Building a stronger green industry together

By The Coffee Shops®.

Industry experts see collaboration, advocacy and professional development as essential to strengthening horticulture’s future.

The green industry may encompass businesses of vastly different sizes and specialties, but newly appointed AmericanHort President and CEO Lionel Vanderwalt believes its future depends on recognizing how closely those businesses are connected. Speaking at Cultivate 2026, Lionel positioned horticulture not simply as a decorative industry but as an important part of communities, businesses and everyday life. Growers, retailers, landscapers, designers and allied partners contribute to everything from green spaces and stormwater management to residential landscapes. “We are not just merely
decorators of the American economy. We are its critical life support system,”
Lionel said.

Protecting that role means bringing the industry’s different segments together. Lionel emphasized that independent and family businesses matter just as much to the association as large corporations because challenges in one part of horticulture can ripple throughout the supply chain.

AmericanHort’s approach to that collective effort includes professional development, research and advocacy. Lionel highlighted programs such as Hort Cred, the Horticulture Research Institute Leadership Academy and Plant PAC while stressing the importance of helping businesses prepare for changing workforce and technology needs.

Technology in particular can support the industry without replacing the expertise people develop through experience. “Automation, AI and data can make us better growers, better operators and better businesses, but they cannot replace the grower's eye and wisdom developed through the seasons of experience,” Lionel said.

His message ultimately returned to relevance and participation. “AmericanHort exists to serve you, our members, not the other way around,” he said. That collective foundation becomes even more important as horticulture businesses confront the economic and operational pressures shaping the market.

Visit the AmericanHort website or Watch the full address or Read the transcript.