Robinson Nursery embraces Lean

Editor's note: This article is part of the Next Generation special section from the March 2017 issue of Nursery Management.

On any given day, up to 20 employees stake trees at Robinson Nursery in Amity, Ore.—and each one has a slightly different technique. General manager Chris Robinson realized the variability had a negative impact on productivity and set a goal of developing a standardized process.

“The goal is to add value to the product by making the process faster and cheaper,” explains Robinson. “Using the collective knowledge of our employees, we can come up with better, more efficient ways to do things.”

Robinson started focusing on process improvements six years ago.

A second-generation nurseryman, Robinson learned about Lean through the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) and believed the disciplined structure for eliminating waste could help him make his mark on the 600-acre nursery.

“My parents have a great team of employees and built a very good company,” he says. “I was trying to figure out where I was going to fit in; Lean was a good opportunity to look at things differently and for me to bring value to the company.”

Robinson, 33, grew up in the family business. His parents, Rick and Roxanne Robinson, opened the nursery in 1984, and Robinson started doing odd jobs to earn an allowance when he was just eight years old. After graduating high school, Robinson joined the crew full time and hoped that spending years pruning suckers, propagating bare-root trees and shipping stock would earn him a spot on the management team.

“It was my dream to manage the nursery and I thought I was on a path to do that,” he recalls. “I had no plans to go to college but my mom and dad said, ‘If you want to manage our business, you have to get a business degree.’”

Robinson spent the next four years at Linfield College. Upon graduation, he was promoted to inventory manager. The promotion came during the height of the recession and Robinson felt pressure to figure out how to do more with less. Embracing Lean, he decided, was the answer. Robinson signed up for a Lean training program through OAN.

“I was young enough to think I could do anything,” he quips.

Although Robinson believed Lean could be transformational, convincing his team was difficult. He cites a language barrier (most of the employees speak Spanish and Robinson is far from fluent) and an unwillingness to change old habits as major barriers to Lean adoption. Robinson persisted.

Click here to read more in our March issue.

Photos courtesy of Chris Robinson