Tharfield Nursery, one of New Zealand's largest specialist edible plant nursery, has streamlined its operations and improved efficiency by transitioning to NZPPI plant trolleys for transporting its 400,000 plants nationwide.
Background on Tharfield Nursery
Tharfield Nursery, located in Katikati in the Western Bay of Plenty, is one of New Zealand's largest specialist edible plant nursery. For over 27 years, Tharfield has been selling plants under the "Incredible Edibles" brand. Today, they produce approximately 400,000 plants, distributing them through 280 retail stores throughout New Zealand.
The Challenge: Pre-trolley plant transportation
Before integrating plant trolleys into their operations, Tharfield Nursery relied on a more direct and labour-intensive method for shipping their plants. Plants were loaded directly onto the shelves of delivery trucks, a process that posed logistical challenges and inefficiencies, particularly as the nursery's distribution network expanded.
Why consider plant trolleys?
With growing demands and the need for increased flexibility in their dispatch process, Tharfield Nursery began considering plant trolleys as a solution to improve their operations. Plant trolleys offered many potential advantages, such as streamlining transportation, providing more secure plant shipments, and allowing greater flexibility during dispatch.
Deciding factors for transitioning to trolleys
The nursery's decision to transition to plant trolleys came down to a few key factors:
- Simplicity: The trolley system was straightforward, making it easy for their staff to adopt.
- Industry Standard: Plant trolleys are the industry standard, with proven success across many years.
- Proven Reliability: Trolleys had been used in various settings with consistent success, ensuring their reliability for Tharfield's operations.
Time, cost, and efficiency improvements
Since implementing the trolley system, Tharfield Nursery has experienced benefits in terms of time, cost, and efficiency:
- Cost Savings: By adopting a single, versatile transportation system, Tharfield has seen substantial cost reductions.
- Labour Efficiency: Plant trolleys can be easily moved by a single person, reducing the need for additional staff or heavy machinery.
- Safety: The trolleys eliminate the need for heavy lifting, reducing the risk of workplace injuries.
- Increased Flexibility: The trolleys' design allows plants to be moved and transported with ease, further enhancing the overall dispatch process.
A streamlined and widely accepted system
Perhaps the most significant advantage of plant trolleys is their wide acceptance across the industry. Any staff member familiar with working in a nursery will likely already have experience handling trolleys, making it easy for Tharfield to onboard new employees.
Recommendations for other nurseries
Tharfield Nursery highly recommends the use of plant trolleys for any nursery considering an upgrade to their transportation systems. As one of the most common plant transport systems worldwide, plant trolleys are versatile, adaptable, and backed by strong support from Plant Trolleys NZPPI.
Tharfield's experience proves that adopting plant trolleys is a smart, long-term investment for any nursery aiming to streamline operations, improve safety, and enhance overall efficiency.
Source: NZPPI