About First Stage Greenhouse...

A few thoughts from Robin, Sr.

First Stage Greenhouse was established in 1989 we began with one greenhouse appox. 2000 sq ft . By 1999 we had grown to appx 32.000 sq. ft. under cover, and our most recent addition (built in the fall of 2008) has increased our size to 54.000 sq. ft. under cover. We also have 3 acres of outdoor fall garden mum production area producing appox. 30.000 mums, winter pansys ornamental cabbage & kale and various other fall plant products.

In the world of retailing they say location is everything. But sometimes THEY are wrong. We are located in a remote rural area of Northern Indiana, yet we draw customers from as far away as Chicago, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and South Bend. Our number 1thing is quality, which is why we pull people from those distances. We guarantee you will be pleased when you visit us. Whether you're looking for bedding plants, potted annuals, vegetable plants, perennials, or the most gorgeous hanging baskets you’ve ever laid your eyes on-- we've got it ! We stay up to date with the latest plant varieties to add new things every season. Our connection with the plant kingdom has been passed on from generations past.

My grandfather, Vance Waldrop, while living in the deep south, farmed lima beans and grew cotton for a portion of his life, before transplanting himself to Northern Indiana to acquire a produce/plant market. I can still remember as a young boy seeing many workers hand picking those butter beans, which my grandfather would then deliver to the fresh produce market to sell. In those days fresh vegetables were a staple.

My father, John Waldrop, a.k.a Honest John also played a part on our path of becoming greenhouse growers. Though not a grower himself he ran a successful produce /plant market for 25 yrs of his life in the small, yet famous rural town known as Toto in Northern Indiana until his death in 1997. And he sure did do a great job of offering folks many great plants and produce varieties, but most of all it was the way he treated his customers that I (robin sr) remember most. This is where I gained my business sense; he taught us much and my wife Mae and I will be forever grateful that we can pass on his love and care for business to our customers.

As for the saying, "Behind every good man is a goodwoman," I cant help but think of my mother, Jean Waldrop keeping the steady flow of happy customers moving through the checkout line. And I'm sure there are still some folks out there that can remember my Grandma Azeline Waldrop (which customers referred to simply as 'Granny') helping them select their plant purchases.

As for the future our son, Robin jr. is tagging along behind us and is a vital part of our day-to-day business.

We have seen many changes in the greenhouse business world over the years we've been in it, the most profound being the ever-increasing cost of production: trying to manage costs and stay competitive (to say the least) has been challenging at times.

We start planning the following year's production immediately after the spring season has ended. Much thought goes into a greenhouse crop cycle. For instance, varieties to grow. how much of each item to grow, colors to grow, and the list goes on and on.

We encourage our customers to give us feedback on how were doing. Let us know what you like or for that matter, what you don’t like or what you might like to see us offer in future years. We start and grow approx. 95% of what we offer so it's not hard to add some new items for the following year that you might be looking for. The 5% we don’t grow consists of fruit trees, tropical plants, shrubs, and ornamental trees. But we can assure you we get them from suppliers who feel the same way about a quality product as we do.

We have been asked what does the name First Stage mean? We came up with that because we start with seeds or cuttings and grow them until you purchase them and take them home, at which point we feel our mission has been acclomplished and the second stage of their life has begun!

Another frequently asked question is, "Why can't we go in all of your greenhouses to shop?" Many reasons ! Mechanical benching and various equipment that our customers and/or children could get injured on. But the number one reason is the strict sanitary growing environment we maintain. Most people would be amazed if they knew how many risks can be carried around on themselves from the outdoors or other facilities, via hands, shoes, or clothing. Things such as insects, virus, and disease, We believe plants are pretty much like people: they like to remain as clean and healthy as possible. We monitor our crops on a regular basis so if a problem does arise we can address it quickly as effectively. This is why we keep our production areas on limited access to employees or sales reps only. We have approx. 10.000 sq. ft. of retail shopping area where you will find pretty much everything we offer.

In this 23 year span husband and wife team Robin Sr. and Mae Waldrop have built many long lasting relationships with their retail customer base and consider many of them just like family. Some of those early customers still return each Spring to purchase many of their home and garden beutification products.

One thing that has never changed since day one is the quality of our plant products! We have been blessed with the ability to grow some of the cleanest, healthiest, colorful and vibrant plants and flowers your hard earned money can buy. It's not uncommon to hear our customers say that they have had the best luck with the products they have purchased from us versus getting them elsewhere. Our response to that is "Of course," thanking them for the comment, and all the while remembering to stay grateful and humble that we have been given the talent of nurturing and growing God's gifts of veggies for our bellies and flowers for our souls!