Wholesale Plant Contracts

Abigayle runs a chrysanthemum (moms) growing and wholesale business on her family's 40-acre property in Missouri, selling primarily to hardware stores and supporting FFA chapter fundraisers.

Business Overview:

• Growing chrysanthemums on family land (using about 10 acres of their 40-acre property)
• Currently focused on wholesale distribution to hardware stores across Missouri
• $15,000 in revenue last year with $7,000-$8,000 in profit (approximately 50% profit margin)
• Building a greenhouse with profits to expand growing capacity and create year-round revenue

Current Distribution Strategy:

• Securing contracts with local and regional hardware stores across Missouri
• Using a sprint car trailer to deliver products (transportation is one of the biggest challenges)
• Geographically limited to Missouri due to delivery logistics
• Supporting FFA chapters by providing plants for their fundraisers

Growth Challenges & Opportunities:

• Current wholesale-only approach limits growth potential
• Transportation and delivery logistics constrain geographic expansion
• Building a greenhouse to:
  • Start plants earlier
  • Create steady revenue during non-mom growing months (addressing seasonality)
• Costs fluctuate yearly (soil, pots, racks)
  • One-time investments like display racks reduce future costs

Potential Growth Strategies:

• Better promotion to secure more wholesale contracts with fixed order quantities
• Leveraging her unique story as a young agricultural entrepreneur to approach larger retailers
• Pursuing top-down sales approach by directly contacting CEOs of major hardware chains
• Attending agricultural conferences to network and gain support from the farming community
• Expanding beyond current geographic limitations with better distribution solutions