big grower


In spite of the economic downturn, Wisconsin-based Plant Marketing continues to grow in more ways than one.


Tim Hodson


expect to see is 33 shiny new greenhouses in an area that looks like it should be nothing but cornfi elds. But that is exactly what you will see in the out-


A


skirts of Eau Claire, Wis. — nine acres of green- houses (a little more than a year old) where Plant Marketing is growing ornamental plants — and a lot of them. Larry Reit, Plant Marketing’s owner,


is a Wis-


consin native who got his start in business by oper- ating a fl ower shop and garden center with his par- ents after he got out of high school in 1970. In 1974, he struck out on his own and bought a


retail garden center in Eau Claire. He got involved in the wholesale side of the business in the early 1980s when his garden center “had a little extra product.” So Reit called the local K-Mart store and asked if they wanted to buy some plants whole- sale. The answer was “yes,” so then the K-Mart in the next town decided they wanted to start buying from him too and it took off from there.


Planting the Seed Larry Reit grew up in the growing business. His


father was a truck farmer who grew vegetables in Wisconsin and his mother loved gardening. “When I was nine years old, my mother had a 12x14-foot greenhouse where she grew tomato plants. That’s where it all started.”


Plant Marketing supplies plant material to home improvement centers, big box retailers and grocery store chains.


26 GPN 2010 Digital Resource & Buyers Guide www.gpnmag.com


s you drive through the rolling hills of west central Wis- consin, one of


the last sights you might


Growing On at Plant Marketing


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74