Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association

What Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association does

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association (RINLA) is a 501(c)(6) professional trade association founded in 1919 (originally as the Rhode Island Nurserymen's Association, renamed in 1990) that represents approximately 600 member companies in Rhode Island's green industry, a sector the association cites as contributing $2.5 billion in direct economic output and supporting 23,562 jobs across the state. RINLA's core offerings are organized around four membership tiers (Active $275, Associate & Allied $275, Professional & Affiliate $125, Student $35), two sector-specific certifications (RI Certified Horticulturist, reciprocal across all New England states, and RI Pesticide Certification via DEM-approved online CEU modules), and a first-in-the-nation multi-employer registered apprenticeship program approved by the Rhode Island Apprenticeship Council in February 2018.

The underlying technology is conventional: a membership database, a public member directory searchable by specialty and geography, an e-commerce/cart system on rinla.org, and the separate Growing Futures RI platform (growingfuturesri.org) for job boards and workforce training information. The association operates two wholly owned affiliates — Growing Futures RI (workforce development) and the Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Institute / RINLI (501(c)(3) charitable arm administering scholarships and public education). RINLA's revenue is generated through recurring membership dues, one-time event registration and exhibitor/sponsorship fees for the annual Winter Conference & Trade Show, certification and renewal fees, and digital newsletter advertising, with episodic grant funding (e.g., 2020 USDA NIFA grant via RINLI). Distribution is direct and community-led: field sales to green-industry businesses, self-serve website enrollment, and channel partnerships with Beacon Mutual (workers' compensation) and Service First Processing (payment services). Customer segments include primary green-industry professionals (nurseries, landscape contractors, garden centers, arborists, designers), with secondary segments spanning educators/researchers, consumers seeking vetted contractors, and students/career-changers entering through apprenticeship and CCRI/URI degree pathways.

Name

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association

Legal name

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association

Website

https://rinla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association (RINLA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1919 serving approximately 600 member companies in Rhode Island's green industry through tiered memberships, professional certifications, workforce development, and annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Kingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from active, associate/allied, professional/affiliate, and student categories provide the primary recurring revenue stream. Fees range from $35 for students to $275 for active business members.
2. Event Registration & Sponsorship: Revenue generated from Winter Conference & Trade Show registrations, exhibitor booth fees, sponsorship packages, and program advertising. Tickets range from $130-$200 for non-members and member company event participation.
3. Certification Fees: RI Certified Horticulturist certification and renewal fees, along with pesticide applicator training module sales with member discounts.
4. Publication Advertising: Digital newsletter and website advertising opportunities sold to member and non-member businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RINLA is a 501(c)(6) professional trade association serving Rhode Island's green industry. It provides membership categories for nurseries, landscape contractors, arborists, garden centers, and growers, along with industry certifications (RI Certified Horticulturist, Pesticide Certification), workforce development through apprenticeship programs, legislative advocacy, an annual conference and trade show, and a public member directory connecting consumers with licensed professionals.

Product overview

RINLA is a professional trade association serving Rhode Island's green industry (nursery, landscape, horticulture, agriculture). The organization operates as a unified membership association with several interconnected programs: membership categories (Active, Associate & Allied, Professional & Affiliate, Student) provide the core organizational structure; certification programs (RI Certified Horticulturist and RI Pesticide Certification) offer professional credentials recognized regionally; workforce development initiatives including the Growing Futures RI division and the Multi-employer Registered Apprenticeship Program address industry labor needs; the RINLI 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm handles education and scholarships; and annual events (Winter Conference, Professional Excellence Awards) provide networking and recognition. The association represents a $2.5 billion industry supporting nearly 600 member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Active Membership Full annual membership ($275/year) for sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations obtaining more than half their income from growing or selling nursery/greenhouse stock, landscaping, supplying, or related services in Rhode Island.
• Associate & Allied Membership Annual membership ($275 plus $25 initiation) for persons engaged in allied trades, out-of-state landscapers or nurseries, and businesses supplying material or services to Association members.
• Professional & Affiliate Membership Annual membership ($125 plus $25 initiation) for college, university, or school educators and researchers, government liaisons, and members of media affiliated with RINLA.
• Student Membership Annual membership ($35, initiation fee waived with proof of enrollment) for students enrolled in high school or full-time collegiate horticultural courses of study, with required committee participation.
• RI Certified Horticulturist (RICH) Program Voluntary certification ($100 annual renewal) for green industry professionals who pass an examination on plant identification and the RICH Training Manual; certification is reciprocal with all New England states.
• RI Pesticide Certification Training Online pesticide training modules approved by the RI Department of Environmental Management providing Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit covering 3A, 3B, 10 Commercial, and Private Licenses.
• Multi-employer Registered Apprenticeship Program First-in-the-nation multi-employer registered apprenticeship program for agriculture and plant-based industry, providing paid employment combined with classroom instruction and career pathways for green industry careers.
• Growing Futures RI Workforce development platform and division of RINLA providing education, training, job boards, and career resources for individuals pursuing green industry careers.
• Winter Conference and Trade Show Annual conference featuring educational sessions, trade show exhibits, networking opportunities, annual member meeting, and pesticide/RICH/ISA credits ($150-$155 member attendees; $181.75-$200 non-members).
• Kenneth Lagerquist Scholarship Scholarship administered through RINLI providing funds to full-time University of Rhode Island students studying Plant Sciences, Agriculture, or Landscape Architecture.

Quantifiable outcome

• RINLA represents a $2.5 billion industry supporting 23,562 jobs (3.9% of RI private sector employment) and ranks 9th out of 18 major private industry sectors in Rhode Island

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Real Jobs Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017RINLA received Real Jobs Rhode Island planning and implementation grants to develop the first-in-the-nation multi-employer registered apprenticeship program for agriculture and plant-based industry. Real Jobs RI provided funding and support for workforce development initiatives.
• Apprenticeship Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState apprenticeship program partnering with RINLA to register and approve the multi-employer apprenticeship program for green industry workforce development.
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting agriculture and horticulture industry. DEM provides regulatory guidance, pesticide applicator certification oversight, and collaborates on industry standards.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner providing agricultural support, grants, and regulatory oversight for the horticulture and landscape industry.
• USDA Forest ServiceminorOthersFederal agency partner supporting forestry and green industry initiatives.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)minorOthersFederal environmental regulatory agency partner for green industry environmental practices.
• Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRINLA collaborated with CCRI to create an associate degree program in Environment, Sustainability, and Management. The 2-year degree began in Fall 2022, providing pathways for green industry careers with seamless transfer to URI bachelor's programs.
• Rhode Island Food Policy CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with RINLA and CCRI to develop the first-of-its-kind associate degree program in Environment, Sustainability, and Management for careers in Rhode Island's land and sea industries.
• University of Rhode Island (URI) College of Environment and Life Sciences (CELS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURI accepts CCRI graduates seamlessly as juniors into bachelor's degree programs in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Plant Sciences, and related programs. Partnership provides educational pathway for green industry workforce.
• Beacon MutualcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRINLA partnered with Beacon Mutual to offer members access to Shared Earnings endorsement on workers' compensation insurance policies. This member benefit provides potential cost savings through group insurance rates.
• Service First ProcessingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember benefit partner providing payment and finance automation services. RINLA members receive 10% annual rebate, 60-day trial period, free/discounted equipment program, and U.S.-based support.
• AmericanHortminorOthersNational industry association providing educational opportunities, technical training, and pesticide credits for RINLA members.
• National Association of Landscape ProfessionalsminorOthersNational association providing career paths information, industry resources, and professional development opportunities for RINLA members.
• Seed Your FutureminorOthersNational initiative promoting horticulture careers and education, partnering with RINLA to promote green industry careers.
• Horticultural Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute awarding grants for study of current horticultural and nursery issues. RINLA connects members with research opportunities and funding.
• Growing Futures RIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation, training, and workforce development division of RINLA focused on cultivating the next generation of natural resource professionals. Operates independently at growingfuturesri.org.
• Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Institute (RINLI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) charitable arm of RINLA focused on public education about horticulture, agriculture, and land stewardship. Administers Kenneth Lagerquist Scholarship for URI students in Plant Sciences, Agriculture, or Landscape Architecture.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Seed Your Future: National initiative promoting horticulture careers; an identified RINLA partner addressing overlapping workforce-development mission in the same target industry.
• Horticultural Research Institute: Horticulture-focused research foundation identified as a RINLA partner awarding grants; adjacent research-and-education institution in the same industry vertical.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Landscape Professionals: National industry association serving landscape professionals across the U.S.; identified RINLA partner providing career path resources and broader industry representation.
• AmericanHort: National trade association representing the entire U.S. horticulture industry; an existing RINLA partner providing technical training and pesticide credits — broader scope but overlapping green-industry member base.

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association: PLNA serves Pennsylvania's green industry with membership, certification (PA Certified Horticulturist), legislative advocacy, and ProGreen Expo — a state association analog of RINLA in a larger territory.
• New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association: State-level trade association for NJ's nursery, landscape, and horticulture industry — comparable member services model and product mix to RINLA in an adjacent Northeast market.
• Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association: State-level nursery & landscape trade association serving Massachusetts green-industry professionals with certification, events, and workforce programs — the closest functional analogue to RINLA in a neighboring New England state.
• Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association: CT state trade association for nursery, landscape, and horticulture professionals offering similar membership, certification, and educational programming as RINLA within the same region.
• New England Nursery Association: Regional multi-state association serving the nursery industry across New England — directly comparable to RINLA in mission, and whose reciprocal RICH certification partnership underscores the structural overlap.

Regional players

• Rhode Island Builders Association: Another major RI trade association serving a different vertical (construction/home building); analogous trade-body business model in the same geography with overlapping consumer and legislative engagement.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rinlassoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/RINurseyAndLandscapeAssociation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association