A few weeks ago I wrote HERE that Dümmen Orange had sold its anthurium business to Rijnplant, and not long after Bossman Chris Beytes presented an update on the various divestments and discontinued licensing agreements the German breeding company had undertaken over the last several months. Another divestiture announcement dropped into our inboxes last week with the announcement that Dümmen Orange sold its global orchid business to the management team at Sago, a Taiwanese orchid breeder Dümmen had acquired in 2017. All breeding, propagation and worldwide sales activities have been under control and management of Sago’s 330 employees since April 1. Dennis Hsiao, Sogo’s CEO, said of the transition in the press release, “The transition to independent operation marks an exciting new chapter for Sogo as we strive to innovate and deliver exceptional products and services to our valued customers and partners.”

Sogo's new management team, left to right: David Chen (CBO), Dennis Hsiao (CEO), Kaitlin Huang (CFO) and Erik Somnel (COO).

Dümmen Orange elaborates a bit further on this move, indicating that it’s part of the company’s commitment to streamlining its operations and focusing on offerings in markets where it already has core competencies and strong positions.

Kudos to Dümmen CEO Hugo Noordhoek Hegt for recognizing not all categories are meant for all businesses. “As a breeder we cannot always make the difference in the marketplace, which for orchids has its very specific characteristics,” he said. “To remain successful in the global orchids market, focus is needed. Within Dümmen Orange’s global portfolio we cannot offer orchids that focus and that is why it’s better to take this decision. With a great team, a strong customer base and 100% focus on the orchids business, Sogo is very well positioned to continue to have a bright future.”

A longtime leader in the world of interiorscaping has passed away. On March 30 Terry Anderson, one of the original National Interiorscape Network (NIN) founders, passed away peacefully in his sleep in Whitewater, Wisconsin, after a lengthy battle with dementia and congestive heart failure.

Terry’s career started at Tropical Plant Rental—a Gerry Leider operation—in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he really made a name for himself selling and installing tropical plants at the Sears Tower in Chicago. With Tropical Plant Rental’s sale to Rentokil in 1988, Terry became President of North America Rentokil and then President of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America. Terry later joined The Brickman Group as a senior manager.

It was in 2003 that Dick Ott hired Terry as a consultant along with William Braid, with this group becoming the founding members of the NIN. Terry was the brains behind NIN’s annual strategic planning retreat in North Carolina for the first 10 years.

Art Campbell, NIN’s current President, informed me of Terry’s passing. He wrote to say that anyone speaking about Terry would use the words professionalism, thoughtful, leader and true friend. “For those of us who knew Terry, we are all the better off because of him,” Art wrote. “For those who did not get to meet Terry, you too are better off because of what he did for NIN and for the industry. He will be missed.”

Services for Terry have not yet been set at this time. If you have any questions or want to share memories of Terry, please feel free to reach out to Art Campbell at acampbell@interiorscapenetwork.com.

Speaking of interiorscaping, Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) is looking for volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors and on Committees. A lot of the good work GPGB does to carry out their initiatives and fulfill their mission depends on folks like you. If you are passionate about biophilia and can make a minimum two-year commitment, then this opportunity is for you.  

A two-year stint on a GPGB committee will make you eligible for consideration to serve on the Board. Committees include:

• Marketing & Communications
• Supporter Development
• Education & Professional Development

To throw your name into the Committee hat, just fill out the nomination form, which you can find HERE. And to find out more about Green Plants for Green Buildings in general, head over to the organization’s WEBSITE.

I have another item from TPIE that I want to share with you, and it’s something that blew my mind when I saw it. Perfect Plants has a range of potting mixes, soils, amendments and fertilizers that are plant-specific. Yes, they have succulent orchid potting mix and fertilizers, but they also have products for fiddle leaf figs, pothos, snake plants, money trees and so on.  

I asked the folks in the Perfect Plants booth what the difference is between, say, the pothos mix and the money tree mix. You already know the difference between a cactus mix and a generic indoor plant mix—it’s the drainage. They’ve studied the specific drainage requirements for optimum growth for a number of plants and have really dialed them in for certain crops.

At the time I met these folks Perfect Plants was a direct-to-consumer brand; however, I believe they were exploring retail opportunities. If you are interested in carrying their line, visit the Retail Partner link on their website. 

If you are interested in exploring their range of products, visit the Perfect Plants website and look under the Accessories tab.