Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises

Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises (PGTE) is a social purpose enterprise that offers horticultural services to customers in Toronto. The enterprise provides indoor and outdoor care for plants and gardens, including the maintenance of streetscapes for Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). PGTE is owned and managed by the Ontario Council of Alternative Business (OCAB).

OCAB is an organization with a mandate to develop and support businesses operated by and for people who have had personal experience with the mental health system, referred to as “psychiatric consumer/survivors.” OCAB also operates two other social purpose enterprises; the Raging Spoon Café and Catering Company, and Out of This World Cafe and Espresso Bar. Parkdale Green Thumb Enterprises grew out of an in-depth community development process conducted with the members of Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre in 2000.

Initially a joint venture between PARC and OCAB, which hired only PARC members, Green Thumb become wholly operatedby OCAB in 2003. In recent years, Green Thumb has extended its outreach to hire outside of PARC’s membership

Who are Parkdale Green Thumb’s Employees?

PGTE employs people experiencing mental illness and addiction problems. Typically employees are marginalized, homeless or under housed. In 2008, PGTE employed 41 people on a part time basis, one full time lead hand and a full time business manager. On average, employees work between 12 to 24 hours per month during the spring, summer and fall months. While a few employees use PGTE as a stepping stone back into the mainstream workforce, the vast majority are not able to work full-time, due to personal or medical circumstances. PGTE enables them to work to augment their social assistance benefits.

Parkdale Green Thumb has been deliberate in attracting participants, building their confidence and their sense of ownership in the business. It has intentionally developed a workplace that encourages, supports and understands its employees, while also requiring professional standards of behaviour and high expectations of performance. This combination creates a flexible, accommodating environment that makes it possible for people who have been unsuccessful in the mainstream job market to start and maintain regular work. Actively avoiding traditional, classroom-based, skills development, PGTE instead promotes peer-based, hands-on learning to build basic economic literacy, and support employees to learn about employability and technical skills on the job. The business manager encourages a professional relationship with its staff and does not get involved with personal issues. When an employee faces a crisis that requires intervention, the manager refers employees to appropriate social services.

How does PGTE generate sales?

PGTE generates sales revenue through three main activities: streetscaping, indoor plant maintenance and residential lawn services. Sales from the business generated $73,350 in 2008, an increase of 25% from the previous year and their highest result ever. The enterprise’s Business Cost Recovery (ratio of sales to business costs not including social costs) rose to 100% in 2008!

Who are PGTE’s Customers?

In 2008, PGTE had contracts with the Centre for Addition and Mental Heath, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, the Direct Energy Centre, Field to Table (FoodShare), several Business Improvement Areas and other private and public sector clients. Business development has been a big challenge for PGTE. Although initially successful in obtaining streetscaping contracts with Business Improvement Associations and some residential landscaping work, PGTE tried for several years to find off-season work to keep employees hired year round. In 2006, the enterprise finally landed a year-round indoor maintenance contract with Direct Energy Centre (a convention centre), but then found itself facing increased competition in the BIA sector from large nurseries that have commercial watering trucks and the ability to supply and replace their own plants. Recently, PGTE has benefited from a move in the social sector to purchase more services from social enterprises. Toronto Community Housing Corporation and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, both of whom have extensive properties throughout the City, have hired PGTE for small contracts, with the potential for larger ones in the future.

Lessons learned Market Niche

PGTE has learned that it can’t compete on some large contracts-, so they are now concentrating on smaller groups and building relationships with organizations that have a similar mission to promote social inclusion and the employment of marginalized individuals.

Costing 

In the early days, PGTE found that it lost money on some BIA contracts because both labour and materials had been underpriced in the contract. A consultant provided by TEF worked with PGTE on refining their process for costing out labour and plants, and negotiating more lucrative contracts. Plant material, labour, transportation, and sundry costs are now routinely tracked for each contract so the enterprise can quickly and easily determine costs for new projects. They have also put in place systems for routine supervision of the exterior and interior plant maintenance services.

Financial constraints 

PGTE’s is a small business that employs over 40 of Toronto’s most marginalized people. In addition to generating sales revenue, the enterprise receives funding from TEF and in-kind contributions from OCAB and PARC (free rent & administration); however the loss of a significant government funder two years ago has taught PGTE to be lean and nimble.