Hall receives Greenhouse Growers Medal of Excellence
Award in recognition of his many contributions to green industry
Charlie Hall, Ph.D., a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences in Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and holder of the Ellison Chair in International Floriculture, has received a Greenhouse Grower’s 2022 Medal of Excellence Award for Industry Achievement.
Hall’s expertise is in the production and marketing of green industry crops. His major areas of specialization include innovative management and marketing strategies, financial analysis and benchmarking, and the situation/outlook for nursery and greenhouse crops.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by this award in industry achievement,” Hall said. “You can’t be in my position without having good partners, including my students, the faculty of Texas A&M and industry partners like Greenhouse Grower.”
Green industry expertise, contributions
Hall is sought after for his insights into how factors such as labor, the supply chain and inflationary pressures affect the horticulture industry. He is also known as an expert on the economic, environmental and health benefits of plants.
His research has included studies on the economic contributions of the green industry to the U.S., developing an index of processes paid by growers in the green industry and an update of the literature supporting the well-being benefits of plants.
A focus of Hall’s green industry marketing philosophy is that growers must emphasize the benefits, not just the features, of plants, plant products and services. He emphasizes industry value chain dynamics that affect pricing and the variable costs from grower to grower, which could be influenced by the size of operation, managerial practices, market channels, labor, location, volume, product mix and other factors.
Hall has been an invited speaker at numerous regional, national and international meetings of various industry-related associations and organizations.
“Dr. Hall’s service to the greenhouse industry is unprecedented,” said Amit Dhingra, head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences. “The insights and expertise he has shared throughout his career have benefited many in the industry and have cemented his reputation as an expert in horticultural circles.”
Dhingra also noted Hall is known among the students and in the horticulture industry for the enthusiasm and passion he brings to his work.
Building a career, professional affiliations and recognition
An economist by training, Hall grew up in the industry on a nursery in western North Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape design, both from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate from Mississippi State University.
Hall’s academic career at Texas A&M began in 1988, where he spent 13 years on the faculty before joining the faculty at the University of Tennessee in 2002. In 2007, he returned to Texas A&M.
Hall currently serves as the chief economist for AmericanHort and is co-chair of the advisory council of Seed Your Future. He is a former president and past president of the board of directors for America in Bloom. He is an honorary lifetime member of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, TNLA, and has received TNLA’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Nursery Industry. He is also an honorary lifetime member of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.
Hall also has received Texas A&M University’s Association of Former Students’ Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching and the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Student Counseling and Relations.
