Our History Lamar and Nancy Esbenshade founded Esbenshade’s Greenhouses, Inc in 1960...
They established their business along Route 322 in Brickerville, Pa. Lamar and Nancy’s passion for flowers and business insight were passed on to their children and today the company is owned and operated by four of their sons: Fred, Roger, Scott and Terry. When gardeners think of Esbenshade’s they think of quality plants and products. Lamar established this tradition from the beginning and the current owners work hard to continue to meet the highest standards. “Quality plant material sells itself. These plants set us apart from the mass marketers. You do not cut corners when you grow quality plants,” says Roger, who oversees the growing process at the 16-acre wholesale facility in Lititz. Esbenshade’s Greenhouses, Inc. has grown to be the 88th largest wholesale growing operation in the nation. Taking care of such a large facility is the primary responsibility of Scott and his crew of dedicated workers. Scott relishes the day-to-day challenge of finding and implementing solutions to problems as they arise. He is responsible for overseeing the shipping and equipment purchase/maintenance departments as well as serving as the Systems Manager, which includes being responsible for heating, soil mixing systems, the automated transplanter, buildings and systems fabrication. “Seeing the positive affect my parents have had on others by living their lives with integrity, diligence, generosity, purpose, and a genuine care and respect for others regardless of who they are, has challenged me to live my life by the same principles,” Scott says of Lamar and Nancy. In 1994, the Esbenshade’s purchased a second greenhouse located in Mohnton, Pa. This greenhouse was previously owned and operated as “Goods Greenhouse.” Terry managed this retail store for the first seven years. In 2001 Terry became the Retail General Manager for both the Lititz and Mohnton stores. He has initiated changes at both stores that will help the company continue to meet customer wants and needs in an increasingly competitive retail climate. “I have goals to see our retail locations expand to new areas and to be the best in customer service and product selection,” says Terry. March 2004 saw Esbenshade’s added a third retail store in central Berks County. Formerly operated as Skyline Gardens, Esbenshade’s Garden Center in Fleetwood now offers all the rewards and benefits of the Esbenshade experience to a whole new market of customers. This location features a strikingly beautiful store on a four-acre site. This full-service garden center is easily accessible to shoppers in the Reading and Allentown areas as it is located just off of route 222 in Maiden Creek Township at 721 Park Road, Fleetwood. Fred, like many people who work in the green industry, enjoys the variety of work and the changing seasons. “I love seeing the change from spring to fall to Christmas, or, stated another way, from bedding plants to fall mums to Poinsettias.” Fred works in the office and helps with crop planning, sales and information systems. He is responsible for taking care of computers and software, entering information in the computer for crops, printing that information out for production and seeing that the planted quantities get entered back into the computer so that they can be sold. Fred remarked that his parents’ “dedication, hard work, generosity and love for people” is an example that he tries to apply to his own work. Here at Esbenshade’s Garden Centers we pride ourselves in bringing our customers the finest in plants, gardening products and services. We grow our own plants with great care, so you know you're getting the best quality and selection at the best price. Our friendly staff of professional associates are here to help you find success in your gardening endeavors. At Esbenshade’s we delight in representing the joy of gardening, America’s number one hobby.
