Texas Retailer Creates a Formula for Success

Devoting time, effort and generosity to the water garden industry, Rolf Nelson earns Water Garden News’ 2011 Retailer of the Year award.

By Ramona Marek

Start with a love of plants and the outdoors. Add equal parts of vision, inspiration and perspiration. Mix in enthusiasm, generosity and modesty. Implement a well-developed business plan and the result is the highly successful family business, Nelson’s Water Gardens & Nursery in Katy, Texas.

Rolf and Anita Nelson co-own Nelson's Water Gardens & Nursery in Katy, Texas.

The storefront features a water garden and fountains.

In 1996, the vision of a family-owned and -operated water garden business took shape and opened its doors to the public in April 1997. Nelson said the interior sales-floor space is small at 35 feet by 40 feet but the main selling takes place in the nursery yard, which sits on about .75 acres of display space. The business employs 17 full-time and eight part-time employees all of whom receive extensive orientation and training and many who are cross-trained to work in different departments.

Predominantly retail, Nelson’s sells aquatic plants, gifts, bullfrog tadpoles, goldfish and koi. They are known for their pottery selection bought by landscape professionals, interior designers and homeowners, he said. Services offered include new installations, limited maintenance on installs and educational seminars.

Nelson’s design team does new installs of disappearing fountain reservoirs and water gardens.

“We produce and distribute our own disappearing fountain,” he said. “We’re leaders in that.” The kit form is available to contractors and homeowners.

Nelson’s actively promotes the pond lifestyle in its community in several ways. They mail newsletters to their customer database highlighting upcoming events, new products and helpful seasonal hints for pond and garden care as well as constantly update their website and Facebook page with pictures of new pond construction and available promotions.

“Our Design Team keeps our store fresh and ahead of the curve by constantly changing and redesigning our sales yard with new ponds and displays,” Nelson said. “We want to keep our customers on their toes and excited about the possibilities of what a pond or fountain can bring to their yards.”

Hosting numerous events for customers, the public and contractors is a major part of Nelson’s promotion of the pond lifestyle. Heading into its third year is Men’s Night Out, which was followed by The Great Wife Escape. New in 2011, the Ladies’ Sip ‘n’ Shop included wine tasting, chocolates and shopping. Nelson said Anita came up with the last one explaining that she is the creative one coming up with event ideas.

“It received a nice response and people enjoyed themselves,” Nelson said about Ladies’ Sip ‘n’ Shop. “Now we need to build it up so people not only enjoy themselves but spend more money.”

Designed as a one-stop shopping experience, the garden center includes installations and maintenenace services, pottery, gifts and livestock.

In addition to creative events, Nelson’s provides an innovative and successful in-store point-of-purchase promotion called Bullfrog Bucks. In this reward program, customers earn points on purchases made through the year from January to October, and the points are redeemable in November and December. The company tracks the points with totals printed on receipts and mails reminder postcards each October. The points are good on in-stock hard goods as well as sale items to allow customers to buy a special item they have eyed all year or to stock up on pond supplies.

“Because the redemption window is small and the usage is broad our customers get excited,” Nelson said. “The easy usage and the year-long anticipation is what makes this promotion successful. User-friendly is key!”

The company stays competitive “by offering top-notch customer service, creative and innovative designs and ideas, and quality products at reasonable prices,” he said.

They are a one-stop shop for do-it-yourself customers, but last year they focused awareness to their Design Services to promot designing and installing ponds, streams, fountains and arbors. Providing a variety of projects at different price points, making water gardening accessible to everyone and keeping the customer as the primary focus solidifies the business’s competitive edge.

Offering vignettes throughout the property gives Nelson's customers inspiration for their homes.

The economy is the single factor that will have the greatest impact on Nelson’s success, and that of many small businesses, in the next few years, he said.

“We are preparing for this by being conscious of our spending, weighing costs and benefits, and knowing our business inside-out -- what works for us and what doesn’t,” Nelson said. “We try to stay innovative and creative in the services and products we offer our customers. We build customer rapport and have a lifetime of customers to show for it; our staff knows many customers by name. This personal service drives word-of-mouth, and that is priceless in this economy.

“We [also] have to stay very aware of new legislation and its impact, not only specifics geared toward aquatics and nursery stock, but also that which is detrimental to operating a small business," he said. "For example, if the 1099 reporting requirements that were specified in the healthcare package had not been repealed, it would have been a tremendous burden and expense for small businesses.”
 
The “aquatic and nursery stock” legislation Nelson referred to was House Bill 3391, also known as the Texas White List, and he was instrumental in its demise. According to Nelson, HB 3391 was a list of approved exotic aquatic plants for importation or possession in Texas without a permit that was compiled by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Possession of plants not on the White List would violate the statute and be punishable as a TPWD Class B Misdemeanor with fines and/or jail time set by Texas Law. This new legislation would have replaced the TPWD Black List of 19 prohibited exotic aquatic plants considered invasive.

As a founding member, president and board member of the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society and member of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, Nelson maintains close ties with the industry nationally and internationally. He recognized that the new legislation would cripple the industry.

“Nearly all economically valuable plants to the water gardening industry as well as the aquarium and the fledgling bio-fuels industry would be prohibited in Texas, unless they were reviewed and possibly placed on the White List.”

Nelson said he battles economic challenges with careful spending and knowing what does and does not work for them.

For this unparalleled effort and other contributions to the water garden industry, the IWGS inducted Nelson into the 2010 Hall of Fame.

As a member of the National Association of Pond Professionals, Nelson is presenting a seminar at the association’s Water Feature and Expo Feb. 26-28 at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The seminar will chronicle his experience and teach others how to advocate against similar legislation should it arise in their states.

Additionally, Nelson is the TNLA regional retail director for 2012.

Nelson’s list of contributions would be incomplete without mentioning Nymphaea ‘Lindsey Woods,’ a waterlily propagated and named by co-owner Mike Swize and introduced in 2000. It was named for a young family friend of Nelson and Swize who died at age 14 from cancer. Nelson came up with a charity program to donate sales of the ‘Lindsey Woods’ to the Texas Children’s Hospital for cancer research. At the end of 2011, raised funds totaled more than $90,000.

“We love what we do, and we want our customers to be excited as well,” Nelson said. “We want to make water gardening as easy and enjoyable as possible for everyone.”

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Texas Retailer Creates a Formula for Success

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