Independent garden centers win with co-op alliance

Home & Garden Showplace and Master Nursery Garden Centers have announced an alliance to benefit independently owned and operated garden centers.

Home & Garden Showplace, a business unit of True Value, will align its understanding of product assortments, growth opportunities and merchandising power along with Master Nursery Garden Centers, a national cooperative of about 700 independent garden centers.

"Supporting and strengthening the independent retailer in today's competitive marketplace is the cornerstone of the True Value co-op," said Lyle Heidemann, CEO of True Value. "This alliance supports those cornerstones, providing a greater opportunity for our combined retailers to win at retail with the lawn and garden as well as nursery consumer."

"I anticipate this alliance with True Value will prove very beneficial to our members," said Bill Jameson, president and CEO of Master Nursery Garden Centers. "True Value's network of 12 regional distribution centers will allow us to better serve members in many regions of the country."

The alliance will benefit each co-op in the following ways:

• Master Nursery Garden Centers will have the ability to purchase True Value’s 60,000-plus warehouse-stocked products.

• Home & Garden Showplace retailers will be able to participate in Garden Elements, a proprietary program of Master Nursery Garden Centers, including a branded annual program and a new line of organic plant foods.