Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

What Texas Nursery & Landscape Association does

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA) is a non-profit trade association serving the Texas green industry — wholesale nursery growers, landscape contractors, garden center retailers, horticultural suppliers, and irrigation professionals. Headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas, TNLA operates as the primary statewide trade body, organized across eight regional chapters (Regions I-VIII) covering San Antonio, Houston, East Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, the Panhandle, the Rio Grande Valley, and Central Texas. The association is governed by an elected Board of Directors and is funded through recurring membership dues and event-driven revenue.

TNLA's core products revolve around member services and industry convening rather than proprietary technology. The TNLA Hive, a community engagement platform built on third-party infrastructure from Hivebrite, provides a member directory, newsfeed, event access, job board, and email messaging via web and mobile apps (Apple App Store and Google Play). Major events include the annual Nursery/Landscape EXPO (San Antonio; 934 booths, 453 exhibiting companies in 2024) and the Lone Star Hort Forum leadership conference. Workforce and education programs include the Leadership Bootcamp (Class V in 2026), certifications (TCCN, TCLP, TMCNP, TCNP), a Compensation & Benefits Study, and the Online Education & Webinars platform hosted on Path LMS. Publications include the Working For You blog, Green Matters weekly newsletter, Best of Texas Landscape Guide, and the Green Report Podcast.

TNLA's business model rests on two revenue streams: subscription-recurring membership dues (Grower, Retailer, Contractor, Supplier, and other tiers; annual billing cycle; rates not publicly disclosed) and one-time event revenue from EXPO booth sales, sponsorships, and registration. Go-to-market is sales-led, executed through direct membership recruitment via the state office and the eight regional chapters, supplemented by advocacy outreach, event promotions, and member referrals. Advocacy and the TNLA PAC provide a defensible regulatory moat, including successful passage of HB 1592 establishing a statewide pest/disease alert system operated through Texas A&M AgriLife, and active engagement on water policy, H-2B workforce access, and invasive species quarantines such as the Emerald Ash Borer expansion to 38 counties in 2026.

Name

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

Legal name

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association

Website

https://tnlaonline.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA) is a non-profit trade association serving Texas nursery growers, landscape contractors, garden centers, and suppliers through 8 regional chapters, advocacy, events (EXPO, Lone Star Hort Forum), certifications, and the TNLA Hive community platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Park

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: TNLA operates primarily as a membership-based trade association. The association collects membership dues from nursery operators, landscape professionals, garden centers, suppliers, and related businesses across Texas. Membership types and rates are available on the website.
2. Event Registration and Sponsorship: Revenue generated from Nursery/Landscape EXPO tradeshow, Lone Star Hort Forum, Regional meetings, and other events. Includes booth sales, sponsorships, registration fees, and associated revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA) is a non-profit statewide trade association that delivers membership services, legislative and regulatory advocacy, professional education, industry certifications, networking events, and workforce development programs to nursery growers, landscape contractors, garden centers, irrigation professionals, and suppliers across Texas. Core offerings include tiered membership, the annual Nursery/Landscape EXPO tradeshow, the Lone Star Hort Forum, TNLA Leadership Bootcamp, certifications (TCLP, TMCNP, TCNP), student scholarships, and the TNLA Hive online community platform.

Product overview

TNLA offers a suite of association programs and services for the Texas nursery and landscape industry rather than a unified technology product. The core platform is TNLA Hive, a community engagement platform hosted on Hivebrite, which provides member networking, job boards, and resource access. The organization runs major events including Nursery/Landscape EXPO (annual tradeshow) and Lone Star Hort Forum (leadership conference). Workforce development offerings include TNLA Leadership Bootcamp, certifications (TCLP, TMCNP, TCNP), and student competitions. Publications include the Green Matters Newsletter and Working For You Blog. The TNLA PAC supports legislative advocacy for the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TNLA Industry Membership Tiered annual membership for nursery growers, landscape contractors, garden centers, irrigation professionals, and suppliers in Texas. Provides access to advocacy, certification, networking, regional chapters, and the TNLA Hive community platform.
• Nursery/Landscape EXPO Annual tradeshow held in San Antonio bringing together professionals from the Texas green industry for networking, education, exhibits, and industry awards. EXPO 2024 featured 80 education sessions, 70.5 TNLA CEU hours, 934 booths, and 453 exhibiting companies.
• Lone Star Hort Forum Annual three-day leadership conference for Texas green industry leaders, featuring economic forecasts, professional development sessions, Women in Horticulture events, industry tours, the Awards Festival, and TNLA Leadership Bootcamp graduation.
• TNLA Leadership Bootcamp Professional leadership development program presented by the TNLA Foundation, designed to build self-aware, confident leaders prepared to guide teams, navigate change, and contribute to the Texas green industry. Class V graduated at Lone Star Hort Forum 2026.
• TNLA Industry Certifications (TCLP, TMCNP, TCNP) Industry certifications including Texas Certified Landscape Professional (TCLP), Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional (TMCNP), and Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP) for Texas green industry practitioners.
• TNLA Hive Community Platform Hivebrite-hosted online community platform providing TNLA members with a member directory, newsfeed, newsletter and blog, group access, email messaging and notifications, event access, and job board. Available via web and mobile applications (Apple App Store and Google Play Store).
• TNLA Political Action Committee (PAC) Political advocacy program supported by Diamond Recognized donors ($500+) and Gold Star companies (4+ donors), building relationships with Texas decision-makers on water policy, workforce regulations, pest/disease response, and agriculture policy affecting the green industry.
• TNLA Online Education and Webinars Online continuing education and webinar delivery for Texas green industry professionals, hosted via Path LMS, covering topics required for industry certifications and workforce development.

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• HivebritecoreTechnology or IntegrationHivebrite provides the community engagement platform (TNLA Hive) powering the association's member community. The platform is hosted on Hivebrite's infrastructure and provides member directory, newsfeed, group access, email messaging, event access, and job board functionality. Available via web and mobile app (Apple App Store and Google Play Store).
• Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNLA works with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension on pest and disease alerts (operated through agalert.tamu.edu per HB 1592), educational content, and industry research. Charlie Hall provides annual economic forecasts at Lone Star Hort Forum. Texas A&M horticultural sciences programs collaborate on student competitions and career fairs.
• Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNLA works with TDA on pest and disease quarantine coordination, Emerald Ash Borer compliance, and regulatory advocacy. The association participated in TDA's Sunset Review process and advocates for industry interests before the department.
• Texas Education Agency (TEA) Regional Service CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNLA partners with TEA Regional Service Centers across Texas to promote horticulture careers in CTE programs, develop curriculum connections, and build workforce pipelines through career events, classroom visits, and site tours.
• Landmark NurseriesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerKey Contributing Investment Partner for EXPO and Leadership Bootcamp. Landmark Nurseries sponsors major TNLA events and programs including Leadership Bootcamp and student competitions (Landscape Challenge, Plant ID Competition). Gold Star TNLA PAC donor.
• Landmark Nurseries, Inc.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerKey Contributing Partner for TNLA Leadership Bootcamp. Supports workforce development programs and graduation celebrations at Lone Star Hort Forum.
• San Antonio Stock Show & RodeocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNLA hosts Landscape Challenge and Nursery/Landscape Plant ID Competition at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, offering $20,000 and $10,000 scholarships respectively to winning students. Represents major workforce development initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers: California's statewide association serving nursery growers, garden centers, and allied businesses with advocacy, certification (CLCA-adjacent programs), and conventions — a direct state-level parallel to TNLA's scope and member mix.
• Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN): Oregon's nursery and greenhouse industry association offering legislative advocacy, the Farwest Show, and certification programs — comparable in advocacy/event-centered model though heavier on grower concentration.
• Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA): Florida's state-level green-industry trade association providing membership, advocacy, certification, and a flagship trade show (TPIE) for nursery growers, landscape contractors, and garden centers — the closest structural analog to TNLA's role in Texas.
• Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA): Mississippi's nursery and landscape trade association providing membership services, advocacy, and the annual Magnolia State Trade Show — a smaller-scale direct peer operating in an adjacent regional market.
• Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA): Georgia's statewide trade group for the green industry providing education, certification (Georgia Certified Plant Professional), a winter trade show, and policy advocacy — direct functional peer in scope and segment mix.
• South Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (SCNLA): South Carolina's statewide trade association for the green industry offering the Carolinas Green Industry Network event and legislative advocacy — direct state-level peer in segment and operational scope.
• Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (VNLA): Virginia's statewide green-industry association representing growers, retailers, landscape contractors, and allied businesses — direct state-level peer in advocacy/education structure though smaller in event scale than TNLA's EXPO.

Broad incumbents

• AmericanHort: National trade association for the U.S. green industry, formed from the merger of ANLA and OFA; provides advocacy, education, and the Cultivate trade show that competes with TNLA EXPO for national exhibitor attention.
• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): National trade association serving the landscape services sector with accreditation, advocacy, and ELEVATE/ LANDSCAPES events — overlaps with TNLA's landscape contractor membership vertical but operates at national, not state, scope.

Others

• Horticultural Research Institute (HRI): Research and grants arm of the green industry, affiliated with AmericanHort, funding horticultural science and scholarships; adjacent to TNLA's TNLA Foundation scholarship and research-adjacent activities but focused on funding rather than membership advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=1Qsrx0D6Rck
• Facebookfacebook.com/NurseryLandscapeEXPO
• Xx.com/LandscapeTexas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-nursery-and-landscape-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association