National Christmas Tree Association

What National Christmas Tree Association does

The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is a private nonprofit trade association founded in 1955 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that serves as the national advocacy and coordination body for the farm-grown Christmas tree industry in the United States. Its membership comprises more than 700 active member farms, 29 state and regional associations, and over 4,000 affiliated businesses, and NCTA estimates its members produce approximately three-quarters of US farm-raised Christmas trees. The organization operates an industry-leading annual tradition, in place since 1966, of presenting the official White House Christmas Tree to the First Lady on behalf of the Grand Champion grower selected through its national contest.

NCTA's offerings center on membership services rather than technology products. It publishes the National Christmas Tree Journal twice annually and an electronic monthly newsletter, maintains a Google Maps-based Tree Locator for consumers and a Wholesale Tree Locator for retail buyers, commissions annual consumer surveys with Harris Interactive/Nielsen, and produces consumer and educator content including kids' games and Teachers Corner materials. The association has no proprietary software, algorithms, or developer APIs; its digital presence is a WordPress-based website plus directory tools.

NCTA generates revenue primarily through tiered annual membership dues ($115 for introductory, $365 for industry, $520 for supplier, $730 for professional; free for academic/government researchers), publication subscriptions, advocacy sponsorships channeled through its National Advocacy Partnership Program (NAPP, formerly TIP), and event-related income. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors and Executive Committee drawn from its grower and retailer membership, and its only formal role vis-à-vis the Real Christmas Tree Board is complementary: NCTA handles policy advocacy and consumer education, while the checkoff-funded board handles promotion, a separation required by checkoff regulations.

Name

National Christmas Tree Association

Legal name

National Christmas Tree Association

Website

https://realchristmastrees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Christmas Tree Association is a 1955-founded, St. Louis-based nonprofit trade association representing over 700 active member farms, 29 state/regional associations, and 4,000+ affiliated businesses in the US farm-grown Christmas tree industry. It provides advocacy, consumer education, locator tools, and runs the annual White House Christmas Tree tradition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NCTA generates revenue through annual membership dues from active member farms, state and regional associations, and affiliated businesses. Membership tiers range from $115 for introductory members to $730 for professional members, plus supplier memberships at $520.
2. Publication Subscriptions: The National Christmas Tree Journal is published twice annually and distributed to subscribers. Non-member subscription rate is $75/year in US, Canada, Mexico; $94 to other countries. TIP state members receive discounted rate of $37/year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Christmas Tree Association is a nonprofit trade association that represents U.S. farm-grown Christmas tree growers, retailers, and industry suppliers through tiered membership services. Its core offerings include annual membership packages with advocacy, industry research, networking, and consumer marketing tools such as the Tree Locator and Wholesale Tree Locator directories, alongside paid subscriptions to its industry publications (National Christmas Tree Journal and NCTJ Monthly).

Product overview

The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is a national trade association representing the farm-grown Christmas tree industry. Rather than offering a unified technology platform, NCTA provides a portfolio of membership services, industry programs, and consumer-facing tools. Key offerings include: the National Christmas Tree Journal and National Christmas Tree Journal Monthly newsletter (publications); the Tree Locator and Wholesale Tree Locator (online directory tools powered by Google Maps integration); annual Consumer Survey Research conducted with Harris Interactive; the White House Christmas Tree Program (annual tradition since 1966); and the National Christmas Tree & Wreath Contest (biannual industry competition). Educational resources include Kids Educational Games (printable puzzles) and Teachers Corner materials. The association operates a membership portal with online directory services. NCTA's digital presence at realchristmastrees.org serves as the primary consumer and industry information hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCTA Membership Annual trade association membership for Christmas tree growers, retailers, and industry suppliers, offered in tiered packages (Introductory $115, Industry $365, Professional $520, Supplier $730, free Researcher). Members receive advocacy representation, access to the Wholesale Tree Locator listing, consumer survey data, industry publications, and networking across state/regional associations.
• National Christmas Tree Journal Quarterly print/electronic industry publication covering Christmas tree industry news, research, and association updates, available as a paid subscription ($75/year for non-members; included in membership tiers).
• NCTJ Monthly (electronic newsletter) Monthly electronic newsletter providing industry updates, member news, and association communications to NCTA members and subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of respondents prefer real Christmas trees for their scent and experience
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: Largest U.S. general agriculture trade association. Comparable to NCTA in operating model (membership-based advocacy and education for a farm segment) but serves the entire agricultural sector broadly.
• AmericanHort: National trade association for the horticulture industry, including nursery and greenhouse growers. Comparable in form (membership-based horticulture trade body with advocacy, education, and trade shows) and in serving green-industry growers, though broader in scope than NCTA's Christmas-tree focus.
• Tree Care Industry Association: National trade association for the commercial tree care/arborist industry. Comparable in form (membership-based tree industry trade body with publications, advocacy, and education) but serves arborists and tree-care companies rather than Christmas tree growers.
• American Forests: National conservation organization focused on forest health and urban canopy. Comparable in forestry focus and advocacy posture but pursues environmental outcomes rather than grower economic interests.
• Society of American Foresters: Professional society for foresters. Comparable to NCTA as a membership organization serving the forestry profession with publications, credentialing, and policy engagement, though focused on professional foresters rather than Christmas tree growers.

Direct peers

• Real Christmas Tree Board: USDA checkoff program that funds generic promotion and research for real Christmas trees. Directly comparable to NCTA because both serve the same farm-grown Christmas tree industry but with complementary (and legally separated) mandates: RCTB handles promotion and research while NCTA handles advocacy.
• American Christmas Tree Association: Trade association representing artificial Christmas tree manufacturers and retailers. A directly comparable peer in form (industry trade association for Christmas trees) but a competitor in substance, advocating for artificial over real trees.

Regional players

• Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York: State-level Christmas tree grower association serving New York. Comparable to NCTA as a member-based grower association with advocacy and education missions, but limited to a single state rather than national scope.
• Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association: Regional association representing Christmas tree growers in Oregon and Washington, two of the largest producing states. Operates the same grower-advocacy and education model as NCTA but at a regional level.

Others

• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture: Nonpartisan association representing state agriculture departments. Adjacent peer because NCTA engages state agricultural agencies on Christmas tree policy and regulation, but NASDA is a government-affairs body, not a commodity trade group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChristmasTreesandWreaths
• Instagraminstagram.com/realchristmastrees
• Xx.com/RealTrees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-christmas-tree-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Christmas Tree Association