Washington, D.C. — The American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) announces the opening of registration for the next class of Garden Center University (GCU). Led by Ian Baldwin of Nursery Business Consultants, GCU is a two year course designed to improve the profit and market position of both small and large garden centers. The Class of 2010 begins February 7-8, 2008 (Thursday and Friday) in conjunction with the ANLA Management Clinic. ANLA Retail Division President, Joe Stoffregen of Homewood Nursery (NC) says, “We are excited to make GCU available to a new class for the first time in two years.”

Like a “mini-MBA” for garden center owners and managers, the five-semester program is linked throughout by core “threads” of learning – Fiscal Know How, Human Resources, Sales & Merchandising, and Profit Management. The class of 60 students will meet in different locations throughout the United States, learning from Ian and one another in interactive sessions and visiting garden centers along the way.

Current GCU student Jacob Bouser, garden center manager of New Garden Landscaping and Nursery (NC) states, “My experience with Ian and GCU has been invaluable, and the friendships and connections that I have made with the class of 2008 are lifelong. Ian has a wealth of pertinent information and is a very patient and thorough teacher. The input from my fellow classmates has helped place the teachings in a very real world environment that is easily transferred to my particular garden center. In short, a garden center manager or owner who is serious about taking their business to the next level and beyond need look no further than Ian Baldwin and GCU.”

The program is primarily aimed at retail owners and managers in the sales volume range of $500,000 to $5 million per year who want to double or triple their size. Over the past 5 years, more than 150 garden center owners and managers from more than 130 ANLA member companies from across the country have participated in ANLA’s Garden Center University (GCU) program.

To register, visit www.anla.org/events or contact Colleen Beirne at 202-741-4857 or cbeirne@anla.org.