Big Grower July 2019 - 6

COVER STORY
NOT JUST
PLANTS
of the product mix, we take it out of the garden, "
says Christa.
" The idea is to bring people here, educate our
staff, educate the customers, and convince them to
buy our plants, " she adds.
NURTURING THE LANDSCAPE MARKET
Christa took some time away from the family
business following graduation and worked in
landscape design, which ultimately gave her
an advantage once she returned to Midwest
Groundcovers.
From the company's beginning, the landscape
market was a large focus for Midwest Groundcovers.
And that relationship has really become a partnership
with their customers.
" Christa has been particularly good in developing
the contact with the landscape architects, which
is what she is herself, " Peter says. " So that's
certainly been helpful for the business. Christa
speaks their language. "
This depth of knowledge and real experience
with plants is ultimately what keeps their
customers coming back.
" When they install a landscape, especially if it's
a commercial landscape, the landscape contractor
must guarantee the plants will live a year after
they are installed. That's part of why they value if
we say we've grown it in our garden and it lived
over the winter. Then they know they can buy it
from us and succeed. "
Another perk that the landscape customers take
advantage of is Midwest Groundcovers' shipping
capabilities. " I think our customers really rely on
us. They know that we are reliable and that we
have a system, " says Christa. " We solve the problem
of getting the product there and working with them
in managing their orders. "
Midwest Groundcovers delivers to customers
throughout Chicagoland, and goes as far as
Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri,
Nebraska and Ohio.
" We have specialized trucks, specialized cages
and specialized equipment so we can get the plants
unloaded quickly, " she explains.
And in most cases, she says their turnaround on
orders is within 48 hours.
RAISING CONSUMER AWARENESS
While the landscape segment makes up a
majority of Midwest Groundcovers' customer
base, they also serve independent garden centers,
the restoration market and conservation projects
as well. Reaching the consumer helps all their
customers succeed, so branding has become a huge
initiative for the company.
Christa observed a change in the market as
consumers began gravitating toward native plants.
" In the 90s, things started to transition into native
plants and we started hearing about invasive
species, " says Christa. " We began switching to
native pants and expanding that line. "
This later led to the company's acquisition of
The Natural Garden, also located in St. Charles.
" We took The Natural Garden and turned it into
a brand, " says Christa. " That's useful to our
In 1981, Peter saw an opportunity growing
out from his nursery through a product he
created himself: potting soil. Peter created
sister company, Midwest Trading, to offer
customers the non-plant items they produced.
" Midwest Trading makes potting soil
for ourselves, for nurseries and other
greenhouses, " Peter explains. " We also make
compost and mulches for landscaping, and
even Quonset poly greenhouse structures. "
Midwest Trading is headquartered in Virgil,
Illinois, which is where the potting soil
facility is located. A bark processing facility
is located in Ottawa, Illinois, where raw bark
is processed and incorporated into mixes or
used directly as mulch.
To learn more about Midwest Trading, go to
www.midwesttrading.com.
ADVANCING
ALTE RN A TIV ES
Automated ventilation is only a touch away!
www.advancingalternatives.com - Innovate / Grow / Advance - sales@advancingalternatives.com
6 JULY 2019 * BIGGROWER.COM

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Big Grower July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Grower July 2019