Last month, Petitti Family Farms, a collection of farms owned and operated by the Petitti family in Perry, Ohio, invited the LM team for a tour of its facilities to highlight the new technology, innovations and growth that the company hopes can elevate the nursery industry.
And with roughly 4,000 acres of operations at four facilities (Klyn, Willowbend, Ridge Manor and Losely), company president Joe Allio says there’s plenty to be excited about when it comes to increasing their efficiency and product offerings.
“We’ve been going to Europe for the last several years; my father-in-law and I. He’s been going for the last decade or so, and we’re really focused on innovation and building the nursery for the future. What we found when we toured around is just that labor has always been a problem — overseas, as well as here,” Allio says. “The automation over in Europe has always been more advanced, and we’ve taken that technology and what they’ve been able to produce and brought that here.”
Allio’s drive for automation and technology has been a big hit so far, and at the various facilities during the tour, he was eager to showcase the machines that were saving the company time and money while producing a more consistent product.
For example, the first stops on the tour showcased the MDE Kronebinder Globe KRB100 tree tying machine and the Lommers Tuinbouwmachines hedge trimmer. Also on the itinerary was a highlight of the company’s 10 new Burro Grande autonomous robots at Ridge Manor, with an additional 15 units secured for deployment by year-end to help with towing operations.
“I’m looking at overall operations — how do we continue to scale this business? And also, how do we get better profitability so that we can reward our employees and pay them better?” Allio says. “We want to be able to produce a high-quality product, but a cost-effective product. So, it’s cost effective for the company, and we want to be a low-cost producer, but we don’t want to have our quality go down. We want to still have high quality.”
Another innovative idea Petitti Family Farms has implemented is their new Klyn Shopping Yard. Customers could already order from them and set a specific pickup date at the company’s on-site location, but Allio says he wanted buyers to easily be able to make any last-minute additions.
“We always hear that from our customers,” he says. “We wanted to be able to provide that opportunity for the landscaper to walk right across from where they’re picking up, shop (for) that and load that onto their truck. So, you can pull in, you can not have a specific order and go shop and load up your truck, or you can have an order and add on last minute.”
Part of Petitti’s success comes from the large amount of acreage it operates all within a small area. Having multiple sites all within Lake County, Ohio, means simpler management, quicker visits to each farm, plus the ability to move equipment and resources easier between facilities.
Allio says that the company also is still looking to expand, and it hopes to double sales within the next five years. Despite the company’s massive size, Allio says there’s still plenty of acreage that is undeveloped and will be expanded on in the near future.
“(We want) to be known in the industry as a forward-thinking company that listens to our customer base and is continuing to expand our operations,” he says. “We want to be able to be a one-stop shop, whether it’s retail garden centers, wholesalers or landscapers. We want to be able to provide a diverse use set for all those customers.”
