Top 100 Growers - The List - Greenhouse Grower

2009 Rank	2008 Rank	Operation	State	Square Footage	Crop Breakdown
1	1	Color Spot Nurseries	CA	13,650,000	56% ornamental bedding plants, 14% shrubs and ornamentals, 13% plugs and propagation, 12% container perennials, 5% flowering potted plants
2	2	Kurt Weiss Greenhouses	NY	12,146,020	40% ornamental bedding plants, 33% flowering potted plants, 10% woody ornamentals, 10% container perennials, 3% potted foliage, 3% plugs and propagation, 1% herbs
3	4	Costa Farms, LLC	FL	6,861,322 (9%)	50% potted foliage, 35% ornamental bedding plants, 15% plugs and propagation
4	5	Paul Ecke Ranch	CA	5,509,891 (76%)	43% flowering potted plants, 30% ornamental bedding plants, 27% plugs and propagation
5	7	Rocket Farms	CA	5,500,000	65% flowering potted plants, 20% herbs, 5% fresh cut flowers, 5% potted foliage, 5% vegetables
6	6	Metrolina Greenhouses	NC	5,400,000	60% ornamental bedding plants, 15% container perennials, 15% plugs and propagation, 10% flowering potted plants
7	25t	Color Star Growers	CO	5,000,000	70% ornamental bedding plants, 25% flowering potted plants, 5% container perennials
8	8	Hines Horticulture	CA	4,834,000	50% woody ornamentals, 25% container perennials, 25% ornamental bedding plants
9	10	Altman Plants	CA	4,590,675	50% ornamental bedding plants, 27% container perennials, 20% potted foliage, 3% plugs and propagation
10	12	The Sun Valley Group	CA	4,100,000*	100% fresh cut flowers*
11	13	Bell Nursery	MD	4,081,800	75% ornamental bedding plants, 10% container perennials, 5% flowering potted plants, 5% herbs, 5% vegetables
12	3	Aris (formerly Yoder Brothers)	OH	3,984,869 (50%)	50% flowering potted plants, 25% container perennials, 15% tropicals, 8% herbs, 2% fresh cut flowers
13	14	Delray Plants Inc.	FL	3,868,116	100% potted foliage
14t	17t	Green Circle Growers	OH	3,500,000*	45% plugs and propagation, 35% ornamental bedding plants, 12% flowering potted plants, 8% potted foliage
14t	17t	Milgro Nursery Inc.	CA	3,500,000	90% flowering potted plants, 10% plugs and propagation
16	19	Matsui Nursery, Inc.	CA	3,328,000	100% flowering potted plants
17t	16	Kerry's Bromeliads	FL	3,100,000	90% flowering potted plants, 10% plugs and propagation
17t	15	Nurserymen's Exchange	CA	3,100,000	90% flowering potted plants, 10% container perennials
19	20	Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas	OR	2,850,000	55% flowering potted plants, 45% woody ornamentals and shrubs
20	23	Mid-American Growers	IL	2,831,400	60% ornamental bedding plants, 35% flowering potted plants, 5% potted foliage
21	21	Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses	FL	2,800,000	100% potted foliage
22t	22	Bay City Flowers	CA	2,500,000*	80% flowering potted plants*, 20% ornamental bedding plants
22t	24	Dallas Johnson Greenhouses	IA	2,500,000 (11%)	75% ornamental bedding plants, 20% container perennials, 5% flowering potted plants
24	25t	Tagawa Greenhouses	CO	2,200,000	45% plugs and propagation, 35% ornamental bedding plants, 15% nursery crops, 4% flowering potted plants, 1% container perennials
25	27	Floral Plant Growers LLC	WI	2,103,105	71% ornamental bedding plants, 15% plugs and propagation, 7% flowering potted plants, 4% container perennials, 2% vegetables
2009 Rank	2008 Rank	Operation	State	Square Footage	Crop Breakdown
26	9	Speedling Inc.	FL	2,100,000 (34%)	60% plugs and propagation, 20% flowering potted plants, 20% vegetables
27	11	GroLink Plant Co.	CA	1,971,200 (56%)	90% cuttings, 10% plugs and propagation
28	28	DeLeon's Bromeliads	FL	1,941,739 (11%)	100% bromeliads and orchids
29	32	B&H Flowers, Inc.	CA	1,868,000	100% fresh cut flowers
30t	30t	Barcelo Enterprises	CA	1,800,000	40% woody ornamentals, 30% plugs and propagation, 20% flowering potted plants, 10% container perennials
30t	34	Colorama Wholesale Nursery	CA	1,800,000	40% woody ornamentals, 30% plugs and propagation, 20% flowering potted plants, 10% container perennials
30t	30t	Smith Gardens	WA	1,800,000	60% flowering potted plants, 15% trees, 10% ornamental bedding plants, 5% container perennials, 5% herbs, 5% plugs and propagation
33	29	Wenke Greenhouses	MI	871,200	55% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 20% plugs and propagation, 4% vegetables, 1% herbs
34	33	Ocean Breeze International	CA	1,614,000	100% fresh cut flowers
35	39	Northwest Horticulture	WA	1,611,720	50% container perennials, 50% plugs and propagation
36	49	Westland Floral Co.	CA	1,555,000	90% fresh cut flowers, 10% flowering potted plants
37	37	Post Gardens Inc.	MI	1,527,000	65% ornamental bedding plants, 21% flowering potted plants, 10% potted foliage, 4% plugs and propagation
38	38	Clearwater Nursery	CA	1,525,000	95% flowering potted plants, 3% container perennials, 2% plugs and propagation
39	40	Kawahara Nurseries	CA	1,515,800	50% ornamental bedding plants, 30% container perennials, 20% flowering potted plants
40	50	Polk Nursery Company Inc.	FL	1,500,600	50% flowering potted plants, 35% potted foliage, 10% trees, 3% woody ornamentals, 2% vegetables
41t	41t	El Modeno Gardens Inc.	CA	1,500,000	50% container perennials, 30% woody ornamentals & shrubs, 10% ornamental bedding plants, 10% flowewring potted plants
41t	41t	N.G. Heimos Greenhouses	FL	1,500,000	50% ornamental bedding plants, 20% plugs and propagation, 15% flowering potted plants, 15% container perennials
41t	62	Plant Marketing LLC	WI	1,500,000	61% potted foliage, 39% ornamental bedding plants>
41t	35	Van Wingerden International Inc.	NC	1,500,000	75% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 5% potted foliage
45t	45t	Elzinga & Hoeksema Greenhouses	MI	1,400,000	65% ornamental bedding plants, 20% organic herbs and veggies, 10% flowering potted plants, 5% plugs and propagation
44t	45t	Gallup & Stribling Orchids Inc.	CA	1,400,000	50% flowering potted plants, 50% fresh cut flowers
45t	45t	Panzer Nursery	OR	1,400,000	100% flowering potted plants
48	54	Bergen's Greenhouses, Inc.	MN	1,357,200	60% ornamental bedding plants, 19% container perennials, 10% flowering potted plants, 10% plugs and propagation
49	51	Young's Plant Farm, Inc.	AL	1,350,360	60% ornamental bedding plants, 30% flowering potted plants, 10% plugs and propagation
50	52	Burgett Geothermal Greenhouses	NM	1,325,680	100% fresh cut flowers
2009 Rank	2008 Rank	Operation	State	Square Footage	Crop Breakdown
51	53	Aldershot of New Mexico Inc.	NM	1,317,000	85% flowering potted plants, 5% potted foliage, 5% ornamental bedding plants, 5% container perennials
52	78	Dan Schantz Farm	PA	1,315,992	51% flowering potted plants, 47% ornamental bedding plants, 1% vegetables, 0.05% plugs and propagation, 0.05% herbs
53t	n/a	Four Star Greenhouses	MI	1,306,800	60% plugs and propagation, 40% ornamental bedding plants
53t	55	Johannes Flowers Inc.	CA	1,306,800	100% fresh cut flowers
55	43	Dan & Jerry's Greenhouse	MN	1,300,000	85% ornamental bedding plants, 10% nursery crop, 5% flowering potted plants
56	56	Rockwell Farms Inc.	NC	1,275,000	75% ornamental bedding plants, 15% flowering potted plants, 5% plugs and propagation, 5% herbs
57	57	Battlefield Farms	VA	1,273,380	85% flowering potted plants, 10% container perennials, 5% potted foliage
58	58	Valley Flowers	CA	1,240,000	100% fresh cut flowers
59	61	Garden State Growers	NJ	1,200,000	50% flowering potted plants, 50% container perennials
60	59	Green Valley Growers	TX	1,180,000	20% ornamental bedding plants, 20% plugs and propagation, 15% container perennials, 15% woody ornamentals, 15% other, 10% flowering potted plants, 5% potted foliage
61	60	Pacifica Flowers	CA	1,176,120 (44.4%)	100% fresh cut flowers
62t	83t	Dramm & Echter Inc.	CA	1,100,000 (18%)	100% fresh cut flowers
62t	36	Timberline Nursery Inc.	TX	1,100,000	85% ornamental bedding plants, 15% flowering potted plants
64	66	Sawyer Nursery	MI	1,059,076	80% container perennials, 20% plugs and propagation
65	63	Henry Mast Greenhouses/Masterpiece Flower Co LLC	MI	1,050,000	66% ornamental bedding plants, 25% flowering potted plants, 8% plugs and propagation, 1% container perennials
66	72	Hiebert Greenhouse of South Dakota	SD	1,047,644	55% ornamental bedding plants, 15% flowering potted plants, 15% container perennials, 7% vegetables, 3% herbs, 2% potted foliage, 2% woody ornamentals, 1% plugs and propagation
67	64	Alex R. Masson	KS	1,045,440	85% flowering potted plants, 15% potted foliage
68	65	Heartland Growers	IN	1,043,360	65% ornamental bedding plants, 25% flowering potted plants, 5% potted foliage, 5% plugs and propagation
69	67	Young's Nursery & Greenhouses	TN	1,009,000	55% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 18% plugs and propagation, 5% potted foliage, 2% container perennials
70t	68t	Kitayama Brothers	CA	1,000,000*	100% fresh cut flowers*
70t	68t	Sunshine Floral Inc.	CA	1,000,000	100% fresh cut flowers
70t	68t	Welby Gardens Co. Inc.	CO	1,000,000	69% ornamental bedding plants, 16% container perennials, 10% plugs and propagation, 2% vegetables, 2% flowering potted plants, 1% herbs
73	68t	Kent's Bromeliads Nursery Inc.	CA	975,000	100% flowering potted plants
74	73	Maria Gardens Greenhouses Inc.	OH	914,700	55% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 20% potted foliage, 5% container perennials
75	80t	Dewar Nurseries	FL	914,000	57% flowering potted plants, 39% woody ornamentals, 2% container perennials, 1% potted foliage, 1% vegetables
2009 Rank	2008 Rank	Operation	State	Square Footage	Crop Breakdown
76	74	Harts Nursery	OR	900,000	78% ornamental bedding plants, 20% container perennials, 2% herbs
77	75	Petitti Garden Center (Casa Verde)	OH	895,000	55% ornamental bedding plants, 35% container perennials, 8% vegetables, 2% herbs
78	77	Richardson Bros. Inc.	IL	892,980*	53% ornamental bedding plants, 30% flowering potted plants, 15% plugs and propagation, 2% potted foliage
79	79	Van de Wetering Greenhouses Inc.	NY	880,000	70% plugs and propagation, 20% flowering potted plants, 10% ornamental bedding plants
80t	n/a	Bailey Nurseries	MN	871,200	92% woody ornamentals, 6% ornamental bedding plants, 2% plugs and propagation
80t	80t	O.F. Nelson & Sons Nursery Inc.	FL	871,200	100% flowering potted plants
82	85	White's Nursery & Greenhouses Inc.	VA	860,000	72% flowering potted plants, 25% ornametnal bedding plants, 2% herbs, 1% vegetables
83t	82	Armstrong Growers	CA	851,000	45% ornamental bedding plants, 36% flowering potted plants, 6% container perennials, 5% other, 4% woody ornamentals, 2% herbs, 2% vegetables
83t	89	Twixwood Nursery LLC	MI	851,000	50% container perennials, 40% plugs and propagation, 5% other, 3% woody ornamentals, 2% herbs
85	86	Kube-Pak	NJ	850,040	49% ornamental bedding plants, 32% plugs and propagation material, 10% flowering potted plants, 5% container perennials, 2% vegetables, 1% potted foliage, 1% herbs
87	83t	Blue Ridge Growers	VA	850,000	63% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 15% plugs and propagation, 2% herbs and perennials
87	92	Bob's Market & Greenhouses Inc.	WV	833,443	50% plugs and propagation, 33% ornamental bedding plants, 17% flowering potted plants
88	90	Grower Direct Farms	CT	790,000	70% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 5% container perennials, 5% plugs and propagation
89	88	Cuthbert Greenhouse	OH	782,000	60% ornamental bedding plants, 20% flowering potted plants, 10% potted foliage, 10% plugs and propagation
90	100	Lucas Greenhouses	NJ	770,000	52% flowering potted plants, 40% plugs and propagation, 8% ornamental bedding plants
91	91	California Pajarosa	CA	765,576	100% fresh cut flowers
92	93	Olive Hill Greenhouses, Inc.	CA	760,000	55% flowering potted plants, 45% potted foliage
93	n/a	Stacy's Greenhouses, Inc.	SC	756,960	85% plugs and propagation, 8% container perennials, 7% ornamental bedding plants
94	94	Silver Terrace Nursery	CA	750,000*	100% fresh cut flowers*
95	95	Myriad Flowers International	CA	740,520	100% fresh cut flowers
96	98	Nash Greenhouses	MI	720,000	50% ornamental bedding plants, 40% flowering potted plants, 5% plugs and propagation material, 2% potted foliage, 2% vegetables, 1% herbs
97	96	Riverview Flower Farm	FL	718,740	50% container perennials, 50% ornamental bedding plants
98	45t	Farmers' West Flowers & Bouquets, Inc.	CA	712,000	97% fresh cut flowers, 2% plugs and propagation, 1% flowering potted plants
99t	87	Esbenshades Greenhouses	PA	700,000	54% ornamental bedding plants, 30% flowering potted, 8% plugs and propagation, 8% container perennials
99t	n/a	Knox Nursery	FL	700,000	70% plugs and propagation, 25% ornamental bedding plants, 5% flowering potted plants
t = Tie * = Estimate

Comments (8)

Allwin (Wed Aug 15 05:36:41 2012)

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(Thu Dec 22 05:03:53 2011)

Hello Sir or Madam, i am studying Horticulture in the third Semster in Osnabrueck, Germany. I am seraching for an interhsip place in the USA during the from July until Septembre. Do horticulture companies offer something like this? I am spezialised in beeding plants. Thanks for contacting me. Simon

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:52 2011)

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:49 2011)

seeking contract growers for pitcher plants. pleasae contact me at 602-418-5913, ftgardens@cox.net

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:48 2011)

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:47 2011)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the top 100 list strictly based on the square footage of their operation? In that sense it isn't really a "top grower" list at all. It's a list of who has spent the most money on greenhouse facilities. The problem with being a contract grower is that the end customer has NO loyalty at all. If that customer decides because of any little thing, even a personality conflict, some of these businesses that are tied to them, with upwards of 85-90% of their sales, are in a world of hurt. When all your other customers have been pushed aside, how to you get your plants to market? Is this what happened to the couple of growers that fell out of the list because they went out of business? Tough to rely so heavily on Depot or Wally world when they can drop you on a whim.

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:46 2011)

I am amazed every time , I read an article about a present or past Top 100 grower. I have toured two great New Jersey companies (Kube-Pak and Lucas Greenhouses) . Both Bill , George,their growers and employees deserve to be in Top 100. Congratulations to them and all of the Top 100. One way to get started in the greenhouse industry mentioned to me by cooperative extension agents is to become a contract grower. Proven business plans, ready made markets and outstanding grower schools for less experienced growers were several reasons listed. Here in the Mid- Atlantic region #11 Bell Nursery is a leader in this area. I always enjoy reading the articles about this company in your magazine and other trade publications. How does the future look for Bell Nursery in the garden spot in the Garden State (Cumberland County, South Jersey) look?

(Thu Dec 22 05:03:45 2011)

Monrovia ???

(Tue Sep 27 06:56:28 2011)

(Tue Sep 27 06:56:27 2011)

Top 100 Growers - The List

What are the largest greenhouse operations in the United States?