Carroll County Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft of about 150 Christmas trees from Smith Evergreen Nursery at 562 Morges Road in Rose Township. The Fraser fir trees, which were cut and wrapped, were reported stolen on the morning of Nov. 24. They were taken sometime after 4 p.m. Nov. 22, according to a report.
"It's heartbreaking," said Ian Smith, a family member who oversees the Christmas tree operation. "Obviously the money that we lose, that hurts, that stings up front. But we feel we're blessed and we can recover from that. It puts us in a tough spot because ... we're getting close to the end of our cutting season."
He said the business was able to supply customers with the number of trees they wanted by making substitutions.
"That's a testament to having a good customer base," Smith said. Going back into the fields to cut more trees would reduce next year's inventory. The trees that were stolen were 6 to 9 feet tall and had an average wholesale value of $65 each, and a retail value of $110 to $150, Smith said. The theft caused the business to be particularly short of trees that were 8 feet or 9 feet tall.
Read more at The Repository
