The coronavirus pandemic could not have come at a more inopportune time for local garden centers like Echter’s in Arvada. “Colorado has a short growing season so we do about 80% of our yearly sales in three months (April – June). We spend the entire rest of the year preparing for those three months,” explained Julie Echter, assistant store manager. For that reason, completely closing the 50-year-old business was nearly impossible for the Echter family. Shuttering during these key months would mean missing out on nearly the whole year’s revenue. Their only choice, like so many businesses, was to adapt — and fast.
Luckily for Echter’s and other garden centers like them, Colorado deemed them an essential business since they grow and sell food. Many in Arvada would likely agree with their importance — as the business has been supported by the community since 1959. Originally founded by Robert Echter as a wholesale carnation greenhouse, it now has a much wider range of goods and services and is even one of the largest retail plant nursery and garden centers in the state. But what hasn’t changed are the people behind it.
Both Julie and her brother Jeff Echter run their grandfather’s shop as an assistant and general manager, respectively. When the siblings realized how detrimental the coronavirus pandemic would be to their business their first thought was how to best support their staff, while also keeping them safe.
