Had an interesting conversation today with a landscape contractor. He suggested there is a nationwide pattern (he's a former ALCA board member) of re-wholesaling. The big "wholesale" outlets in many markets are merchandisers not growers. They buy "wholesale" from growers and "re-wholesale" to the trade. Some of them buy from growers and go immediately to retail. In large lots or for lesser lots of large material the trade may be able to go right to the grower and by-pass the re-wholesaler.

So, are the really four levels of price?

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on November 19, 1999 at 11:50:07:

When the eighth edition first came out, the rocky mountain chapter used a combination of wholesale (usually in the ground) re-wholesale, retail and installed.
The reasoning was that in our chapter, most of the "wholesale" nurseries were actually re-wholesale. We have few growers. Our analysis was that re-wholesalers were forty to fifty percent higher that the wholesale (growers)
Again, I would agree from past postings, perhaps another thread of agreed-upon definations. One other thought. Page 48 of the 8th mentions "readilly available". In our chapter, digging is not a year around activity. I've got the numbers if you want to analyse.

Reply to post by Scott Cullen, on November 19, 1999 at 11:50:07:

Re-wholesale is really the more common method of access to plant material. I find that the distributers carry material from many sources- Oregon, Connecticut, the Carolinas, etc. Finding the material locally, or buying it on consignment from the growers is seldom practical, especially for small numbers of plants. I imagine that the shipping costs would also make up most of the difference in price.

It is something to think about when working on a large project, however, and might make sense in some cases.

Reply to post by Bill Cassel, on November 19, 1999 at 11:50:07:

Bill's post is exactly why CTLA stresses regional input. In my area, as well as others, re-wholesalers are prevalant, but mostly for the small landscaper. The major players buy direct from the wholesalers.
lew

Reply to post by Bill Cassel, on November 19, 1999 at 11:50:07:

Descriptively, there's another layer of of complexity in terms of source. That is the local outlet that re-wholesales some material and grows some of their own, offering both, presumably, at similar price levels that might be described as "wholesale."

This all brings me back to the earlier thread suggesting that - regardless of what you label it - it's the effective cost to the person experiencing loss or doing the replacement that really matters.