11/29/2022 - By Matt Gregg

2022 Turfgrass Manager Challenges

As the daylight hours get shorter and shorter, many turf managers are wrapping up leaf season. They're making final fungicide applications, clearing out irrigation systems, and either getting ready for the winter season or closing the course for the cold. Needless to say, 2022 has been a very interesting year.

Many mangers, whether golf or ornamental growers, faced and prevailed though an abundance of challenges this year. Supply chain headwinds, logistics, volatility of fertilizer pricing, labor, and consumer spending just to name a few. So many things came up this year that challenges us in these past 11 months, but we did learn a whole lot through them.

2022 Lessons Learned by Harrell's Customers

From a business standpoint, many managers have had to adjust cost of goods with price increases, for example the increase and volatility of fuel, oil, and energy prices have left many businesses in a unique and challenging predicament. Looking ahead into 2023, some international manufacturing facilities may delay/postpone production of certain turf & ornamental products due to excessive energy costs. To this, I would give some direct thought on taking advantage of the current buying programs offered by various manufacturers. Whether it’s purchasing a 6-month supply of product or a full agronomic year, taking advantage of Early Order (EOP) and other programs to ensure you have product(s) at your disposal, may provide a greater return than the initial upfront expense.

The good news is, well, we made it through! 2022 provided some great lessons on efficiency, the strength of our employees, procedures of what worked and what did not, and so many others. On the shortcomings, these opportunities provided a teaching moment on how we can perform or communicate more effectively across the board. Through these challenges, we set a path for us to train and implement the skills we learned from the hard lessons, so that the coming 2023 season can improve on 2022 while also standing strong in the face of whatever challenges lie ahead.

Thank You for Letting Harrell's Serve You

As we turn the calendar pages to the final month of 2022, I want to say thank you to all of the Harrell’s customers who choose to do business with us. As customers, you have given Harrell’s and its employee-owners the opportunity to provide you with exceptional service, value, and industry support. Your trust and partnership have provided us with an exceptional year as a company, regardless of the craziness of this year, which proved fruitful by allowing us to strategically expand our footprint by adding additional employees and several new distribution sites. With these additions, we can effectively service your needs in a much more timely manner, no matter the location.

We look forward to earning your business again in 2023 and we are ready to accept any challenge that the next year might hold. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season, and don't forget to reach out to your local Harrell's rep if you need anything as the year rounds out!