In Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley, where agriculture is a way of life and innovation is taking root, one entrepreneur is transforming how the nursery industry thinks about growth – both literally and economically.

Josh LaPoint, founder of Standard Nursery LLC, is hard at work on streamlining the connection between nursery distributors and growers through smarter, more sustainable production planning.

His forward-thinking approach recently earned him a spot among the top ten winners at last February’s Launch Mid-Valley Startup Bootcamp Weekend. This highlights Josh’s potential to make a lasting impact on the industry, as well as on the local economy.

From Serendipity to Purpose

Josh’s journey into the nursery industry began unexpectedly in 2016. Driving past a wholesale production nursery, he noticed a sign seeking a sales representative. Despite lacking experience, he applied and was given an opportunity that would shape his future.

Over the next four years, Josh immersed himself in learning about plants, customer expectations, and logistics. He also spent those years building strong relationships across the US and Canada.

In the fall of 2020, Josh was recruited to help turn around the Oregon growing operations of a large nursery management company. This role presented challenges, particularly in production planning, where aligning supply with customer demand proved complex.

Recognizing an industry-wide issue where buyers often faced shortages and inefficiencies, Josh envisioned a solution that would benefit growers and distributors.

Cultivating Connections: Seeding Standard Nursery

In response to these challenges, Josh founded Standard Nursery LLC. His goal is to connect the needs of nursery distributors directly with the production capacity of growers.

The company specializes in production planning, utilizing grow agreements to integrate customer needs into growers’ production plans. This model ensures minimum specifications for every plant, set pricing, and designated shipping windows, effectively making growers an extension of their customers’ facilities.

Standard Nursery’s approach provides proactive control over supply chains. This reduces guesswork and fosters long-term collaborative relationships based on mutual benefit and profitability.

Additionally, the company offers traditional brokering services to meet urgent customer needs by sourcing products and delivering them nationwide.

Community Impact: Nurturing Growth Beyond Plants

Standard Nursery’s innovative model extends its impact beyond the confines of the nursery industry. It reaches into the broader community in several meaningful ways:

1. Economic stability. By creating more predictable and efficient supply chains, the company contributes to the financial resilience of local growers and distributors. This ensures that businesses can thrive without the constant worry of supply shortages or overproduction.
2. Environmental stewardship. Through meticulous production planning, Standard Nursery minimizes waste, promoting sustainable practices that benefit the environment and set a standard for others in the industry.
3. Educational outreach. Josh’s commitment to sharing his knowledge and experiences fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the community. This inspires others to innovate and adapt sustainable practices.

Recognition and Future Horizons

Josh’s dedication and innovative approach were recognized at the Launch Mid-Valley Startup Bootcamp Weekend in February 2025. Standard Nursery was named one of the top ten winners.

This win highlights the company’s potential to drive significant positive change within the industry and the community.

Looking ahead, Standard Nursery aims to expand its collaborative model. They will achieve this through forging new partnerships and exploring opportunities to further integrate sustainability into its operations.

By continuing to align the needs of distributors with the capabilities of growers, Standard Nursery envisions a future where the nursery industry operates with enhanced efficiency, profitability, and environmental responsibility. 

If you’re inspired by this story and you have a scalable business idea that can impact your community, Launch Mid-Valley offers resources and support that you can use to transform your idea into reality.

You can start by joining the upcoming virtual LaunchPad for Non-Techies on April 11-12. This bootcamp is designed to equip founders without a background in technology with the tools and knowledge they need to produce an app and navigate the startup world successfully.

Click here to register for this online bootcamp.

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