R&D Nurseries ships high-end tropicals and rare plants to major U.S. retailers. However, environmental inconsistencies during long-haul transit often risked irreversible damage to delicate stock.
PERISHABLES Based in Umatilla, Florida, R&D Nurseries ships high-end tropicals and rare plants to major U.S. retailers. However, environmental inconsistencies during long-haul transit often risked irreversible damage to delicate stock. In 2024, to ensure quality and visibility, R&D adopted Tive Solo 5G trackers for every shipment. This real-time monitoring now allows them to protect products, reduce insurance claims, and strengthen customer trust by ensuring every load arrives in perfect condition. Since 2009, R&D Nurseries relied on carrier updates rather than tracking technology. While transit was generally smooth, issues arose at distribution centers (DCs), where plants were often left in dangerous temperatures on loading docks or in holding rooms. These environmental spikes caused plant stress and damage, leading to significant customer dissatisfaction. R&D now outfits every shipment with a Tive Solo 5G tracker, and sometimes uses three per load, depending on the number of stops or temperature zones inside the container. These trackers give Natalie Roe and her team real-time data on temperature, humidity, shock, and location. Depending on which plants are inside the container, R&D sets up specific alerts—and when thresholds are crossed, R&D is able to contact someone and get the situation fixed. “If I get a notification that a load is too cold in the DC, I screenshot the alert and immediately contact the customer,” said Roe. Since implementing Tive, R&D Nurseries has seen a measurable drop in damage claims—particularly with a large grocery chain that once stored plant products in unsuitable environments. “We had to fight for our reputation,” said Roe. “We used to put five devices on one truck—inside boxes, outside boxes, on the truck—just to gather data. Thanks to Tive, we could prove that the damage wasn’t because we were mishandling shipments." This improved level of visibility has raised customer confidence and reduced the level of potential friction in high-stakes retail relationships. It has also helped R&D forecast cash flow: real-time delivery confirmations enable the company to better plan accounts receivable and business operations, which has proven to be an added bonus. That kind of flexibility, paired with the ease of use and reliability, has made Tive an indispensable tool for the R&D team. Would they recommend Tive to others in the industry? “In the beginning, we had a lot of claims saying the product had gotten too hot, or from DCs where it got too cold. Once we started using Tive, we were able to pinpoint the source of those issues and prevent them from happening again.” “We’ve been able to prevent product damage multiple times this way.” “We call Tive our mobile insurance policy. It protects our product, our customers, and our peace of mind.” “We give Tive a ten, and recommend them with no hesitation. If you're proud of your product and want it to arrive the way you expect, you need to protect it. Tive helps us do that.” NATALIE ROE Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at R&D Nurseries tive.com/customer-stories Peace of mind at every mile. Products used : Tive Solo 5G, Essential Platform Tier R&D NURSERIES