material and $1.00 for 3 gallon material.
    7. Do you offer quantity discounts?
      • Yes we do. On most varieties you receive a price break when you order more than 50 of any one item. Quantity rates apply only to the actual number of a given variety and size invoiced at one time. Different sizes and varieties are NOT added together to get volume discounts.
      • We offer a 10% discount for any sale of Lancaster Farms grown material that is equivalent of 1/2 trailer load or more delivered to one location at one time and paid C.O.D.
      • We also offer volume discounts based upon your total annual sales. Credit accounts must be current to maintain your volume discount status.
    8. What are your business hours?
      • We are open for business Monday through Friday  from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Plant Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays until Noon from March until the end of November. NO BUSINESS ON SUNDAY.
    9. How do I place my order?
      • If you have never ordered from us before, you need to call and speak with a member of our sales staff.
      • You may place orders via mail, phone, fax, e-mail or online.
    10. Whom should I ask to speak with?
      • If you plan to purchase from our local distribution yard, you may ask to speak with a Plant Center salesperson: either Donna, Jenny, or Jay.
      • Material grown by Lancaster Farms, Inc. and shipped out of the Hampton Roads area is handled by the Lancaster Farms Sales Staff: Jason Adkins, Barbara Moscoffien, and Clair Wright .
    11. Do you warranty your plants?
      • We guarantee our plant material to be true to name, alive, and healthy when you receive it. There is no  warranty or guarantee on our plant material once it leaves our nursery.
      • We give no warranty as to continued life of any nursery stock sold at wholesale.
      • Complaints must be filed within 5 days of receipt of plants.
    12. Why don't you have "clearance sales?"
      • That's just not the way we do business. You will seldom see an item's price reduced for sale.
      • We don't bargain on price because we don't compromise on quality. We believe that we sell only first-quality material, and that we offer it at a fair market price. Our motto is "Quality is a Matter of Choice," and we believe it. Our customers come to us for the best money can buy, not cheap plants.
      • As a leader in our industry, we do all we can to level out the booms and busts in the Green Goods Market. We'd rather grind our material into dirt than give our plants away.
    13. Can I set up a charge account?
      • If your payment record is good after a year of doing business with us, then we can talk about extending you credit. For credit and account questions, ask to speak with our Office Manager, Pennie Cardon.


               

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