Greenhouse Grower to Grower Podcast: Why Metrolina Greenhouses and South Central Growers Are Coming Together

By Brian D. Sparks|December 19, 2025

Greenhouse Grower has entered the world of podcasts with the launch of our “Greenhouse Grower to Grower” series. In the podcast, which will be delivered every other week, we talk to growers from across the controlled-environment industry about market trends, innovation, their biggest challenges and opportunities, and more.

This week Metrolina Greenhouses and South Central Growers announced a strategic merger. The two companies have a long history of collaboration and shared values and business philosophies, and together, they will form a growth-focused organization designed to respond to evolving customer expectations and increasing industry complexity. While the news was breaking, we caught up with Abe VanWingerden, CEO of Metrolina Greenhouses, and Alex Van Der Hengst, CEO of South Central Growers, to learn more about why the two companies are coming together, the key attributes each company brings, and how they will be able to integrate all current employees into the new operation.

You can listen to the episode here, or you can find it wherever you listen to podcasts. We hope you enjoy it!

If you’d like to be a guest on a future episode, or you have someone on your growing team who would be an interesting guest, email me at [email protected].