Henry Mast Greenhouses Nominated As 2014 Finalist For Operation of The Year
June 10, 2014 
Co-owners of Henry Mast Greenhouses, Masterpiece Flower Company and Peak Transportation Solutions, (left to right): Todd Potter, Shawn Koepnick, Ron Mercer, Leroy De Vries, Paul Bouma, Tim Stiles and Chris Mast
Since its start in 1971, Henry Mast Greenhouses, located in Byron Center, Mich., has operated through most of its history as an independent grower and distributor. Today, it is one of two production arms for Masterpiece Flower Company, which is the sales, distribution and merchandising company that provides plants for Meijer and the Home Depot. The other production arm is Whitewater Greenhouse in Whitewater, Wis.
Masterpiece Flower Company is served by its co-owned trucking company, Peak Transportation Solutions. The entire operation covers more than 30 acres of covered greenhouses and 10 acres of outdoor growing area. Henry Mast Greenhouses specializes in continuous production of orchids, potted floral crops and a full line of garden center annuals offered spring through fall.
Recycling is taken seriously at Masterpiece/Henry Mast, and over the past five years, it has worked closely with East Jordan Plastics (EJP) to recycle 350,000 pounds of plastic per year. Pots and trays are returned from the stores the company services and reprocessed by EJP back into horticultural containers.
The staff at Henry Mast Greenhouses and Masterpiece Flower Company works closely with their customers to mutually develop programs to expand sales. The merchandising staff maintains good relationships with store management and keeps the sales operation informed about store conditions and what is selling.
“Our customers have taught us a lot, and we appreciate the confidence they have placed in us,” says co-owner Tim Stiles. “For many years we defined ourselves as growers who specialized in only a few crops. We have learned that sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone and take on additional risk and responsibility to encourage company growth.”
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