US (NC): Metrolina thrives with 162 acres of heated greenhouses
In fact, if you’ve ever planted a garden, chances are you purchased a product from Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville.
Metrolina Greenhouses is a family-owned wholesale plant and services company started in 1972 by the late Tom Van Wingerden and his wife, Vickie. As the story goes, the Van Wingerdens moved to the U.S. from Holland in 1972 with $5,000, the clothes on their backs and a dream of opening a greenhouse.
Today, Metrolina Greenhouses has 162 acres of heated greenhouses and more than 600 employees. The business serves 1,400 big-box retailers and home improvement companies, and clocks in with $185 million in annual sales.
A penchant for innovation is the bedrock of Metrolina Greenhouses’ success.
“He was never scared of failure,” says Art Van Wingerden, Tom’s son and the company’s co-CEO since 2006. “He was willing to try anything to make the company better, and if an idea didn’t work, he would move on to the next idea and learn from his ‘failures’ to make the next success even better.”
Read the full story at North Carolina Field and Family
