Shannon Lenk

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

The world's oldest continuously operating nursery is located in Louisiana, Missouri, situated near the Mississippi River just across the Illinois border. Founded in 1816, Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.'s ongoing success is the sum total of 200 years of experience and extraordinary teamwork between corporate office personnel, field workers, greenhouse and warehouse employees and customer service representatives. Our groundbreaking horticultural discoveries (Red Delicious and Golden Delicious apples, among many others) and accumulated expertise have enriched the lives of millions by teaching people how to "grow your own." Stark Bro's has created or discovered more than 300 superior varieties or strains of fruit. Stark Bro's has three main business areas: • Consumer Division (e-Commerce website and mail-order catalog) • A local, independent Garden Center • Wholesale Division (for large-scale fruit growers, commercial real estate developers and landscape professionals) We grow and sell nearly 1,000 fruit trees, nut trees, landscape trees, berry plants and other garden plants on a total of about 675 acres. In addition to trees and plants, the website and current catalog offer well-made tools, supplies, specialty fertilizers, sprays, gifts and books. Along with five acres of greenhouse space, we maintain about 1 million cubic feet of climate-controlled warehouse area and 1.7 million cubic feet of cold storage. Stark Bro's ships out about 1 million trees per year to our customers. Our commitment to our heritage and traditions is only matched by our dedication to continuing on our 200-year path of innovation, industry leadership and providing the most satisfying customer experience possible.