How 4 greenhouse businesses are moving forward

Behind the scenes at Cuthbert Greenhouse

Founded in 1951 by Robert Cuthbert, third-generation family-owned Cuthbert Greenhouse is located in Groveport, Ohio. What began as a starter plant supplier has now become a 26-acre operation run by his grandsons David, Brett and Greg.

With 12 acres under cover and 14 acres outdoors, Cuthbert grows a diverse selection of crops that includes mums, annuals and poinsettias, among others. Their customer base is as diverse as their offerings and includes produce stores in the Columbus area, Kroger, Costco, florists and landscapers. David said maintaining such a diverse customer base is important, as they don’t want any single customer to make up more than 35% of their business.

Cuthbert still uses many of the original structures from the 1950s. While leading one of the two tour groups through the operation, David remarked how he works in the same buildings today as he did when he was a teenager. Of course, there’s always a need for upkeep, and David said the team is planning to replace a couple of old houses. David pointed out one of those houses on the tour, which had collapsed in February after a lot of rain turned into ice and became too heavy for the house.

Though many of the buildings remain the same, David explained that Cuthbert recently made a big change when, after trialing it for a year, they decided to incorporate HydraFiber into their mixes. Most of their mixes consist of about 30% HydraFiber, though they often vary the composition based on what they’re growing.

Another upgrade they’re planning to make soon is in heating, with the goal of being more energy efficient. David said the operation currently uses several different heating systems, including steam heat, wood, a boiler and gas. Since heating is one of their biggest expenses, it’s crucial to become more efficient and save where they can. — Chris Markham

Learning the family secrets at Foertmeyer & Sons

Head grower Matt Foertmeyer makes up the “Sons” part of Foertmeyer & Sons, a Delaware, Ohio, greenhouse which was founded in 1988 by his father Mark. Today, the two are planning an expansion near their current facility and still plan to remain a 100% fundraiser grower despite adding more space. They also have a greenhouse near Toledo where they grow poinsettias. Strong sales, Matt said, fueled expansion plans.

When it comes to protection from pests, Foertmeyer and Sons also employs a beneficial mite called sachets, which mainly deal with thrips. Applying the sachets during the larvae state is crucial, as Matt believes that one of the biggest biocontrol mistakes growers can make is not starting early enough. Like with human health, the best cure for plant ailments is often prevention. At Foertmeyer & Sons, they start their prevention as soon as possible on day one of propagation. This strategy has worked well for them, as Matt shared that when the operation switched to using biocontrol about six years ago, one of their biggest problems was thrips damaging their plants. But now, thrips are barely a problem. For Matt, sachets are an ideal method because they’re less labor than other biocontrol methods, which is a win in his book.

Labor was a running theme on this year’s greenhouse production tour. With the current labor shortage, operations everywhere are searching for workers wherever they can. The federal H-2A program is growing in popularity among growers, including Foertmeyer & Sons, with Matt saying that they currently have five H-2A employees at the Delaware facility.

The last note Matt touched on during the tour was watering. “I think we water too much as an industry,” he said. He also explained that they use sensors to track watering so there’s never any mistakes about what needs to be watered and what doesn’t.

At Foertmeyer, they try to keep their plants as dry as possible. This goal is helped by the use of flood tables. Matt said they also want to expand to start using flood floors, as well. — Chris Markham. Associate Editor Chris Manning contributed to this story.

Thorsen’s next steps

Thorsen’s Greenhouse, located in Delaware, Ohio, was one of the four stops on the Cultivate’22 greenhouse production tour. It was specifically an inside look at the company’s new greenhouses — located just a short drive from their original facility.

Currently, that facility is still under construction. Delays in the supply chain have kept construction from being completed. Additionally, some of the equipment planned for the new facility needed to be used at their original location to fill short term production needs.

Still, the company is growing at that facility. They will grow 28,000 mms at their new facility alone this year. And once the greenhouse is built how they want it with the right machinery, the right people, the right plan — they’re going to do more.

For more on Thorsen’s Greenhouse, their tropicals-focused business and e-commerce success, check out the August 2022 issue of Greenhouse Management. — Chris Manning

Solid structures at Green Circle Growers

In 2021, Ohio-based Green Circle Growers embarked on aggressive expansion plans, which they say they tend to do every 12-18 months.

Emphasizing the importance of the company’s partnerships, CJ van Wingerden said that Green Circle Growers worked with longtime partner Prins USA to build the greenhouses included in the new expansion. Prins constructed Venlo-style greenhouses, which will feature diffused glass and shade curtains. As van Wingerden explained, the goal is “to make sure we have the best environment we can for our plants, so Prins has been a great partner.”

Green Circle Growers turned to another longtime partner, PL Light Systems, for the lighting of the new greenhouses. Being located under the dark skies of northern Ohio, it is especially important for Green Circle Growers to have a partner they can trust to provide them with quality lighting technology.

The grower relies heavily on its technology. Their facility in Oberlin looks as much like an Amazon warehouse as it does a greenhouse. Director of growing Marcel Boonekamp said that all the technology they use helps them achieve high levels of consistency in their production. When it comes to their orchids, for example, their advanced technology helps them ensure that each one of their orchids is the same quality, same height and faces the same way. Their goal is that, when a customer is looking at Green Circle Growers-grown orchids, the only difference between the plants is the color. — Chris Markham

Editor’s note: This final section was adapted from the article "A bigger & bigger circle" from the December 2021 issue of Greenhouse Management.