Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines
Have you signed up for the 2016 Big Grower Executive Summit* yet? If you haven’t, you should. It will take place Feb. 21-23, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Our keynote speaker this year is Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic and a regular contributor to National Public Radio who appears regularly on CBS and MSNBC. Thompson will discuss what growers must do to target the next generation of technology-driven consumers.
AmericanHort’s senior vice president, Craig Regelbrugge, will provide us with an update on what legislators are doing in Washington, D.C., and the latest on immigration, as well as how the upcoming presidential election could potentially impact our industry.
We will also learn about business succession planning, the various financial indicators banks use to determine viability of a growing operation, big box perspectives on merchandising, growers’ insights into today’s gardening consumer, the latest industry research initiatives and an offsite tour of Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, North Carolina.And Texas A&M’s Charlie Hall will provide us with exclusive, up-to-the-minute look at today’s economy and its impact on tomorrow.
For more information on the program or to register to attend, just go to www.biggrower.com/executivesummit. If you sign up by Jan. 29, you can save $100 on the registration fee.
40 Under 40 Nomination Deadline
Tomorrow is the deadline to submit your nominations for GPN’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2016, which will be featured in the May issue of GPN.
To nominate someone for this year’s class, click here.
Tim
*Attendance to the 2016 Big Grower Executive Summit is limited to growers with a minimum of 250,000 square feet of growing space.
Wal-Mart to Shutter 154 U.S. Stores
Wal-Mart plans to close 269 stores around the globe in the coming months 154 of them in the U.S. as it focuses on its Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in profitable locations. In the U.S., 102 Wal-Mart Express stores will be closed along with 23 Neighborhood Market stores, 12 Supercenters, seven stores in Puerto Rico, six discount centers and four Sam’s Clubs. The store closings will impact approximately 10,000 employees in the U.S.
Lowe’s Looks to Hire 46,000 Workers This Spring
Lowe’s is stocking up on employees for the spring season. The home improvement retailer plans to hire 46,000 associates for its busiest time of the year. “To help customers during our peak season, Lowe’s is hiring about 6,000 more seasonal employees than last year,” said Scott Purvis, Lowe’s vice president, human resources operations. “Seasonal positions offer flexible work hours, a 10 percent employee discount and often can be an entry point for regular part-time or full-time employment.”
Publix Names New CEO, Promotes Four Others
Publix Super Markets has announced that Todd Jones will become its next CEO when Ed Crenshaw retires in April. Crenshaw has been with the company for 42 years and is the grandson of the grocer’s founder. Publix also announced the following executive promotions: David Phillips, the company’s CFO is now executive vice president and CFO; Kevin Murphy has been named senior vice president, retail operations; Bob Bechtel is the new Miami division vice president; and Sam Pero is now Jacksonville division regional director.
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