Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association

What Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association does

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1934 and headquartered in Brooklandville, Maryland, that serves more than 300 member businesses across the state's horticulture industry. Its constituency spans wholesale nurseries, landscape contractors and designers, greenhouse growers, retail garden centers, arborists, interiorscape companies, and grounds maintenance firms. The association is governed by a volunteer board of directors drawn from member firms and led by an Executive Director, Vanessa A. Finney.

MNLGA's core offerings are organized around four pillars: membership services, education and certification, events, and advocacy. Membership is structured in five firm tiers (Firm A under $100k through Firm E over $1M annual gross sales) plus allied, non-profit, out-of-state, individual professional, and student categories. The Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) program, launched in 1985, provides professional certification with five specialist designations. Major events include the Chesapeake Green horticultural symposium and MNLGA's co-founding partnership in the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS), which hosted nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies across 1,550 booths at its 50th anniversary in January 2020. The organization also publishes Free State News magazine (three times annually) and the Root of the Matter e-newsletter (24 times annually).

Revenue is generated through subscription-based membership dues, event registration fees, annual sponsorships (Wye Oak and Black-Eyed Susan levels), print and digital advertising, CPH application and renewal fees ($150/$250 and $50/$100 respectively), and job board listings. Technology infrastructure is limited to the third-party YourMembership.com platform for membership management. The association is a founding member of the Maryland Green Industry Council (MaGIC) coalition for legislative advocacy and is affiliated with AmericanHort for national-level representation.

Name

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association

Legal name

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association

Website

https://www.mnlga.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MNLGA is a 1934-founded Maryland non-profit trade association serving over 300 horticulture businesses across nursery, landscape, greenhouse, garden center, and arborist segments through membership, education, certification (CPH), events, and legislative advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklandville

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on firm gross sales revenue tiers (Firm A under $100k through Firm E over $1 Million), with two-year membership options saving up to 10%. Also includes Allied, Non-Profit, Out-of-State, Individual Professional, and Student membership categories.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from Chesapeake Green symposium, Stanton A. Gill Symposium, and other educational events. Early bird registration ranges from $50-130 per day for members, with non-member and standard rates higher. Student rates available at $25/day.
3. Sponsorships: Annual sponsorship program with Wye Oak and Black-Eyed Susan levels providing year-round recognition through web banners, print and digital advertising, event appreciation, and educational program visibility.
4. Advertising: Free State News magazine published 3 times annually in print and digital formats. Root of the Matter e-newsletter published 24 times annually. Both accept advertising from members and partners.
5. CPH Certification Program: Certified Professional Horticulturist program with application fees of $150 for MNLGA member employees and $250 for non-members. Three-year renewal fees of $50 (members) and $100 (non-members).
6. Job Board Listings: Career center job postings: $0 for MNLGA members, $100-200 for non-members depending on posting duration (30-90 days).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

MNLGA is a nonprofit trade association that delivers membership services, professional certification, education events, legislative advocacy, and networking to Maryland's nursery, landscape, greenhouse, garden center, and arborist businesses. Its core commercial offerings include tiered firm memberships scaled by gross sales revenue, the Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) certification program, the Chesapeake Green annual horticultural symposium, and co-founding sponsorship of the MANTS trade show.

Product overview

MNLGA offers a membership-based association platform providing professional development, certification, education, and networking services to Maryland's horticulture industry. The core offering is the Membership Management Platform powered by YourMembership software, complemented by the Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) Program for industry certification, Chesapeake Green symposium for continuing education, and partnership in the MANTS trade show. Additional services include the Free State News magazine, Root of the Matter e-newsletter, Career Center job board, and public member directory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MNLGA Firm Membership
• Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) Program
• Chesapeake Green Horticultural Symposium

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 member businesses served with advocacy, education, and networking services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maryland Green Industry Council (MaGIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002MaGIC is a coalition of associations established in 2002 to represent Green Industry interests in Maryland's legislative and regulatory processes. MNLGA is a founding member. Member associations include FALCAN, LCA (MD, DC, VA), Maryland Arborist Association, and MNLGA. The coalition provides expert testimony and advocacy on issues including nutrient management, water use, taxation, right to farm, invasive species, and pesticide use.
• Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANTS is sponsored by the three state nursery and landscape associations of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. MNLGA is a founding partner. The show has nearly 1,000 exhibiting companies in over 1,550 booths. MANTS is widely known as the Masterpiece of Trade Shows and celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2020.
• AmericanHortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmericanHort is the green industry's unifying organization dedicated to advocacy, collaboration, connectivity, education, market development, and research. MNLGA is a member and supports the Lighthouse Legislative Fund, a green industry grassroots partnership designed to strengthen the industry's voice nationally.
• Nursery and Landscape Association Executives of North America (NLAE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMNLGA is part of NLAE which meets twice per year as a national group and closer to home as a regional group. This relationship helps keep members informed on a wide array of issues.
• Maryland Department of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong relationships with MDA for plant licensing, pest management, pesticide regulation, and industry surveys. MNLGA works with MDA Office of Plant Protection & Pest Management and Pesticide Regulation Section.
• University of Maryland ExtensioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Maryland's Land Grant University to provide quality industry education and foster valuable research. CPH program includes University of Maryland Department of Horticulture representative on Certification Board.
• Virginia Nursery and Landscape AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of MANTS trade show along with West Virginia association. Regional partnership for Mid-Atlantic green industry representation.
• West Virginia Nursery and Landscape AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding partner of MANTS trade show along with Virginia association. Regional partnership for Mid-Atlantic green industry representation.
• Office DepotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership discount program offering members savings on essential business services and supplies. One of several affinity programs including Landscape Management Network, TireBuyer.com, and PartnerShip.
• Landscape Management NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership discount program providing members with cost-saving benefits on business services.
• TireBuyer.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership discount program offering members savings on tires for business vehicles.
• PartnerShipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership discount program for shipping and logistics savings for members.
• University of Maryland Home and Garden Information CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience-based gardening resource for Maryland residents operated by University of Maryland Extension. MNLGA consumer resources direct members to UMD HGIC for soil testing, native plants, food gardening, lawn care, and insect information.
• Maryland Department of Agriculture - Maryland's Best ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProgram promoting Maryland agriculture including retail garden centers, farmers' markets, and pick-your-own farms. MNLGA consumer resources reference this program for local nursery and garden center connections.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AmericanHort:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mnlga_
• Facebookfacebook.com/MarylandNurseryLandscapeandGreenhouseAssociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association