On 17 Aug 2010, at 23:16, James Waddick wrote: > Just read that Park Seed and Jackson & Perkins are up for > sale to the highest bidder. These used to be the 'Gold Standard' for > perennials, roses and more, but now have debts well above their face > value... > > Another sign of the economy. > > Support your local growers. I'd say it's another sign that the people who run large corporations simply don't know what they are doing. There have been endless reports of such and such well known specialty firm being bought by Giant Humongous Ltd. Pty and being promptly, and irretrievably, run into the ground. Another example from the nursery business: Dan Hinkley's Heronswood Nursery, bought by Burpees, who then proceeded to dumb down the offerings to accommodate buyers in the NE states who simply couldn't grow a lot of Heronswood offerings. Other, non-horticultural examples: 1. The Bon Marche, a PacNW department store, bought by Macy's. Macy's evidently does all their decision making in New York, so they no longer carry the everyday plaid flannel shirts commonly worn in the PacNW. And men's handkerchiefs are now a seasonal item sold only during the run up to Christmas. 2. Brier's ice cream, formerly the one ice cream widely available that is (was) made from real ingredients (notably sugar), bought by Nestle. The formulas were immediately reworked to use cheaper ingredients, notably the pervasive high fructose corn syrup, in (I suppose) the belief that no one would notice. I notice the price of Brier's hasn't gone down, but I don't buy their ice cream anymore. The list is endless. Corporations seem to take a one-size-fits-all approach, so any kind of business they get involved in that demands real attention to, and care for, their customers goes to the dogs overnight. Behind this I detect whiffs of the lie taught to MBA students, that any MBA can manage any business. Sayonara, Parks. Sayonara, Jackson & Perkins. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island http://maps.google.ca/maps/…