Grower to Grower Podcast: Eric Smith and Clayton Jones Discuss the Recent Acquisition of Smith Gardens

By Brian D. Sparks|March 15, 2026

Greenhouse Grower’s Grower to Grower podcast brings you real conversations with the voices driving the future of floriculture. In every episode, we connect with the growers, leaders and innovators who are shaping smarter operations, sustainable growth, and breakthrough strategies. From advanced technology and next-gen plants to business challenges and changing consumer patterns, we dig into what it really means to grow.

In late January of this year, our team at Greenhouse Grower broke the news that Smith Gardens, a Pacific Northwest-based fourth generation Top 100 growing operation, had been acquired by the Hoffmann Family of Companies, which just last year had also acquired N.G. Heimos Greenhouses in Illinois. The partnership expands Hoffmann’s rapidly growing agricultural assets into a new geographic region, and perhaps more importantly, it allows Smith Gardens to continue operating under its current leadership, while building for a strong future. I recently caught up with Eric Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Smith Gardens, and Clayton Jones, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Hoffmann Family of Companies, to learn more.

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].