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FIRST CHOICE VENDOR FOCUS - JONATHAN SENNEFF, FOLIAGE DIRECT

Jonathan Senneff - noemail@foliagedirect.com — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:00:00 GMT

FIRST CHOICE VENDOR FOCUS - JONATHAN SENNEFF, FOLIAGE DIRECT

Jonathan Senneff

Company Name: Foliage Direct

Title: President

Residence: San Antonio, Texas

Briefly state your business' focus:

We wholesale and broker the highest quality foliage from Florida, California, and Hawaii. We import, distribute, and drop-ship air containers from Hawaii.

When did you get started in your business? What sparked your interest?

I was introduced to the interior plant industry at an early age by my parents who started Plant Interscapes a year before I was born. As I grew older, I gained a great appreciation for plants and what they can do for us. I spent endless summers working alongside my parents’ employees in the greenhouse, doing installations, retail, and plant maintenance at our Austin branch while I was in college. I suppose sometime in my senior year my father approached me with the dreaded, “So what do you plan to do once you graduate?” question. I really wanted to work with them in the family business but didn’t know exactly where my skill sets and ambitions would fit in. At that time Foliage Direct was more of a concept than a company, supplying wholesale foliage to local interiorscape companies on a rather small scale. As there was not a dedicated position concentrating on the development and success of Foliage Direct it was the perfect fit. I was offered the opportunity to take it over to concentrate on increasing the outside sales volume, monitor the quality and cost expectations, and supervise the transport and delivery logistics involved in sourcing our industry’s keystone commodity.

What is your education and job experience background?

The greatest learning experiences occurred while growing up in the family interiorscape business. My father, to an almost annoying extent, would continually quiz my brothers and me on plant names and problems whenever we passed a tree, shrub, garden, or greenhouse. When it came to time to sit down and learn all of the botanical names and care guidelines I really didn’t have to study much, I picked it up while growing up. When people ask I tell them I have been doing this my whole life but just recently got a business card! I was involved in the Future Farmers of America in high school where I took many agriculture and horticulture classes which taught me the science behind how plants grow, nutrient requirements, and various propagation techniques.

My formal education can be attributed to St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas where I graduated with a BA in International Relations and concentrations in Business. I had the opportunity to study in Spain for a summer and I traveled to Holland to visit the Aalsmeer Floral Auction, the largest floral and foliage distribution market in the world. That experience sparked my interest in the express distribution of high quality foliage products. Like all college graduates I was ushered into the business world thinking I knew it all, the rude awakening and reality of my lack of knowledge hit around the first day on the job. The first lesson I learned is how my little mistakes can crescendo into big problems and how to take the responsibility for finding a solution.

What notable achievements or events have marked your career?

Being that my current career is just shy of a half decade I like to think that every time I meet and exceed a new or existing customer’s expectations in quality, price, and service it is a notable achievement. I oddly enjoy the pressure of an impending problem where a solution is immediately required. Specifically, my largest issues arise in freight logistics where minutes matter and time conscious decisions either make or break the deal. These high pressure situations have trained me to work well under pressure and look to other alternatives for remedies, usually resulting in solutions that surpass the utmost planning.

What plans do you or your company have to improve/expand your business?

Currently Foliage Direct is concentrating on increasing the customer base who have the ability to receive and inventory larger quantities of Hawaiian plant material. With recent hikes in fuel and energy costs, it is imperative to ship and distribute our relatively low dollar, highly perishable, commodity in the most economical means possible. Some plants are more travelled than their end users. For example, it doesn’t make sense for Hawaiian plants to land in California, be trucked to Florida, only to turn around to Texas. If you add up the cost of freight for that one plant on its three leg journey it can be quite costly, not to mention all the possibilities for damage along the way. Our Direct Air Hawaii service drop ships full air containers of Hawaiian plant material direct from the islands to your nearest airport facility, thus reducing the freight allocation and various markups along the way. The value to our customers is extremely fresh high quality plant material, at bulk rates, shipped from Hawaii in two days. We have negotiated FedEx Express rates that are in the neighborhood of 85% off list rates to make this freight option highly lucrative and economically feasible. What is the minimum quantity to order to acquire bulk foliage rates? It may be much less than you expect. We currently ship air containers with as few as 100 pots and as many as 200 plus with the average falling around 150-175 plants.

Are new product lines in development? What changes do you see in your company for 2007 and beyond?

At the first of the new year I will be traveling to Florida for a month’s stay to supervise our consolidation operations and oversee our quality control measures. I will be working directly with our current suppliers and looking for new sources to benefit our current customer base.

What do you hope to see PIA achieve for interiorscapers and the allied trades?

I think PIA and other industry organizations alike are taking the right steps to legitimize our industry and give it a national presence beyond our regional scope. In an industry with few barriers to entry, where all you need is a watering bucket and a name to call yourself an interiorscaper, many inconsistencies develop which fragment and dilute our standards. It is extremely advantageous for members in our industry to continually band together to discuss the direction we are heading, procedural standards and consistency, what works and what doesn’t, and to connect suppliers with end users—we all benefit. I think the services that organizations like PIA offer are invaluable to our solidarity and future to work together for a common purpose.

Do you see specific future trends for our industry? What issues will be in the forefront for interiorscapers and allied trades?

The major issue that I see as a potential problem for our industry in the future is, and no offense, the aging of our industry leaders and the lack of interest from younger generations to replace them. There is an abundant degree of experiential knowledge and skill at the top of our industry that needs to be channeled down if we hope to preserve the state of our industry that the older generation has worked so diligently for. We need to not just focus on the interiorscape companies but growers and suppliers as well. Would it be too ambitious to only source commodities from suppliers that have a succession plan in place? Wouldn’t you want to spend your money with a company that you know will be around for the next 20+ years? I think we need to allocate resources and create programs to reach out to universities to inform and spark interest; maybe even start a board that is comprised of younger entrants to the industry. Let’s call it the Interiorscape Industry Preservation Board, any takers? The most common response I get when people ask “What do you do?” is, “Wow, I didn’t think you could make money doing that!”

19-Nov-07 1:00 PM

Hawai'i Put Under Export Quarantine

Robbie Dingeman - noemail@foliagedirect.com — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:00:00 GMT

The federal government yesterday ordered a quarantine restricting shipping of Hawai'i's plant exports -- including flowers, lei, fruits and vegetables -- to stop the spread of the light brown apple moth that threatens crops in California.

The quarantine order says that nearly all plant material will need to be "visually inspected and certified as free of [the moth] ... before leaving the state."

Hawai'i agriculture officials and growers said it's too early to tell how the new limits set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will affect the state.

"We're not sure how the USDA is going to enforce this," said state Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi. Any increased layers of inspection are a big concern for people shipping flowers, plants and fruits that rely on freshness.

Federal officials said the moth destroys, stunts or deforms young seedlings, spoils the appearance of ornamental plants, and injures fruit-tree crops, citrus and grapes.

Last month, Wine Business Online reported the moth is a major pest to wine grapes in Australia and said it "is believed to have been brought into California on infected plant material by private passengers on airlines."

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued the order yesterday to try to prevent the spread of the moth also known as Epiphyas postvittana.

The quarantine also affects eight counties in California where the moth has been detected.

State agriculture officials and growers, still learning of the quarantine yesterday afternoon, could not say how big the impact would be and whether it would delay shipments of fresh flowers and plants.

"We are notifying local nurseries about the quarantine order and the increased inspection requirements," said Sandra Lee Kunimoto, who chairs the Hawai'i Board of Agriculture. "We are also trying to coordinate with the local USDA inspection offices on how the quarantine order will be enforced."

She said the order includes nursery stock, cut flowers, flower lei, fruits, vegetables, greenery, greenwaste and hay.

IMPACT STILL UNCLEAR

Hawai'i's flower and nursery industry had grown to a $100.6 million business as of 2005, according to USDA statistics.

Eric Tanouye of Hilo-based Greenpoint Nurseries, Inc., which specializes in shipping anthuriums and other tropical flowers and plants, said he had only just recieved an alert about the new restrictions and was cautiously optimistic after talking briefly with local USDA officials.

"We're always concerned with invasive pests," Tanouye said, and have been operating under quarantine-like restrictions for decades.

Tanouye hopes that the new order will not slow exports. "We just have to keep doing a good job and not spread these pests to the Mainland," he said.

Saneishi, from the state agriculture department, said it's not clear whether the new federal order will apply to fresh island products treated in other ways, through heat or irradiation, to deal with fruit flies and other pests.

It's also not clear whether some exporters -- who now certify flowers and lei as pest-free themselves -- will be able to continue in that manner or be required to have additional inspection.

The order;s impact on the state's large fruit exporters is not certain.

"Pineapple is not a known host for the light brown apple moth, but should Hawai'i-grown pineapple be declared a regulated item, Maui Pineapple Company will comply," said Maui Pineapple's general manager, Gerry Watts.

The light brown apple moth is native to Australia and described as a major pest for apples, pears, grapes, cherries, citrus and peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. The order also affects Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and San Mateo counties in California.

Although the moth has been native to Hawai'i since 1896 and has been reported on all islands, it has not been a significant pest here.

BUG NO PROBLEM HERE

Saneishi said the moth actually has helped to control plant pests such as the incasive weeds gorse and blackberry in Hawai'i.

The moth also is found in New Zeland, Tanzania, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Federal officials said Hawai'i was included in the federal order because the moth is known to be established in the state but that no data exists on the exact distribution of the pest.

The order also requires survey trapping, nursery treatment applications and precautionary production practices be implemented within quarantine areas to mitigate the risk of infestation.

If surveys show areas moth-free, the order's impact on growers could be decreased, said Saneishi.

3-May-07 2:00 PM

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Tue, 05 Sep 2006 20:00:00 GMT

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5-Sep-06 3:00 PM

LECHUZA innovations for GAFA 2006

Katja Schlicht - noemail@foliagedirect.com — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 05:00:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE

______________________________ B R A N D S T Ä T T E R G R O U P ________

We can only become great by striving every day to improve -
LECHUZA innovations for gafa 2006

Even bigger: The new LECHUZA CUBICO 50, 95 cm (37.4 in) tall

LECHUZA is at home where good taste and functional design meet. More and more businesses, architects and interior gardeners throughout the world are discovering this, showing continued enthusiasm for the designer column of the LECHUZA range: the LECHUZA CUBICO. Until now only available in sizes 40 (40x40x75 cm, 15.7x15.7x29.5 in) and 30 (30x30x56 cm, 11.8x11.8x22 in), in the past 2 years it has found its way into hundreds of company buildings, adorned numerous building entrances and become ever more popular in domestic homes.

The CUBICO plant liner and the optionally available sub-irrigation set has become increasingly popular, not only thanks to its extraordinary form, but also due to the functionality of the container.
Now it’s time to grow beyond that. The new CUBICO 50 - even bigger and with even more plant volume - gives customers and visitors the opportunity to form a lasting first impression and provides a fitting reception. Impressive at 95 cm (37.4 in) tall and 50 cm (19.7 in) along the side edges and – as you’d expect from CUBICO – simply elegant.

All firmly under control: The new CUBICO plant liner with sturdy recessed carrying handles

The CUBICO plant liner
Since its introduction to the market in the fall of 2003, this new column shape in the range of plant container manufacturer LECHUZA from Zirndorf, Germany was loved by everyone. The simple elegance and lines of the CUBICO, that are so difficult to achieve with such precision using other manufacturing processes, has fascinated interior gardeners worldwide. But because such a column shape is also planted by specialists, the attention of the interior gardener is drawn considerably to a further advantage of the CUBICO, quite apart from its extraordinary design and light weight of just 5 kg with a height of 75 cm (29.5 in): The plant liner. This means that only the liner needs planting and not the whole column, which can then be conveniently transported to the customer, saving on space too. The planted liner then simply needs to be placed in the CUBICO on-site. Done!

New: More stable, thanks to the handles
LECHUZA has further improved the interchangeable plant liner for gafa 2006, by making it more stable with practical handles (2 handles for the CUBICO 30 and 40, 4 handles for the CUBICO 50 plant liner), that disappear from view after use into the liner. Additional support for the plant liner is provided by the 4 tubes supplied, which are placed inside the CUBICO. So practical, that changing the planting is a breeze.

Noble and strong: The new range colors scarlet red and espresso metallic

Timeless elegance is only one of the maxims of the LECHUZA container series. Due to the large demand for our metallic finishes anthracite and silver, LECHUZA is introducing another color at gafa: Espresso metallic. For everywhere where warm tones are used for emphasis or where the observer should be fascinated by the light dancing on the silken metallic surface.

For those who also like red, all models and sizes are also now available in fresh scarlet red with a high-gloss surface: brilliant through and through.

CONTACT:
Geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG
LECHUZA marketing and PR department
Katja Schlicht General Manager Marketing
Brandstätter Straße 2-10
90513 Zirndorf
Telephone: +49 911 9666 660
Fax: +49 911 9666 178
katja_schlicht@lechuza.com
www.lechuza.com

Effective: 09.01.06

1-Sep-06 0:00 AM

Die Neuheiten von LECHUZA zur gafa 2006

Katja Schlicht - noemail@foliagedirect.com — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 05:00:00 GMT

PRESSEMITTEILUNG

______________________________ B R A N D S T Ä T T E R G R O U P ________

Gut wird man nur, wenn man jeden Tag versucht, besser zu werden –
Die Neuheiten von LECHUZA zur gafa 2006

Noch größer: Der neue LECHUZA CUBICO 50 in 95cm Höhe

Wo guter Geschmack und funktionales Design sich treffen, ist LECHUZA daheim. Dass immer mehr Unternehmen, Architekten und Innenraumbegrüner weltweit genau dies so empfinden zeigt die anhaltende Begeisterung für die Designersäule des LECHUZA-Sortiments: Den LECHUZA-CUBICO. Bisher erhältlich in den Größen 40 (40x40x75 cm) und 30 (30x30x56 cm) hielt er in den vergangenen 2 Jahren Einzug in zahlreiche Geschäftsgebäude, zierte zahlreiche Eingänge und wurde auch im privaten Ambiente immer beliebter.

Nicht nur dank seiner außergewöhnlichen Form, auch die Funktionalität des Gefäßes, mit dem CUBICO-Pflanzeinsatz und dem optional erhältlichen Erd-Bewässerungs-System fand großen Zuspruch.
Nun ist es Zeit, über sich hinaus zu wachsen: Der neue CUBICO 50, noch größer, mit noch mehr Pflanzvolumen ermöglicht es nun, Kunden wie Gästen einen nachhaltigen ersten Eindruck und gebührenden Empfang zu bereiten. Eindrucksvoll in 95 cm Höhe, mit Seitenkante 50 cm und – wie man es vom CUBICO bereits gewohnt ist – in schlichter Eleganz.

Alles fest im Griff: Der neue CUBICO-Pflanzeinsatz mit stabilen, versenkbaren Tragegriffen

Der CUBICO Pflanzeinsatz
Allseits beliebt war die neue Säulenform im Sortiment des Pflanzgefäßeherstellers LECHUZA, aus Zirndorf, Deutschland von Anfang an, seit seiner Markteinführung im Herbst 2003: Die schlichte Eleganz und Linienführung des CUBICO, die in kaum einer anderen Fertigungsweise so präzise erzielt werden kann, fasziniert seitdem Innenraumbegrüner weltweit. Doch da solch eine Säulenform vom Fachmann auch bepflanzt werden muss, lag das Augenmerk der Raumbegrüner in besonderem Maße auf noch einem weiteren Vorzug des CUBICO, ganz abgesehen von seinem außergewöhnlichen Design und dem geringen Gewicht von gerade mal 5 kg bei 75cm Höhe: Dem Pflanzeinsatz. Er ermöglicht, dass nicht die gesamte Säule sondern nur der Einsatz bepflanzt werden muss, und danach bequem und platzsparend zum Kunden gefahren werden kann: Vor Ort muss dann lediglich der bepflanzte Einsatz in den CUBICO eingesetzt werden: Fertig!

Neu: Noch stabiler dank der Griffe
Zur gafa 2006 hat LECHUZA den wechselbaren Pflanzeinsatz noch weiter optimiert, stabiler gemacht und mit praktischen Griffen (2 Griffe bei CUBICO 30 und 40, 4 Griffe beim Pflanzeinsatz des CUBICO 50) versehen, die nach Gebrauch unsichtbar wieder im Einsatz verschwinden. 4 mitgelieferte Rohre stützen, im Inneren des CUBICO eingebracht, den Pflanzeinsatz zusätzlich. So praktisch, dass das Auswechseln der Bepflanzung fast zum Kinderspiel wird.

Edel und stark: Die neuen Sortimentsfarben Scarlet-Rot und Espresso metallic

Zeitlose Eleganz – nur eines der Maxime der LECHUZA-Gefäßserie. Aufgrund der großen Nachfrage nach unseren Metallic-Lackierungen Anthrazit und Silber führt LECHUZA zur gafa eine weitere Metallic-Farbe im Sortiment ein: Espresso metallic. Für all jene Räumlichkeiten, in denen wohnliche Farben Akzente setzen und den Betrachter mit changierenden Lichtspielen auf der seidenmatt glänzenden Metallicoberfläche faszinieren sollen.

Für jeden, der gerne auch einmal rot sieht gibt es alle Modelle und Größen ab sofort auch im frischen Scarlet-Rotton mit Hochglanzoberfläche: Durch und durch brillant.

KONTAKT:
geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG
LECHUZA Marketing- und PR Abteilung
Katja Schlicht General Manager Marketing
Brandstätter Straße 2-10
90513 Zirndorf
Telefon: +49 911 9666 660
Fax: +49 911 9666 178
katja_schlicht@lechuza.com
www.lechuza.com Stand 01.09.06

1-Sep-06 0:00 AM

Lechuza Sub-Irrigation

Katja Schlicht - noemail@foliagedirect.com — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:00:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE

______________________________ B R A N D S T Ä T T E R G R O U P ________

True beauty comes from within.
- the advantages of the LECHUZA sub-irrigation system

Magnificent plants in stylish plant containers, that’s what all plant lovers wish for. Even better if plant care is made easy and successful, thanks to a cleverly designed system.

LECHUZA meets the needs of the customer with its sub-irrigation set that was developed in-house. The inexpensive LECHUZA sub-irrigation set is available for each container shape and model size. The set can be fitted into the plant container in minutes and the customer can plant the plants of his choice in soil as usual.

Did you know that most plants in domestic households are actually watered too often?
Floppy leaves on houseplants are not due to lack of water. Often they are watered too often, or forgotten for a long time in hectic everyday life and then given too much in one go...

Watering plants is a thing of the past
LECHUZA helps you avoid these “watering errors” easily: the large water reservoir in the bottom of the container (1 to 27 liter depending on container size) is simply filled in one go using the integrated water supply shaft. The plant then takes care of itself for up to 12 weeks with exactly the right amount of water and nutrients that it needs for well-balanced growth. And apart from the fact that plants need to be watered much less frequently, LECHUZA ensures that your houseplants develop beautifully and this all-round care rewards you with better growth than with conventional culture systems.
And the best thing: this system also works for pot plants outdoors – on the terrace, on the balcony or in the garden.

Discover the secret of more beautiful plants!
For those who want to try the system out for themselves, participating LECHUZA dealers in Germany are offering an individually designed "discovery set" for a limited period, at a promotional discount price, with a choice of a CLASSICO 21 or 25 (in silver or anthracite) including the sub-irrigation set. This is for a limited period only, so take advantage of the offer, get planting and discover the advantages of LECHUZA for yourself!

CONTACT:
Geobra Brandstätter GmbH & Co. KG
LECHUZA marketing and PR department
Katja Schlicht General Manager Marketing
Brandstätter Straße 2-10
90513 Zirndorf
Telephone: +49 911 9666 660
Fax: +49 911 9666 178
katja_schlicht@lechuza.com
www.lechuza.com

Effective 09.01.06

9-Jan-06 12:00 PM