Eileen M. MacTigue
Case Study Analysis
April 22, 2013

Written in 2012 by Brenda Ellington Booth and Karen L Cates from Northwestern University, Growing Managers: Moving From Team Member to Team Leader, describes a fictional scenario about a company called ColorTech Greenhouses Inc. The case describes the company, originally located in Phoenix, as a high-tech color supplier that quickly became the largest and most global grower in the western hemisphere. The status of the declining sales from the Phoenix division, which once bragged of their highest production levels, was examined through the eyes of Melissa Richardson, a recently hired sales manager for ColorTech’s corporate headquarters. This paper is based on the information provided in the case and is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the reasons for the difficulties currently confronting ColorTech. The second section details some of Richardson’s strengths as a manager. And the third offers suggestions, paired with Richardson’s energy, that would allow ColorTech to address the difficulties it is facing as it successfully changes.
Background on ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc. Along with the rest of the color industry, ColorTech was facing increased price competition as well as a steady declination in sales. At this time, the market was experiencing a very low demand for the flower industry. ColorTech particularly was constantly receiving pricey customized orders, and being insisted upon for demands for lower prices.

The Key Issues ColorTech sales are Falling. In an attempt to grow revenue, ColorTech was expanding rapidly through the use of vertical integration and diversification. They operated largely in southern North America, with a few greenhouses in the northeast and Mexico for the seasonal flowers those regions offered. ColorTech had plans to expand into Ecuador to enter the