Wenke Greenhouses, Inc.

What Wenke Greenhouses, Inc. does

WenkeSunbelt Greenhouses is a family-owned wholesale greenhouse operator operating across 83 acres and six facilities in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Douglas, Georgia, following the 2025 merger of Wenke Greenhouses (founded 1942) and Sunbelt Greenhouses (acquired 1983). The company produces annuals, perennials, edibles, tropicals, indoor plants, and poinsettias across three integrated divisions: Finished Wholesale (3,000+ varieties serving garden centers and hardware stores), Young Plants (3,500+ plug and liner varieties including BallSeed exclusives serving greenhouse growers), and Landscape Sales (job-name-presorted plant delivery serving commercial landscapers). Production is supported by advanced greenhouse infrastructure including Cravo retractable roofs, robotics, shade curtains, humidification systems, movable tables, and a biological control agent pest-management program that uses biorational chemistry rather than conventional broad-spectrum pesticides.

Revenue is generated through wholesale one-time purchase orders across four branded product lines (Indoorables, All About Perennials, Papa Joe's herbs, All About Color) plus seasonal Spring, Fall, and Poinsettia programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers transact via three dedicated customer portals (Wenke, Sunbelt, Landscape) and the ePicas 24/7 live-availability system. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with territory-based account managers (Sarah Foster, Dan Hutton, Bonnie Barker, Travis Ambrosio, Greg Hopwood) and inside sales for Young Plants (Amy Lillibridge, Alex Reese), supported by a deep broker network (BallSeed, Griffin, Hummert, Germania Seed, Michell's, McHutchinson, BFG Supply, Express Seed, Eason Horticultural Resources, and others). Distribution is anchored by an in-house fleet of 58 53-foot trucks and 5,050 rolling carts enabling 36-hour delivery windows, with the third/fourth generation of the Wenke family providing leadership and KRESA/MSU/KVCC partnerships providing workforce pipeline.

Name

Wenke Greenhouses, Inc.

Legal name

WenkeSunbelt Greenhouses

Website

https://wenkesunbelt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WenkeSunbelt Greenhouses is a family-owned, third-generation wholesale greenhouse grower operating 83 acres across Michigan and Georgia, producing 3,000-3,500+ plant varieties across finished wholesale, young plants (plugs and liners), and landscape delivery for garden centers, hardware stores, greenhouse growers, and commercial landscapers across the US Midwest and Southeast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Greenhouse Plants

NAICS

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

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs) (AFAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Wholesale greenhouse plants
• Young plant production
• Finished plant distribution
• Commercial landscape supply
• Horticultural brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalamazoo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Finished Wholesale Plant Sales: Direct wholesale distribution of over 3,000 varieties of finished plants (annuals, perennials, edibles, tropicals, indoors, poinsettias) to garden centers, hardware stores, landscapers, and greenhouse growers across northern (Michigan) and southern (Georgia) U.S. divisions. Products include bedding flats, vegetables, herbs, fruit, potted specialty, perennials, ground covers, hanging baskets, patio containers, and landscape products. Sold via customer portals with pre-book ordering and live availability systems.
2. Young Plants (Plugs & Liners) Sales: Young plant division sells plugs and liners to greenhouse growers across Michigan and Georgia regions. With over 3,500 varieties including exclusive BallSeed selections. Minimum order 1 tray (Sunbelt) or 50 trays (Wenke). Features custom grow options for orders of 5+ trays per variety. Ships via Wenke Grower Truck, Sunbelt Grower Truck, and FedEx. Tag programs available with 1:1 or 1:3 tag ratios.
3. Landscape Sales - Job Name Delivery: Specialized landscape sales program where plants are delivered pre-sorted by job name and property. Customers download availability sheets, enter quantities with job names, and receive product organized by job for direct installation. Targets commercial landscapers in northern and southern service regions. Includes specialty lines and specialty product offerings.
4. Poinsettia & Seasonal Program Sales: Poinsettia production including florist-grade poinsettias in sizes from 2.4-inch mini to 12-inch, plus Christmas Cactus, Cyclamen, and holiday combo planters. Sunbelt Greenhouse is famous for poinsettia production. Also includes a Poinsettia Fundraiser Program for approved groups. Pre-book orders required with confirmation by mid-November.
5. Poinsettia Fundraiser Program: Special fundraiser program for approved groups (schools, organizations) to generate fundraising dollars through poinsettia sales. Available in 6.5", 8", and 12" sizes in red, white, and pink. Delivery limited to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Carolinas. Orders due October 24, delivery mid-November to early December.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WenkeSunbelt Greenhouses is a wholesale-only greenhouse grower producing finished plants, young plants (plugs and liners), and landscape plant materials across 83 acres in Michigan and Georgia. The company distributes 3,000+ finished plant varieties and 3,500+ young plant varieties to garden centers, hardware stores, commercial landscapers, and greenhouse growers across the northern Midwest and Southeast U.S. via in-house trucking, broker networks, and 24/7 ePicas ordering systems.

Product overview

WenkeSunbelt Greenhouses is a wholesale plant grower operating as three integrated divisions: Finished Wholesale (3,000+ varieties of annuals, perennials, edibles, tropicals, and indoor plants), Young Plants Division (3,500+ plug and liner varieties with BallSeed exclusives), and Landscape Sales (delivered-by-job-name plant materials). The company offers four proprietary brands—All About Perennials, Papa Joe's (herbs/vegetables), Indoorables (indoor plants), and All About Color (annuals)—alongside seasonal Spring and Fall programs and a specialty Poinsettia & Winter Program. Operations are supported by ePicas live availability systems, customer portals, and transport/logistics services with 58 trucks and 5,050 rolling carts enabling 36-hour delivery across the Midwest and Southeast. Wenke and Sunbelt officially merged in 2025, combining 83 acres across six greenhouses under third-generation family leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• All About Perennials: Perennial plant brand; primary focus of growth for years to come.
• Papa Joe's
• Indoorables
• All About Color

Products and services

• Finished Wholesale Plants Direct wholesale distribution of over 3,000 varieties of finished plants including annuals, perennials, edibles, tropicals, indoors, and poinsettias to garden centers, hardware stores, landscapers, and greenhouse growers across the northern (Michigan) and southern (Georgia) U.S. divisions. Includes bedding flats, vegetables, herbs, fruit, potted specialty, perennials, ground covers, hanging baskets, patio containers, and landscape products.
• Young Plants Division (Plugs and Liners) Young plant production program selling plugs and liners to greenhouse growers across Michigan and Georgia regions, with over 3,500 varieties including exclusive BallSeed selections. Minimum order 1 tray (Sunbelt) or 50 trays (Wenke). Custom grow options available for orders of 5+ trays per variety. Ships via Wenke Grower Truck, Sunbelt Grower Truck, and FedEx with available tag programs at 1:1 or 1:3 ratios.
• Landscape Sales Program Specialized landscape sales program where plants are delivered pre-sorted by job name and property. Customers download availability sheets, enter quantities with job names, and receive product organized by job for direct installation. Targets commercial landscapers in northern (IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, OK, TN, WI) and southern (AL, FL, GA, MI, NC, SC) service regions. Includes specialty lines and specialty product offerings.
• Poinsettias & Winter Program Florist-grade poinsettia production including sizes from 2.4-inch mini to 12-inch, plus novelty varieties (Princettia, Winter Rose, Red Glitter, Tapestry, Ice Crystal, Autumn Leaves). Also includes Christmas Cactus, Cyclamen, and holiday combo planters. Pre-book orders required with confirmation by mid-November.
• Poinsettia Fundraiser Program Fundraiser program for approved groups (schools, organizations) to generate fundraising dollars through poinsettia sales. Available in 6.5", 8", and 12" sizes in red, white, and pink. Delivery limited to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Carolinas. Orders due October 24, delivery mid-November to early December.
• Spring Program Bedding flats, vegetables, herbs and fruit, potted specialty, perennials and ground covers, hanging baskets, patio containers, and landscape products grown with outdoor hardening for spring retail season.
• Fall Program Fall plant material including mums, flowering cabbage and kale, pansies, and other annual color options for fall retail season.
• Sunbelt Spring Program Southeast spring production program including 8-04 cell pack annuals, vegetables, potted herbs, annuals, accents, perennials, bowls, planters, hanging baskets, and specialty items.
• Sunbelt Fall Program Southeast fall production program including 8-04 cell packs, 4-inch Papa Joe's herbs, potted annuals, hanging baskets, garden mums, pansies, violas, ornamental peppers, succulents, and combo planters from August through December.
• All About Perennials (Brand) Registered WenkeSunbelt brand for perennial plant products, described as the primary focus of growth for years to come alongside other perennial offerings.
• Papa Joe's (Brand) Registered brand for herb and specialty vegetable products, including Papa Joe's Naturally Grown Herbs in 4-inch pots plus fall herb offerings such as fennel, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
• Indoorables (Brand) Registered brand for indoor plant products, including potted tropicals and indoor specialty plants. Locking tags are a standard feature on the Indoorables line.
• All About Color (Brand) Registered brand for annual color programs including All About Color Select and All About Color Premium. Premium features superior plant genetics produced exclusively for the Independent Garden Center (IGC) market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Landscape customers report 50% less time handling material per job and save two days of labor per project by receiving product pre-sorted by job name
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BallSeed CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationBallSeed is a primary young plant breeder partner for WenkeSunbelt's young plants division. Sunbelt division in Douglas, GA features a large section of BallSeed young plant production. WenkeSunbelt also hosts BallSeed exclusives in their young plant offerings.
• SyngentacoreTechnology or IntegrationSyngenta is a trusted plant breeder partner whose logo is displayed on WenkeSunbelt's young plants page, indicating an active breeder partnership for seed and vegetative varieties.
• Dummen OrangecoreTechnology or IntegrationDummen Orange is listed among trusted breeders whose varieties are produced by WenkeSunbelt's young plant division.
• DanzigercoreTechnology or IntegrationDanziger is a trusted plant breeder partner featured on the young plants page, supplying varieties for WenkeSunbelt's production.
• SakatacoreTechnology or IntegrationSakata is listed among trusted breeders whose ornamental varieties are included in WenkeSunbelt's young plant offerings.
• PanAmerican SeedcoreTechnology or IntegrationPanAmerican Seed is a trusted breeder partner supplying seed varieties for WenkeSunbelt's young plant and wholesale programs.
• Selecta OnecoreTechnology or IntegrationSelecta One is a trusted breeder partner supplying vegetative varieties for WenkeSunbelt's ornamental plant production.
• BenarycoreTechnology or IntegrationBenary is a trusted breeder partner whose varieties are included in WenkeSunbelt's young plant program.
• Proven WinnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationProven Winners is both a brand partner and breeder network. WenkeSunbelt produces Proven Winners varieties in 4.3-inch and other sizes. The Proven Winners logo is featured as one of WenkeSunbelt's brands.
• Kalamazoo Flower Group (KFG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWenkeSunbelt grows product for the Kalamazoo Flower Group, a cooperative of local growers started in 1967 (originally KVPG). Millennium location was purchased in 2013 specifically to focus on KFG and Box Store business. Wenke and Sunbelt coordinate production and sales to take advantage of geographical differences.
• KRESA, MSU, and KVCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWenkeSunbelt coordinates with KRESA (Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency), Michigan State University (MSU), and Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) for training growers and internships, supporting workforce development in horticulture.
• Hummert InternationalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed on WenkeSunbelt's broker's list, connecting young plant customers with Hummert International as a distribution channel for ordering WenkeSunbelt young plants.
• GriffinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed on WenkeSunbelt's broker's list as a channel partner for distributing young plant products.
• Germania Seed CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed on WenkeSunbelt's broker's list for connecting customers with Germania Seed Company's distribution network.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mast Young Plants: Wholesale young plant producer (plugs and liners) for greenhouse growers across the Midwest. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt's Young Plants division on plug/liner production, variety breadth, and minimum-order policies.
• Kurt Weiss Greenhouses / Center Greenhouse: Multi-site wholesale greenhouse grower producing annuals, perennials, and poinsettias for garden centers and retailers across the eastern U.S. Directly comparable to WenkeSunbelt's finished wholesale and poinsettia programs.
• Bell Nursery: Wholesale nursery supplying annuals, perennials, and shrubs to Home Depot and other mass merchants across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt on wholesale plant production for box-store and garden-center channels.
• Pleasant View Gardens: New Hampshire-based wholesale grower and Proven Winners partner producing young plants and finished annuals/perennials. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt on young-plant/liner production and breeder-aligned variety programs.
• Green Circle Growers: Large U.S. wholesale greenhouse grower based in Ohio producing annuals, perennials, orchids, and indoor plants for retail and grocery channels. Directly comparable to WenkeSunbelt on wholesale ornamental production, customer mix (garden centers, big-box), and use of broker distribution.
• Metrolina Greenhouses: One of the largest single-site greenhouse operations in the U.S., based in North Carolina, producing annuals, perennials, and shrubs for mass-market retailers. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt as a wholesale bedding plant and finished ornamental producer serving national retail customers.

Broad incumbents

• Costa Farms: The largest U.S. greenhouse grower, producing indoor houseplants, annuals, and perennials for big-box and grocery channels. Highly comparable to WenkeSunbelt as a wholesale grower of ornamental and indoor plants, though at substantially greater scale and broader retailer footprint.
• Dümmen Orange: Global breeder and producer of ornamental plants, supplying vegetative cuttings and young plants across the U.S. market. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt's Young Plants division as both a breeder partner (Dümmen Orange is a trusted breeder) and a competing young-plant producer.
• PanAmerican Seed (Ball Horticultural): Major global seed breeder and Ball Horticultural company, producing seed and young plants for the ornamental industry. Listed as a trusted breeder partner for WenkeSunbelt and operates adjacent to WenkeSunbelt's young-plant distribution channels.

Emerging players

• Rocket Farms: California-based greenhouse grower specializing in orchids, succulents, and indoor plants for grocery and retail channels. Comparable to WenkeSunbelt's Indoorables line and finished indoor plant program on product mix and customer channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wenke-greenhouses-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Wenke Greenhouses, Inc.