Possum Run Greenhouses Taken Over By New Owners

Justin and Lynn Marotta have placed Possum Run Greenhouse and Gifts into the hands of new owners. John and Caroline Bletner, a newly married couple, took over the Bellville, Ohio, property October 2, according to an October 24 article in the Mansfield News Journal.

The Marotta family has run Possum Run Greenhouse and Gifts for 41 years. When the Marottas announced in April the greenhouse operation was for sale, they said they were looking for an energetic couple to take the business to the next level, which is what they found in the Bletners, the article reports.

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The Bletners have hinted they’ll be “opening to a larger market” and that the retail side will “look different.” They’ll hold a grand re-opening the week of April 22, 2016.

Staff are staying on board and the Bletners are maintaining many of the suppliers. The 200-plus varieties of fuchsias Justin brought to the greenhouse will remain, some in stock and others by custom order. The Marottas became nationally recognized leaders in the floriculture industry for their fuchsia collection.

While they said they have zero experience in the greenhouse business, John Bletner has a degree in natural resources and has owned a nearby sawmill company for 21 years. Caroline Bletner is a biology major with a green thumb. Meanwhile, Lynn Marotta said she is retiring and Justin Marotta will stay on as a consultant to help the couple get started.

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“For us to be able to move on to the next stage in our life after growing this baby for 41 years, it is very comforting for us to know that it’s in good hands,” Lynn said in the article.

Read more about the Bletners and what they have in store for Possum Run Greenhouse and Gifts in the Mansfield News Journal.

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