Special Podcast: Proven Winners’ Leadership Discusses What the New Merger Means for Growers and Retailers
October 14, 2025 
Last week Proven Winners announced that its two growing businesses, Four Star Greenhouse and Pleasant View Gardens, would be combining to form one Proven Winners company. In this special episode of the Greenhouse Grower to Grower podcast, we caught up with Proven Winners CEO Mark Broxon, as well as Four Star Greenhouse owner Tom Smith and Pleasant View Gardens owner Henry Huntington, to learn more about how this arrangement came about, and what it means for each company involved, the grower and retail customers of Proven Winners, and the industry as a whole.
You can listen to the episode here, or you can find it wherever you listen to podcasts. We have also provided a transcript of the entire interview below.
Tom Smith, Mark Broxon, Henry Huntington
Brian Sparks: I want to start by learning more about how this announcement came about. When did the conversations start taking place?
Henry Huntington: We’ve always looked at our model and how we all came together 35 years ago or so. It was great back then, but we quickly realized that the more we could do things together, and the sooner we could come together as one company, the more it would be the best thing for us and for the entire industry.
Tom Smith: This is something that’s been a long time coming. It’s one of those situations where I think it’s going to be obvious for so many reasons why we came together. We were individual companies for quite a long time because we enjoyed our independence and had family-owned businesses. But at the same time, our family is still Proven Winners as a group — it’s a big family and we appreciate that. We knew that if we could all get in one direction, going the same way, it would be a much better situation than competing with each other.
Mark Broxon: When these two companies started, they were small businesses. But the businesses kept growing, and it was all growing around Proven Winners, to the point where it just made sense to bring them together.
Brian Sparks: Why was this the right time to make the announcement?
Tom Smith: I think we were finally all ready. When you make decisions like this, you want to figure out the best strategy for your customer base, for your employee base, and for your brand. Bringing them together is the best thing to be able to do — to take the brand to the next level, to protect our customers, to protect our employees, and have a great future in front of them. There were a lot of things to consider, and this was by far the best option, for sure. We’ve had a number of people say that — employees, customers, everybody.
Henry Huntington: Yeah, same for our side, Brian. Obviously, we were a little bit more of a comprehensive family business, but it was the same thing. We were working through a transition strategy as well. What’s the best way to do this? What’s best for the family? What’s best for Proven Winners? We always felt like what was best for the business and Proven Winners was going to be best for the family. So, as we talked and looked at what’s the best thing to really take this to the next level, this was the thing that made the most sense. It aligned with Tom and what his needs were. And again, what was best for Proven Winners — how do we take this from being a world-class brand to something even bigger?
Mark Broxon: If you started this today, you’d never start them as three separate companies. They just evolved that way. So, like Henry and Tom said, it just made sense to bring them together.
Tom Smith: When we started, we weren’t planning on building a brand. We were just planning on selling some liners to growers. Next thing you know, we put them under an umbrella name called Proven Winners — which has been fantastic. Then after time, we saw traction with consumers asking for Proven Winners, so we started marketing to them.
Our brand awareness has been climbing rapidly — higher than ever with all the consumer marketing we’re doing. But the actual product growth is slower, and the gap between brand awareness and product availability keeps getting bigger – it can be hard for consumers to find our products. We’ve got to satisfy these underserved markets, especially in the South and West. If we could get the same penetration as in the Midwest and Northeast, our sales would explode. But based on our previous agreements as separate companies, we could never service those markets. It was a nightmare — so this is a great opportunity.
Brian Sparks: What’s the plan to make that expansion happen?
Tom Smith: There are huge opportunities. We could license growers in certain regions, acquire greenhouses that may be going out of business, or build new structures in underserved markets. All three are options — we’ll see which makes the most sense.
Henry Huntington: Yeah, Brian, we’re really excited about the opportunities out there. The question is, where do we start first?
Mark Broxon: We can also be a lot easier to do business with. Before this announcement, we had three catalogs, three websites, three different ordering systems — even though the companies were aligned, they had to operate in silos. Now we can start doing things together as one business.
Brian Sparks: And I think it really proves how you’re looking to the future — having a plan for the next generation. One thing I wanted to ask about is the role that Staple Street Capital played in this process?
Tom Smith: They’re a great partner — the partner we’ve been looking for. They share our values and want to grow the business. They have the capital to help us expand and take us to the next level.
Henry Huntington: We were very careful about who we chose as a partner. There were a lot of interested parties, but we didn’t want the typical private equity firm that comes in and slashes and burns. We wanted someone who saw the value in the brand and the opportunity for growth. They bring resources and excitement, but they’re not coming in to take over. They’re saying, “We’ve got the resources to help you — but you have the vision.”
Brian Sparks: How will this announcement affect your customers, especially growers?
Tom Smith: It’s going to be great for them. There’ll be more consistency, best practices, and coordination between teams. We’ll have uniform tray sizes, product mixes, and streamlined shipping.
Henry Huntington: Ultimately, we’re building transparency. Customers will be buying from Proven Winners — not Four Star or Pleasant View. Both companies already provide the best liners in the industry, and together it’ll be even better. In the short term, nothing changes for the 2026 season — it’s too late in the cycle. Orders will still flow as usual this year, but integration teams are already working behind the scenes to merge processes for 2027 and beyond.
Tom Smith: Going forward, there will be one place to place Proven Winners orders. Our company names will likely evolve into Proven Winners East, Great Lakes, West, South — reflecting regional operations rather than separate companies.
Henry Huntington: And the customer probably won’t even notice where it’s coming from. They’ll just see Proven Winners.
Brian Sparks: How did you approach your teams about this?
Henry Huntington: We coordinated communications carefully across all our facilities. Of course, there was initial surprise, but once we explained the opportunities and the positive future, people got excited — asking “What’s my new role going to be?” instead of “Do I still have a job?”
Tom Smith: It actually went really well. Especially for upper management, who’ve had to deal with the challenges of three companies — their reaction was, “It’s about time!”
Mark Broxon: Exactly. And this isn’t a distressed sale. Staple Street saw growth potential. We’ve told our teams: we need you more than ever, because there are more opportunities than ever before.
Brian Sparks: How does this affect new variety development?
Mark Broxon: I don’t see major changes — just more opportunities. Our breeders already see Proven Winners as the top place to have their varieties. Now that we’re one entity, we’ll have even more ability to bring new varieties to market.
Tom Smith: For plant breeders, Proven Winners offers unmatched distribution — every box store, every independent garden center, every broker network. When they bring a plant to Proven Winners, it has longevity and reach that’s unmatched.
Brian Sparks: What has customer reaction been so far?
Tom Smith: It’s been overwhelmingly positive. Most of the feedback has been along the lines of, “What took so long?” We’ve made many calls, and they’ve all been positive so far.
Mark Broxon: As Tom said, the overall theme has been, what took you so long? We’ve heard that from a few people.
Brian Sparks: Last question — what are you most optimistic about for the future?
Tom Smith: Proven Winners has always led the way in promoting the industry. No one does marketing and social media like us. I’d love to see more companies promote gardening as much as we do. That benefits everyone.
Henry Huntington: For the consumer, it’ll be easier to find product and satisfy demand. For growers and retailers, it’ll be a cleaner, simpler way to do business — one consistent brand.
Mark Broxon: From an industry perspective, gardening hasn’t been growing much overall. We believe gardening is good for people — for their health and happiness. What we’re doing will make it easier for people to get outside, enjoy their gardens, and connect with nature.
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