AmericanHort announced the newest addition to its lineup of affinity business program partners, Plant Sentry. Plant Sentry is a software program pioneered by Nature Hills Nursery that provides a comprehensive plant compliance tool designed to ensure that wholesale, retail and e-commerce vendors grow and ship only plants that are fully compliant with all federal regulations and restrictions and those of all 50 states. AmericanHort members will be eligible for cost savings in using the Plant Sentry program. Savings will vary based on each business’ needs.
“The Plant Sentry regulatory risk management tool saves countless hours in managing and understanding all federal and state rules. The tool helps monitor revolving inventory against ever-changing regulations, which can stop problems before they start by being proactive in ensuring you comply with the myriad of federal and state regulations,” said Jeff Dinslage, President and CEO of Plant Sentry. “By using this tool, you can save labor hours, increase sales, protect your company’s reputation and limit the risk of liability.”
Plant Sentry maintains a consolidated national compliance database of all plant diseases, plant pests, invasive plants and quarantine regulations, which is regularly updated for both federal and all 50 states. The tool was modeled after the voluntary audit program, the Systems Approach for Nursery Certification (SANC), a program developed under the guidance of the National Plant Board, AmericanHort, the USDA/APHIS and other green industry leaders.
“With the continued growth of the green industry and of on-line commerce, it’s natural that the number of plants shipped across states and being sold on the Internet is climbing,” said Mary Beth Cowardin, VP of Marketing and Member Engagement at AmericanHort. “The increase in interstate shipping of live plant materials creates a greater risk of transferring pest-infested and invasive plants if shipments are not handled properly and requirements are not met. We are pleased to not only provide AmericanHort members with a savings opportunity, but to also help the entire green industry if we can mitigate the spread of pest and disease issues.”
AmericanHort