Key takeaways
- Tom Van Wingerden highlights diversification as a core risk-management strategy in greenhouse operations
- Van Wingerden Greenhouses reduced dependency on single buyers after losing a major wholesale account
- Fundraisers and garden centers provide stability and direct customer engagement
- Proprietary software enabled the scaling of fundraising programs without added operational burden
- Consumer data is increasingly shaping production and product mix decisions
Tom Van Wingerden on growing up inside a greenhouse business
For Tom Van Wingerden, the greenhouse industry is not a career path discovered later in life, but an environment he grew up in. Van Wingerden Greenhouses, based in Washington State, was founded by his father in the late 1970s and expanded steadily over the decades.
“We grew up right next to the greenhouse,” said Tom Van Wingerden, Sales Director at Van Wingerden Greenhouses in a recent conversation on Greenhouse Success Stories. “We could wander in and out as we pleased… and it was a great way to raise a family.”
Today, the business operates approximately 15 acres of indoor growing space and remains family-run, with several siblings actively involved in day-to-day operations.
Tom Van Wingerden on entering the business and early lessons
Van Wingerden formally joined the company after completing a degree in business management. Before transitioning fully into greenhouse operations, he managed a field-grown blueberry farm owned by the family.
“It was a good step into the business world for me,” he said, describing the experience as a practical introduction to operational responsibility.
While the blueberry venture was ultimately sold, the experience reinforced the importance of focus. Managing parallel agricultural businesses diluted attention and stretched resources, leading to a decision to concentrate fully on greenhouse production.
Diversification as a response to market risk
One of the most challenging moments for Van Wingerden Greenhouses occurred when a major big-box retailer consolidated plant sourcing with a single grower. The decision abruptly removed a significant portion of the company’s wholesale revenue.
“They essentially just emptied our greenhouse for the next spring,” Van Wingerden recalled, noting that the customer represented the majority of the wholesale division at the time.
Faced with fixed infrastructure and labor costs, the company chose to continue producing while actively seeking new customers. Recovery took several years and reshaped its commercial strategy.
Since then, Van Wingerden Greenhouses has prioritized customer diversification, supplying grocery chains such as Safeway, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and independent retailers. “Fewer products, more customers,” Van Wingerden explained, describing a deliberate move away from buyer concentration.
Stability through young plants and garden centers
In addition to wholesale production, the company operates a young plants division in partnership with Ball Seed, serving the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. Van Wingerden described this segment as the foundation of the business due to its predictability and strong inventory control.
The company has also expanded its garden center operations, valuing direct engagement with end consumers. “We love the interaction with customers and having more control over where our plants are going,” he said.
Scaling fundraisers through software innovation
Fundraisers have long been part of the company’s model, supplying plants such as hanging baskets to schools and community organizations. However, scaling the program proved difficult due to organizational complexity.
“Teaching organizers how to run their fundraiser and making sure they’re organized is half the effort,” Van Wingerden said.
To address this, the company developed proprietary software to centralize ordering, payments, and tracking. “Just one person can manage the entire thing,” he noted, explaining how automation replaced manual coordination.
Participation has grown from roughly 20 organizations to more than 200 within two years.
From internal solution to external platform
What began as an internal tool is now being positioned as a broader platform for other greenhouse operators. Van Wingerden described plans to onboard additional growers and create a centralized network connecting fundraisers with nearby suppliers.
“We want to become a network for the fundraisers to find opportunities,” he said, outlining a model that benefits growers, organizers, and donors alike.
The system also improves cash flow by collecting payments before production and simplifying payouts to participating organizations.
Using consumer data to guide production decisions
Van Wingerden Greenhouses is also involved in branded retail and e-commerce initiatives that integrate plant care applications. These tools allow consumers to track watering, fertilization, and placement while providing growers with insights into consumer behavior.
“I’m learning what people are putting on the app and what they have in their houses,” Van Wingerden said. “That’s what I should be growing.”
This feedback loop is increasingly informing production planning and product mix decisions.
Lessons from the pandemic and long-term growth
During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company faced uncertainty around demand. Production decisions were made without clarity on market conditions.
“We had everything ready to go… do we just stop planting?” Van Wingerden recalled. The company chose to continue full production, a decision that proved beneficial as consumer demand increased.
While volumes have since normalized, the period reinforced the importance of execution during uncertainty.
Tom Van Wingerden on people, plants, and pride
Asked about his proudest moment, Van Wingerden pointed to rebuilding a damaged customer relationship over several years rather than a production milestone.
“That day when we walked out of their office with that booking… that was a good feeling,” he said, recalling a moment shared with his father.
Reflecting on advice for new entrants, Van Wingerden was direct. “It has to start with a love for plants,” he said. “Plants and people—you need to love them both to be in this industry.”
