Metrolina Greenhouses scar its 50th year in business on Tuesday , April 26 . found in 1972 on one acre in Huntersville , North Carolina by Tom and Vickie VanWingerden , who fare to the U.S. from the Netherlands in 1971 with $ 5000 .
The operation spans more than 200 Accho of indoor greenhouse product and about 300 Acre of outdoor output , on a aggregate of 1,000 acres in Huntersville , North Carolina , and York , South Carolina Today , Metrolina Greenhouses is owned and led by Tom and Vickie ’s six children – conscientious objector - chief operating officer Abe and Art , atomic number 27 - COOs Michael and Thomas , and Board of Directors member Helen and Rose . Metrolina Greenhouses utilize 800 year - orotund , full - time team members with the addition of 400 seasonal workers during peak production . The high - tech , innovative alive goods products , and services caller grows and supplies 75 million garden plants annually through an omnichannel selling approach , selling plants at 1,400 retail outlets in 19 states across the Southeast and Mid - Atlantic region for Lowe ’s Home Improvement , The Home Depot , and Walmart .
In the retiring year , Metrolina Greenhouses began fulfilling online order for these retailers , shipping plants now to consumer ’ homes in 50 states . atomic number 27 - CEO Abe VanWingerden said his family and commercial enterprise squad are grateful to everyone who aid get Metrolina Greenhouses to where it is today , from the previous generation include Metrolina ’s founders and the extended VanWingerden family , to Metrolina Greenhouses ’ employee squad , retail married person and vendors . VanWingerden added the company glorify its history while looking at its fiftieth day of remembrance as a springboard for the future tense . “ What I be intimate is , at 50 years we still palpate like a young company , ” he say . “ I see how much more we can accomplish the next 10 years than even what we have done in the last 50 eld , because instauration and applied science earmark us to achieve our goal so much faster . ”
Although the weather condition caused a slower start to the springiness time of year in 2022 , the conditions are lining up for Metrolina ’s 50th twelvemonth to be another excellent , record - breaking year , set the tread for the future . “ All of our data point shows that consumer are still very into horticulture , ” Van Wingerden said .
“ In the last two cycles of inflation and economical slowdown , in 2008 and 2015 , the live goods space remained strong . multitude went out less , drove less and invest in fewer enceinte undertaking . horticulture is a high - time , downhearted - dollar investiture Falco subbuteo , so more hoi polloi got into it . Our consumer data point shows that they are drug-addicted and will continue to invest in plants and gardening . ” As gross sales volume go on to grow 3 % to 5 % annually for Metrolina ’s retail partners , the greenhouse surgical operation will grow along with it , said Metrolina Greenhouses co - CEO Art VanWingerden .
“ If Walmart , Lowe ’s and Home Depot grow sales 3 % to 5 % a year , we have to produce 3 % to 5 % more product , so really , we ask 12 more Acre of heated up greenhouses and 12 more acres of outdoor blank space every twelvemonth , ” he said . “ If you ’re static and you ’re not innovating and expanding , you may not keep up with requirement . ” Metrolina has systematically expanded at a rate of approximately 12 - 14 Accho per year , along with the growth of its retail pardner , Art VanWingerden said . “ Nobody would have ever stargaze Metrolina would be the size it is today , ” he said .
“ We ’re adding more acres per year than what Dad in the beginning thought we were going to be . He thought if we could get to 12 Accho , we ’d be typeset – we ’d never have to add on again . ” The bequest of the past 50 year is important , fit in to Art VanWingerden , but the main number one wood for the business today is sustainable , strategical growth . “ We need to be sure we ’re work up a successful business for the employees we have and the customer we ’re serving . ”
For more data : Metrolina Greenhouseswww.metrolinagreenhouses.com
