Since 2002, Garden Center University has served as an integral part of the growth and success of garden centers throughout the United States and Canada. Offered over the course of two years, GCU is like a mini-MBA for garden centers. The five-semester program will improve the profit and market position of both small and large garden centers, veteran owners and new managers alike.
“As owners of retail garden centers, all too often we work long and hard for relatively little return. GCU is one way to leverage the hard work, experience, and risk into better returns. The content of the sessions have given us great practical knowledge toward that pursuit. It has gone beyond head knowledge to hands-on work in the classes with reports and finding solutions to current problems.
As we think over the content and value of this Educational Expedition which is the GCU, we have several of our key employees in mind for future classes When you add up the approximate expense it seems like a lot. But then I stopped to think about what exposure we have with an uneducated buyer or manager. A small mistake can quickly cost a thousand dollars. A big one could easily be ten or even hundreds of thousands.
How much more profitable could a buyer or manager be with more knowledge or marketing and promotion, a deeper understanding of the factors that generate and protect profit, more fully understood business strategy, or developed better leadership skills? What if they began to think more like it was their business? Now that would be phenomenal!”
Jere Stauffer & Steve Gallion
Stauffers of Kissel Hill (PA)
GCU Class of 2004
