New MSU Extension Educational Tool Available for Nursery Producers
9/22/09
Contact: Laura Probyn
517-432-1555, ext. 175
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Managing costs and improving production efficiency are important for every business, and herbaceous perennial, shrub, tree and other nursery stock operations are no different. To help managers use their existing records to improve their bottom lines, Michigan State University (MSU) Extension has produced a new educational tool.
“Estimating the Wholesale Cost of Nursery Production,” (DVD029) features a CD-based set of customizable, reusable spreadsheets and a DVD tutorial that nursery managers can use to determine their costs for producing plants. They can use this data in making pricing decisions and to explore opportunities for cost savings.
“To my knowledge, this is the only university-based software of its kind that is available in the northern states that will work for both container and field-produced nursery stock,” says Tom Dudek, MSU Extension senior district horticulture and marketing educator and one of the tool’s developers.
The spreadsheets are formatted for 25-, 50- or 100-item enterprises and can be reused as needed. The DVD offers clearly explained, step-by-step instructions for using the spreadsheets.
“Nursery managers can look at the cost of production from four different perspectives,” Dudek says. “The spreadsheet generates estimates for total economic cost, meeting net worth cost, meeting cash flow demand cost and necessary sale price to attain a projected profit above the estimated total economic cost.”
“Estimating the Wholesale Cost of Nursery Production” is available for $26 from the MSU Extension online bulletin office or from any MSU Extension county office.
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