Plant Partners - Metrolina Greenhouses

What Plant Partners - Metrolina Greenhouses does

Metrolina Greenhouses is a family-owned wholesale producer of ornamental plants headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, with a second growing campus in York, South Carolina. Founded in 1972 by Dutch immigrants Tom and Vickie VanWingerden, the company operates the largest single-site heated greenhouse in the United States, with over 200 acres under glass pre-merger and 225+ acres following the January 1, 2026 merger with South Central Growers, producing 70-80 million plants annually across annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Core production technology centers on a proprietary water reclamation system with 350 million gallons of retention capacity, automatic flood-floor irrigation, a Vynke biomass boiler that covers 95% of main-campus heating, integrated pest management that has cut chemical use by 25%, and co-founder Tom VanWingerden's industry-defining Automatic Transplanter invention.

The company generates revenue primarily through B2B wholesale supply to three national big-box retailers (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart) and over 1,400 retail garden centers across 19 eastern states, with pricing conducted via quote-based B2B contracts. A rapidly growing omnichannel layer fulfills direct-to-consumer online orders through retail partner websites, shipping plants to homes in all 50 states, and a sister company, Plant Partners, provides in-store merchandising services to retailer customers. Capacity is supplemented by a network of 60 contract growers, R&D evaluates more than 15,000 plant varieties annually, and the operation holds MPS-ABC, CDP, SBTi, and FSI sustainability credentials alongside the 2022 AIPH International Grower of the Year award.

Following the South Central Growers merger, the combined entity is led by second-generation co-CEOs Abe and Art VanWingerden, co-COOs Michael and Thomas VanWingerden, and Board members Helen and Rose VanWingerden, with a recently expanded non-family executive bench (CFO, CIO, COO, CPO) signaling professionalization. The merger is framed as growth-driven, extending the combined company's footprint into Tennessee, raising annual capacity to 80 million plants, and adding Tennessee operations to the existing North Carolina and South Carolina campuses.

Name

Plant Partners - Metrolina Greenhouses

Legal name

Metrolina Greenhouses

Website

https://metrolinagreenhouses.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Metrolina Greenhouses is a family-owned wholesale producer of ornamental plants (annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees) supplying 1,400 retail garden centers across 19 states and three national big-box retailers (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart), with direct-to-consumer fulfillment to all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Ornamental Plant Production

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Plant & Nursery Stock Wholesalers (Grower-Wholesalers) (AFAGAHAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF), Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers) (AFAGAHAD), Gardening, Lawn & Outdoor Living Distribution (CRAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Wholesale ornamental plants
• Greenhouse plant production
• Annuals perennials shrubs trees
• Floriculture wholesale supply
• Plant nursery greenhouse operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Plant Sales to Retailers: Wholesale ornamental plant production and sales to major retail chains (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart) and 1,400+ retail garden centers across 19 states. Products include annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Online Orders: E-commerce fulfillment through retail partners' websites. Hand-selects plants from greenhouse to fulfill online orders shipped directly to consumers' homes throughout the U.S. Rapidly growing omnichannel initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Metrolina Greenhouses is a wholesale greenhouse producer of ornamental plants — annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees — selling primarily to 1,400 retail garden centers in 19 states and to three major big-box retailers (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart), with omnichannel fulfillment including direct-to-consumer online order shipping to all 50 states. The company also operates a research and development program that evaluates more than 15,000 plant varieties annually and a sister company, Plant Partners, which merchandises retail outlets to optimize sell-through.

Product overview

Metrolina Greenhouses operates as a single, unified wholesale ornamental plant production business with the Plant Partners sister company handling retail merchandising. The core offering consists of ornamental plants (annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees) produced across two locations in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company supplements its own 225+ acres of greenhouse production with a network of 60 contract growers. Products are distributed through two channels: wholesale to 1,400 retail garden centers in 19 states, and direct-to-consumer via online orders fulfilled through major retail partners (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart). Supporting services include research and development (evaluating 15,000+ plant varieties annually) and consumer insights through the Home Garden Panel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wholesale Ornamental Plants (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees) Core greenhouse-grown wholesale offering of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees sold in volume to retail garden centers (1,400+ across 19 states) and to national big-box retailers Lowe's, Home Depot, and Walmart. Produced across 200+ acres under glass in Huntersville, NC, ~200 acres in York, SC, and supplemented by a network of 60 contract growers, totaling 70–80 million plants annually.
• Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Online Order Fulfillment Hand-selection and direct shipping of greenhouse-grown plants to end consumers who order through the e-commerce sites of Metrolina's retail partners (Lowe's, Home Depot, Walmart). Ships to all 50 states and is described as a rapidly growing omnichannel initiative.
• Research and Development / Plant Variety Trials Long-running R&D and plant-trials program that evaluates over 15,000 plant varieties per year and develops growing protocols and best practices, supplying a continuous pipeline of new SKUs and production methods for the wholesale business.
• Contract Grower Production Network Sourcing and coordination of a 60-grower contract production network that supplements Metrolina's own greenhouse output, enabling fulfillment of peak-season demand from big-box retailers and 1,400 independent garden centers.
• Home Garden Panel Consumer Research Consumer-insights panel that studies home-gardener purchasing habits and plant preferences, feeding demand signals back into product development and assortment planning for the wholesale business.
• Plant Partners Retail Merchandising Retail merchandising service provided through the Plant Partners sister company to optimize sell-through of Metrolina-grown plants at retail garden centers and big-box garden departments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced chemical pesticide use by 25% through IPM implementation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Central GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic merger effective January 1, 2026, creating one of the largest wholesale ornamental plant producers in the United States. South Central Growers' ownership becomes shareholders in the surviving entity. Combined organization operates under the Metrolina Greenhouses brand with over 225 acres of greenhouse production, 840 full-time employees, and capacity to produce 80 million plants annually.
• Plant PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company dedicated to merchandising retail customers' outlets to optimize sales. Part of the Van Wingerden family-owned business ecosystem.
• 60 Contract GrowersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 60 contract growers that add to production capacity to fulfill customer demand beyond Metrolina's own growing operations.
• MPS (Milieu Programma Sierteelt)minorOthersInternationally focused independent third-party sustainability auditor providing benchmarks for quality and sustainability. Metrolina has earned B status in MPS-ABC certification program.
• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)minorOthersGlobal not-for-profit environmental organization. Metrolina reports environmental footprint to CDP for transparency, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)minorOthersPartnership between CDP, UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute and WWF. Metrolina has committed to science-based emissions reductions and net zero by 2050.
• Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI)minorOthersMarket-driven initiative based in Brussels, Belgium connecting the international floriculture sector. Members commit to developing best practices for sustainable floriculture.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kurt Weiss Greenhouses: Kurt Weiss Greenhouses is a large multi-site wholesale greenhouse operator producing annuals, perennials, poinsettias, and holiday plants primarily for the Northeast U.S. retail channel. Comparable in scale, channel mix (big-box + garden centers), and product breadth to Metrolina.
• Sunlet Nursery: Sunlet Nursery is a California wholesale nursery producing annuals, perennials, groundcover, and shrubs for the Western U.S. retail and landscape trade. Comparable wholesale grower model but serving the West Coast rather than Metrolina's East Coast footprint.
• Rocket Farms: Rocket Farms is a large California-based greenhouse grower specializing in orchids, indoor flowering plants, and succulents for grocery, big-box, and mass-market retailers. Comparable in being a large wholesale ornamental grower serving major national retailers, though more weighted to indoor flowering.
• Henry Mast Greenhouses: Henry Mast Greenhouses is a family-owned wholesale ornamental grower based in Michigan, supplying major retailers with annuals, perennials, and fall mums. Comparable mid-to-large scale grower serving big-box and independent garden centers with similar seasonal product mix.
• Green Circle Growers: Green Circle Growers is a large Ohio-based wholesale greenhouse producing annuals, perennials, orchids, and indoor plants for national retailers. Direct competitor in the Midwest/East wholesale ornamental segment with overlapping big-box customers.
• Costa Farms: Costa Farms is one of the largest U.S. wholesale growers of ornamental and indoor houseplants, supplying mass merchants and garden centers nationally. Direct competitor to Metrolina in big-box supply of annuals, perennials, and foliage at comparable scale.
• Battlefield Farms: Battlefield Farms is a Virginia-based wholesale greenhouse growing annuals, perennials, herbs, and vegetables for the East Coast mass-market channel. Comparable in scale, East Coast geography, and big-box supply focus.

Emerging players

• Proven Winners: Proven Winners is a plant brand cooperative of independent growers licensing branded annuals, perennials, and shrubs for retail. Metrolina participates in this ecosystem; comparable in driving retail ornamental sales but structured as a brand/marketing platform rather than direct grower-wholesaler competitor.

Others

• Dümmen Orange: Dümmen Orange is one of the world's largest ornamental plant breeders and young-plant producers, supplying input genetics (cuttings, liners, plugs) to growers like Metrolina. Adjacent value-chain participant rather than direct competitor; relevant for input supply dynamics.
• Syngenta Flowers: Syngenta Flowers is a major global breeder and producer of flower seed and cuttings used by wholesale greenhouse operators. Upstream supplier to Metrolina rather than a direct competitor; relevant for genetic supply and category innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plant-partners---metrolina-greenhouses

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plant Partners - Metrolina Greenhouses