Profile: Hoen's Greenhouse and Garden Center
As nature must adapt to the ever-changing world, Hoen's Greenhouse and Garden Center has made many adjustments in the last 60 years to evolve with the greenhouse industry.
In the early 1940s, Bill and Leo Hoen began growing wheat, soybeans, corn, and other vegetables on 100 acres of land they acquired in the Airport Highway area. In the 1950s, they began growing more tomatoes and selling to Heinz Tomato Factory for ketchup. In the 60s, Bill and Leo added a greenhouse to increase the variety of their produce. They began selling their produce to the public with a small, roadside stall. In the 70s, they added fruit orchards to their business. This included the very popular pick-your-own strawberry fields. Soon, their produce operation grew so large that Bill and Leo decided to split the business into two parts: Bill would head the produce market and Leo took the greenhouses. Leo and his son, Bob, a current co-owner, expanded the greenhouse into a retail business.
Now, Bob, his wife Theresa, and four of their children, manage the business. They also have five other full time employees and twenty seasonal helpers. "I think most people don't realize how much work has to go into a greenhouse", says Theresa, "A lot of people think that you just plant the seed and sell the plant. But it really is so much more than that". Theresa says this affects many of the customer's perceptions of the value of the product because they do not recognize all of the input costs.
The Hoens offer a variety of services to their clients, including the "Garden Gallery by Design" where customers can bring in their own containers and the Hoens will design a plant arrangement that suits the season and the customer's personality. In the winter, the Hoens make custom fresh pine wreaths that incorporate the client's favorite colors and holiday items. The Hoens also offer on-site landscaping consultation. "The goal", says Theresa, "is to educate [the customer] about what they are planting and how to maintain it in the future. That's something that big-box stores don't care about". The Hoens also open their strawberry, tomato, and pumpkin fields to the public for touring and picking.
Recently, they installed a "Kid's Corner", hoping to instill in children the passion for gardening that Bob and Theresa share. Soon, they hope to add a garden art store, which will feature a local artist's work that incorporates garden materials. They also plan on remodeling the physical structure of their greenhouse to make it more modern.
Theresa says that a lot of growers resist changing with the increased use of technology. She says, "without it, you cannot appeal to today's customer". This is made evident by their extensive website, www.hoensgreenhouse.com, which includes the Hoen's family history, their products, services, pictures, events, and even coupons.
Theresa is an ambassador for Maumee Valley Growers and also serves on the advisory board. She says it has been great to be a part of the organization because you get to know others in the same business. She says "with the group, you don't feel like a fish out in the sea by yourself". MVG members have already benefited by getting lower group natural gas prices, and she looks forward to future group endeavors.
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