The Top 50 Nurseries

For the second year, the Nursery Management staff asked readers to participate in our search for the top 50 growers. The list, which was compiled in the fall of 2015, is based on growers’ estimated 2014 revenues. We list only those growers who participate and share their information with us. Nurseries who declined to provide their estimated revenues were not included on the list. We choose not to guestimate companies’ revenues. We appreciate those who participated the last two years, and we encourage our readership to take part in this project next year.

Growers who also have retail or landscape divisions were asked to estimate revenues of only their wholesale growing division. No retail sales or landscape service revenues were included in this list.

This year’s list includes an interesting cross-section of the industry, including old and young companies. The three oldest companies are Hinsdale Nurseries (1850), Evergreen Nursery (1864) and Carlton Plants (1890). It’s thrilling to hear about 19th-century nurseries still thriving more than 100 years later.

We encourage growers who appear on the list to make good use of their participation by touting their achievement in marketing campaigns and sales presentations. Nursery Management also will assist in this process by crafting press releases and providing supportive material. Contact Kelli Rodda at krodda@gie.net for more details.

We profiled four growers from this year’s list. Learn how these growers have navigated the market as the industry begins to put the challenges of the past recession behind them.

Click here to see the Top 50 List.