Garden Center Nursery Supervisor

Overview

Since 1956, Berns Garden Center and Landscaping has been the heart and soul of delivering exceptional horticulture and landscaping services to our community in Southwest Ohio. With locations in Middletown and Beavercreek, we take pride in cultivating beautiful spaces and fostering meaningful connections with our customers, employees, and community. As we continue to grow, we are looking for a nursery expert to join our team as the Nursery Supervisor at our Middletown location.

In this key role, the ideal candidate will be responsible for the complete operation of the Nursery Department, overseeing all aspects of processing plant material, purchasing, plant maintenance and health, pricing, displaying and selling of all woody and perennial nursery stock, as well as training, mentoring and instructing nursery retail personnel in effective selling techniques and daily tasks.

• Facilitate and monitor the care and sale of plant nursery related stock for Nursery and Landscape divisions.
• Plan and direct the physical nursery set-up and changes meeting seasonal needs, ensuring proper stocking and marking of items.
• Monitor and maintain daily inventory control.
• Manage the care, maintenance and sale of nursery stock for plant material.
• Manage the reordering and delivery of plants, bagged goods and hard goods for the retail nursery.
• Constantly evaluate vendor performance, offerings, and price; developing and maintaining vendor relationships that deliver value to the department categories.
• Supervise, develop, and evaluate team members in the nursery department – Plan for annual staffing needs, ensure effective selection of employees, provide training of all team members, and ensure effective utilization and supervision of all employees.
• Schedule employee workdays and ensure time records are accurate and timely.
• Manage daily care for living inventory, maintaining plant health and quality.
• Responsible for the overall performance of the designated product categories.
• Help answer customer questions and problems that pertain to tree and shrub diseases and pests in a safe, environmentally concerned manner.
• Handle customer-oriented problems and disputes in a manner that builds good faith and develops good personal relations.
• Develop goal setting figures and assist nursery staff in achieving each monthly goal.
• Assist with the herbicide and pesticide program, training the nursery staff and other staff as necessary.
• Manage the maintenance of Garden Center irrigation lines, moisture control, fertilization, and trimming of the Nursery Department.
• Coordinate online ordering for both store locations, receive all orders and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Operate power equipment such as a Bobcat or forklift to move inventory.
• Load customers’ vehicles when necessary.
• Keep abreast of new developments within the industry through trade and university periodicals and newsletters.
• Maintain membership and interest in trade organizations.
• Schedule visits to other garden centers.
• Direct the display of products and supervise Christmas tree/Greens sales.
• Collaborate with other supervisors on labor projections.
• Assist other managers and owners in the operation of the Garden Center.

• Ethical, dependable, accountable and trustworthy
• Polite, courteous, patient, and the ability to handle difficult situations with tact
• Knowledge of nursery plants, insects and diseases of woody ornamentals
• 3+ years of experience in a supervisory role and training other employees
• Positive attitude and ability to work as a team
• Ability to accept constructive feedback and have an open mind
• Enjoy working with the public
• Effective problem-solving skills
• Planning, organization, and strong attention to detail
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities and tasks
• Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication