Georgia Green Industry Association

What Georgia Green Industry Association does

Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) is a statewide nonprofit trade association founded in 1990 and headquartered in LaGrange, Georgia, serving the ornamental and environmental horticulture industry. The organization's mission is to promote and advance the economic, lifestyle, and environmental benefits of Georgia horticulture for its members, families, and communities. GGIA operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and serves a diverse member base spanning landscape contractors, wholesale nursery growers, greenhouse operators, retail garden centers, floriculture businesses, irrigation professionals, allied sales companies, and horticulture educators.

GGIA's core product is its membership program, structured across six tiers: Active ($325/year), Multi-location ($1,175/year), Associate ($50/year for employees of existing members), Education, Out of State, and Student (free). The association generates revenue through membership dues, event sponsorships (Southeast Green trade show, Capitol Day, VIP Tours, Holiday Plant Drop), and donations via its Roots of Impact program. Beyond membership, GGIA delivers the Junior Certified Plant Professional certification program — developed in 1991 with Georgia Agriculture Education and UGA Center for Urban Agriculture and now recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as the official End-of-Pathway Assessment for horticulture students — alongside an annual Industry Awards Program, scholarship programs (Bill Inabinet and Wilbur Mull Endowed), and the Southeast Green conference and trade show (formerly WINTERGREEN).

The association fulfills its advocacy role through active legislative monitoring and engagement at both state and federal levels, including support for the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026 via partnership with AmericanHort and the Ag Wage Reform Coalition. Strategic partnerships with UGA Center for Urban Agriculture, Georgia Agriculture Education, UGA Cooperative Extension, and Georgia's Technical Colleges anchor its workforce development and certification activities. GGIA distributes its services through a membership portal, the Southeast Green event, and direct outreach via a membership coordinator, with a digital presence spanning its website, E-Newsletters, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Name

Georgia Green Industry Association

Legal name

Georgia Green Industry Association

Website

https://ggia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) is a 1990-founded nonprofit trade association headquartered in LaGrange, Georgia, serving ornamental and environmental horticulture professionals across the state through membership programs, certification, advocacy, and the annual Southeast Green trade show.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape, Turf & Groundskeeping Trades (EDAOAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers) (AFAGAHAD), Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

Keywords

• Horticulture trade association
• Green industry advocacy
• Industry certification programs
• Horticulture trade shows
• Legislative representation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagrange

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Active ($325), Multi-location ($1,175), Associate ($50), Education, Out of State, and Student (FREE) members provide core operational funding.
2. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorships for Southeast Green trade show and other events including Capitol Day ($750), Holiday Plant Drop ($750), VIP Tours ($1,000), and various educational webinars provide significant revenue.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Roots of Impact donation program allows individuals and businesses to support GGIA's mission through six giving pathways including general donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Georgia Green Industry Association is the statewide umbrella trade association for Georgia's ornamental/environmental horticulture industry. It provides membership-based services including legislative monitoring and advocacy, industry certification programs (such as the GGIA Junior Certified Plant Professional), the annual Southeast Green trade show and conference, an industry awards program, and scholarship programs. Its core function is to unify and represent Georgia horticulture professionals across landscape contracting, nursery growing, greenhouse operations, retail garden centers, irrigation, and floriculture segments.

Product overview

GGIA is a statewide trade association for the ornamental/environmental horticulture industry in Georgia, offering membership-based programs and services rather than a unified software platform. Its core offerings include membership with legislative representation and networking, the GGIA Junior Certified Plant Professional certification (in partnership with Georgia Agriculture Education and UGA), the annual Southeast GREEN trade show, an Industry Awards Program, and a Scholarship Program. These programs work together to advance workforce development, professional standards, and science-based practices for Georgia's green industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Southeast Green: Georgia's premier green industry conference and trade show bringing together thousands of professionals for education, innovation, and networking. Formerly known as WINTERGREEN.
• GGIA Junior Certified Plant Professional

Products and services

• GGIA Membership Membership-based program providing legislative representation, certification exams, networking opportunities, and access to industry events (Southeast Green, Capitol Day, awards programs) for horticulture professionals and businesses in Georgia. Tiers include Active ($325/year), Multi-location ($1,175/year), Associate ($50/year), Education, Out of State, and Student (FREE).
• GGIA Junior Certified Plant Professional Youth certification program for horticulture students, including Plant Identification Exam and Written Exam components. Developed in partnership with UGA Center for Urban Agriculture and Georgia Agriculture Education, and recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as the End-of-Pathway Assessment for horticulture students.
• Southeast Green Trade Show Georgia's premier multi-day horticulture conference and education event featuring trade show, educational sessions, and networking opportunities for industry professionals. Formerly known as WINTERGREEN.
• GGIA Industry Awards Program Annual recognition program honoring individuals and businesses for leadership and contributions to Georgia's green industry across categories including Lifetime Achievement, Distinguished Professional, Communicator of the Year, Young Professional, Educator, Environmental Friend, and Green Industry Business of the Year.
• Legislative Representation and Advocacy Legislative relations and advocacy service focused on ensuring member positions are heard on state and federal issues impacting green industry businesses, including H-2A agricultural labor reform through the Ag Wage Reform Coalition and AmericanHort.
• GGIA Scholarship Program Educational scholarship program investing in students pursuing horticulture careers, including the Bill Inabinet Scholarship and Wilbur Mull Endowed Scholarship, cultivating next-generation industry professionals.

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UGA Center for Urban AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGIA partners with the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture to support certification programs that set members apart from competition. This partnership developed and continues to maintain the GGIA Junior Certified Plant Professional program and other certification initiatives.
• Georgia Agriculture EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGIA developed the Jr. Certified Plant Professional program in 1991 in partnership with Georgia Agriculture Education. The program is now officially recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as the End-of-Pathway Assessment for students completing the horticulture pathway.
• AmericanHortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGGIA works alongside AmericanHort, the national horticulture partner, through the Agriculture Workforce Coalition to advocate for agricultural labor reform legislation (Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026).
• Ag Wage Reform CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGGIA is engaged through the Ag Wage Reform Coalition, a national coalition representing specialty crop producers, farm employers, and agricultural organizations across multiple states advocating for H-2A agricultural guest worker program modernization.
• Ruppert LandscapeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured partner displayed on GGIA website homepage, representing one of the industry's leading landscape companies.
• McCorkle NurseriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured partner displayed on GGIA website homepage, representing a major Georgia wholesale nursery operation.
• Heart of Georgia NurseriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured partner displayed on GGIA website homepage, representing a regional Georgia nursery operation.
• UGA Cooperative ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic relationships from other agriculture interest groups mentioned as benefit of GGIA membership.
• Georgia's Technical CollegesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic relationships from other agriculture interest groups mentioned as benefit of GGIA membership.
• Neighboring Green Industry OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic relationships with neighboring state green industry organizations mentioned as benefit of GGIA membership.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AmericanHort: National trade association for the horticulture industry, including greenhouse, nursery, and landscape sectors. Direct comparable as a membership-based advocacy and education body serving the same employer base as GGIA, but at federal scale. GGIA partners with AmericanHort on labor reform and policy efforts.
• South Carolina Green Industry Association (SCGIA): South Carolina's statewide green industry association serving landscape, nursery, and turf professionals. Direct peer to GGIA by structure and target membership base, with comparable certification and advocacy programs in an adjacent Southeastern state.
• North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA): North Carolina's statewide association for the green industry, providing education, certification, advocacy, and networking for nursery growers and landscapers. Operates with a closely analogous member value proposition to GGIA, including a regional landscape show.
• Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA): Alabama's statewide trade association for nursery growers, landscapers, and allied green industry companies. Peer comparable to GGIA in scope, member segmentation, and event-based revenue model.
• Mississippi Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA): Mississippi's statewide trade association for the green industry. Comparable peer to GGIA with similar tiered membership, advocacy, and educational programming for nursery and landscape employers.
• Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association (KNLA): Kentucky's green industry trade association representing nursery, greenhouse, and landscape professionals. Mirrors GGIA's trade-show-and-certification-driven model in a similarly sized regional market.
• Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (VNLA): Virginia's statewide trade association for horticulture and landscape businesses, offering certification, networking events, and legislative representation. Closely analogous to GGIA in member segments served and program mix.
• Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA): Tennessee's statewide trade association for nursery, greenhouse, and landscape professionals. Mirrors GGIA's structure of tiered memberships, certification programs, regional trade show, and legislative advocacy for the green industry.
• Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA): Statewide Florida trade association representing nursery growers, landscapers, and allied green industry businesses. Closest geographic and structural peer to GGIA, with overlapping membership categories (growers, landscape contractors, retail garden centers) and an annual trade show comparable to Southeast Green.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): National trade association focused primarily on the landscape services segment of the green industry. Broader incumbent compared to GGIA, with overlapping landscape contractor membership and parallel certification/advocacy programs at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GaGreenIndustry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-green-industry-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/gagreenindustry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Georgia Green Industry Association