Flowerwood Nursery thrives with hard work and dedication

"If you show up here and you can't find something that needs fixing, you're not looking hard enough," said owner Greg Smith at the time.

Those words are still passed down to employees today. Flowerwood Nursery, an industry leader and shrub grower for more than 70 years, makes daily improvements to serve its customers.

Greg Smith's grandfather, Harry Smith, founded Flowerwood Nursery in 1938. Harry Smith, a prominent attorney in Mobile, AL, representing railroad corporations, found peace and relaxation in gardening. The business grew from his backyard hobby — growing camellias.

When Greg Smith's father, Greg Smith Sr., returned from serving in World War II, he "rode the baby boom," according to Ollinger. The father saw the population boom in Southeast cities and grew his business along with the cities.

Today, Flowerwood Nursery has four locations in Alabama — Mobile, Loxley, Grand Bay, and Ranburne — and locations in Cairo, GA, and Bushnell, FL. With 2 million square feet of controlled-environment production, the plants reach home improvement stores and independent garden centers from Texas to the East Coast. Owner Greg Smith says the family business has continued to thrive because of its focus on the customers.

Customers Come First

About 15 years ago, Flowerwood changed its approach to shrub production. Smith says they started at the end of the process, asking themselves, "What needs to be on the table and when?" From there, the team works backwards. Flowerwood has dedicated table space for Southern Living and Encore Azaleas at home improvement stores across the Southeast. By determining what the end product is and when it needs to arrive, growers have been able to improve their production process to best serve the end consumers.

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Photo created by Drazen Zigic - www.freepik.com

Source: Greenhouse Grower