Posts Tagged ‘plant pot’

Interiorscaper Sales Rising, NewPro Expanding Warehouse

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
Sales to Interiorscapers have improved this last year, and as a result of NewPro’s 16 percent growth in 2010, we are adding a larger warehouse facility.

racks 300x200 Interiorscaper Sales Rising, NewPro Expanding Warehouse

We've added more room for the products you need!

2010 was also host to the launch of innovative products that allow Interiorscapers to expand or enhance their services, such as the Quadrangle rectangular planter, River Rockafiller plastic river rocks, and no-hole liners. Lechuza also introduced the Rondo and Diamante cylindrical containers, which have already won coveted international design awards.

“Sales of planters to Interiorscapers has increased steadily in 2010 from 2009,” said Fred Scott, NewPro’s Vice President who formerly served as purchaser and manager of installations at one of the largest exterior and interior landscape supply companies in the US. “This is a positive sign for the entire industry. We believe that the worst is over and sales will continue to improve going forward.”

Most NewPro customers need their planters or supplies within days of contacting us. In order to meet that expectation, we carry the largest inventory in the country.

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Customer Photo Contest Winners Announced

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Back in June, NewPro announced a photo contest featuring planter installations of items you purchased from NewPro. The winning photo would be used in NewPro marketing materials and our online sites. As a thank-you, we said the customer who submitted the winning photo would receive a credit to their NewPro account.

We received a lot of great photos with real artistic flair! Five customers sent in entries that stood out from the rest and made it difficult for us to choose just one, so our selection committee decided to award each finalist a prize. Congratulations to Kevin Kelly of Kelly Mac Interiorscapes, Brenda Walters of Guaranteed Green Dallas, Brian Alger of the Plant Lady Plus, and Susie Halstead of A New Leaf, Inc. — your photos may appear on the newprocontainers.com website with reference to you and your company.

One of the five finalists, Caprice Aerts of Artscape, submitted several photos that were outstanding. The image we selected as the actual contest winner (see below) features the Lechuza Quadro (14-inch).

 Customer Photo Contest Winners Announced

The Contest Winner! Submitted by: Caprice Aerts, Artscape

Considering all of the great images that flowed into our inbox, we plan to organize another contest within the next month. We will be searching for environmental shots of the new Quadrangle rectangular planter, Vista or Gainey containers and our flat or River Rockafiller top dressing.
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6 Questions That Will Help You Keep Your Customers

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Do you spend more time going after new customers or trying to keep those who currently enjoy your Interiorscape services? Here are six easy questions to ask that can allow you to deploy low-cost strategies that remind customers of your value.

question 224x300 6 Questions That Will Help You Keep Your Customers

1. How much is each customer worth?
A great way to inspire an increase in sales to existing customers is to see how much your biggest and/or best customers have contributed to your bottom line.

2. Of the services I offer – what’s most important to my customers?
The best way to find out is to get on the phone or schedule a meeting with a handful of your best customers and simply ask what is the most important service you offer on which they rely. Make sure to listen not just to WHAT you provide, but HOW you provide it.

3. Are my employees involved in communicating with customers?
Interiorscaping can be a very visible service if you and your employees engage with your client when you stop by for a service visit. Remind them of what you do and why you do it by just checking in and having a conversation.
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Calculating Freight: Understanding Dimensional Devil-in-the-Details

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

“Why can’t I ever get a handle on figuring out freight costs when it comes to containers?”

“Why am I getting charged a 30 lbs rate for an item that only weighs 10 lbs?”

“Why does it cost three times more to ship a 20-inch pot than it does a 16-inch pot?”

These are frustrating questions Interiorscapers find themselves asking when ordering decorative containers. It is not uncommon to miscalculate the freight from a wholesaler, include that miscalculation in a bid and discover the wholesaler charged you far more for freight than expected. Unlocking the freight conundrum is linked to one concept used by all major freight companies like FedEx and UPS: dimensional weight.

Understanding dimensional weight is important when trying to order containers since Interiorscapers must also determine their mark-up. By charging only by actual weight the lightweight, low density packages that contain plastic decorative containers becomes unprofitable for freight carriers to deliver. dimweight2 Calculating Freight: Understanding Dimensional Devil in the DetailsWhy? A package containing a large but lightweight item takes up a lot of space in a delivery vehicle relative to its weight. So a vehicle filled with 20 large, lightweight packages means less profitability for a freight company than a truck filled with 100 boxes of smaller, heavier items.

Understanding the formula
 carriers use to determine dimensional weight is straightforward: length times width times height then divide that amount by 194. FedEx includes a calculator that can be viewed by clicking HERE. In NewPro’s case, FedEx uses this number for boxes that are 17in x 17in x 17in and larger to determine the cost of shipping an item. For boxes under this size, the shipper charges by actual, or gross, weight. (more…)

Foam Inserts are an Effective Way to Increase Plant Life and Decrease Labor

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Are you searching for a way to increase plant longevity AND decrease your workload? Wrapping a plant’s rootball using a quarter-inch thick piece of foam inserted into a water-tight, no-hole liner is a practice many Interiorscapers are using to accomplish this.

This foam and liner combination also adds stability and integrity to the rootball. You should fill with water to what seems like a third of the way to the top of the plant (see graphic).

foamliner 230x300 Foam Inserts are an Effective Way to Increase Plant Life and Decrease Labor

This graphic illustrates how a simple foam liner benefits plant health

The plant hair-roots seek out the oxygen trapped in the foam.

“Despite the fact that the rootball is saturated, oxygen exchange is occurring within the hair-roots of the plant at the point of contact.” said Fred Scott, Vice President of NewPro Corp. “This gives the interiorscaper the luxury of more time between watering visits and extends the longevity for plants such as Peace Lillies, Ficus or Palms.”

You may not choose to sub-irrigate some plants, therefore the foam/liner combination may not be needed.

“By the time you need to replace the foam insert, it’s time to replace the plant anyway,” Fred added. “The presence of the foam will maintain the integrity of the rootball and help you avoid its disintegration all over your client’s carpet when it’s time to change or remove it.” (more…)




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