SEGUINWORKS Garden Center MARKETPLACE FEASIBILITY STUDY

SEPTEMBER 2004

Prepared By: David Pistrui, Ph.D. John K. Thompson

Helping People With Disabilities Engage the World

Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 - SeguinWorks 1.2 - SeguinWorks Garden Center Development Effort Overview 1.3 - Garden Center MFS Objectives and Focus 1.4 - Business Ventures Overview 1.5 - Business Venture Overview Summary 2.0 - GARDEN CENTER 2.1 - National Consumer Characteristics and Buying Habits 2.2 - National Retail Sales through Major Channels 2.3 - Container Gardening A Rapidly Growing Segment 2.4 - Bulbs over a Billion Dollars per year A Surging Segment 2.5 - Local Market Economics 2.6 - Local Market Dynamics 2.7 SRDS Data Overview 2.8 - Chicagoland Market (Cook, DuPage & Will Counties) 2.9 - SeguinWorks GC Dynamics 2.10 - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Assessment of SeguinWorks Auto Marketplace 2.11 - Current Market Size 2.12 Garden Center Target Market 2.13 - Consumer Attitudes and Price Points 2.14 - Market Profitability & Growth Analysis 3.0 SUMMARY 4.0 CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS Appendix A Target Market Data: (SRDS, 2003): GC Consumers 21 21 26 28 34 35 37 3 4 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 9 10 12 13 15 17 18 19 20

- Pistrui, Thompson September 2004

List of Tables & Figures Table 1 - Business Venture Overview Table 2 - Household Purchasing by Retail Channel: 1996-2001 Table 3 - Total US Container Gardening Spending by Household Table 4 - Consumer Segments Involved in Container Gardening Table 5 - Household Purchasing of Flower Bulbs: 1996-2001 7 10 11 11 13

Table 6 - Household Purchasing of Flower Bulbs: 1996-2001 - Bulb Type 13 Figure 1 - Visual Depiction of Addressable Market Opportunities Figure 2 Potential Community Partners Table 7 - GC Related Lifestyle Segments in Chicagoland Table 8 Garden Center SWOT Analysis Table 9 2000 Population of Cicero, Berwyn, Oak Park, Forest Park and North Riverside Table 10 - All Counties Total GC buyers by Lifestyle Segments (HH) Table 11 All Counties Aggregate Population and Households Table 12 - Cook County GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) Table 13 - DuPage County GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) Table 14 - Will County GC Buyers by Lifestyle Segment (HH) Table 15 Do-it-Yourself Indoor & Outdoor Lawn and Garden Market & Growth Analysis Table 16 - Do-it-Yourself Indoor & Outdoor Lawn and Garden Local Market Growth Analysis Table 17 GC Sales and market Share Estimates Table 18 Target Scenarios for Growth & Profitability Table 19 - GC Job Creation and Employment Opportunities* 30 31 33 33 29 22 23 23 24 25 26 15 16 18 21

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Seguin Services Inc. created SeguinWorks as a small, entrepreneurial business venture. SeguinWorks is comprised of a unique group of 3 businesses the Auto Marketplace (AM), Lawn Care & Snow Removal, and Garden Center (GC). This document, the GC Market Feasibility Study (MFS), follows and extends the work previously completed regarding the AM. In March 2004, the AM MFS was completed and in July 2004 the AM Strategic Marketing Plan (SMP) was finished. Preliminary work clearly shows that the GC and the AM are solidly positioned to address SeguinWorks 3 primary objectives: 1) create jobs for Seguin clients, 2) operate on at least a breakeven basis with the goal of earning a profit, and 3) undertake and successfully complete a focused Community Economic Development (CED) Project(s). Seguin began to experiment with a horticultural based program in 2001. After nearly a year, Seguin started a regularly scheduled horticultural based program in conjunction with The Horticulture Connection (THC). THC is a group of professionals in the field of horticulture therapy dedicated to improving the quality of life for disabled individuals through therapeutic interventions. THC provided educational, recreational and therapeutic experiences in which all participants are actively involved in healthful, rehabilitative, collaborative and often nurturing pursuits. The resulting positive experience for Seguins clients and potential opportunity to establish a significant and beneficial GC operation are two of the motivating factors for the executive team at Seguin and SeguinWorks to commission and complete the GC MFS. The intention of the GC MFS is to provide a clear understanding of the market potential for the CG and to delineate where in the local market ecosystem the GC can best serve the community and provide a nurturing and positive environment for Seguin clients.

This report is copyrighted property of John K. Thompson and Dr. David Pistrui. This report is one deliverable in a series of strategic documents and studies completed for Seguin Works. Any unauthorized use, photocopying, or electronic distribution will be viewed as an infringement of the authors rights and copyright. Similar studies and research work are available from MSci, Inc. Please contact MSci at info@mktng-sciences.com for more details. 2004, 2005 MSci, Inc.