A team approach is the key to success

Added on 27 November 2023

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All photos courtesy of American Color Inc.

A philosophy that has led American Color to 25 years of success. The Van Wingerden name is synonymous with greenhouse growing, as Aart Van Wingerden is considered a pioneer in the agricultural medium, opening up his first commercial greenhouses in 1972 in North Carolina.

American Color Inc. is a big grower of annuals and perennials, even poinsettias, which is located in Virginia. — All photos courtesy of American Color Inc.

So, it’s no surprise that his grandson, Ed Van Hoven, founded his own greenhouse business in 1998. After all, he grew up around the industry, learning lessons from his grandfather and his father, Jerry Van Hoven, who also spent the majority of his life in the industry.

In fact, Van Hoven jokes that he probably took his first steps in a greenhouse because he was just always around them growing up, both at his grandfather’s operation and his father’s facility, who started his own venture in Virginia.

American Color, Inc., began in Orange, Virginia, with Van Hoven relying on a strong work ethic, his faith in God, and the unwavering support of his family — wife Gwen and children Brandon and Brooke.

“We started with an acre of greenhouse on the hayfield, and the idea at the time was to grow for independent garden centers,” Van Hoven said. “Today, it’s 35 acres.”

Both his kids are involved in the business today, carrying on the legacy, ensuring American Color will continue growing gorgeous flowers for generations to come.

EVOLVING THOUGH THE YEARS

While the early days saw Van Hoven handle most everything himself, today the company employs approximately 200 people, numbers that have stayed steady over the last decade.

American Color operates 35 acres of greenhouse and does around $45 million of business each year, delivering product to mass retailers from Florida to Maine.

American Colors Inc. is a big grower operation located in Virginia — American Color, located in Orange, Virginia, specializes in growing flowering annuals, perennials and holiday plants.

“Our target customers are wholesale clubs and groceries up and down the East Coast,” Van Hoven said. “We’ll also go over to Central Tennessee.”

During spring, American Color offers a wide selection of flowers from Angelonia to Zinnia. In the fall, some of the most colorful flowers are grown, including asters, garden mums and Montauk daisies. For winter, poinsettias are most popular.

Of course, there have been lots of changes in the industry throughout the years.

“Greenhouses are ever-evolving and the greenhouses of three years ago looks much different than what you see today,” Van Hoven said.

What American Color strives to do better than anyone else is meet customers’ demands, even if an unexpected big order comes in.