Chief River Nursery Co

What Chief River Nursery Co does

Chief River Nursery Co is a privately held, family-owned bare root tree and seedling nursery founded in 1973 and operated by owners Dean and Sheila Koch from a single shipping facility at 976 Ulao Road, Grafton, Wisconsin. The company sells bare root trees, seedlings, saplings, shrubs, fruit trees, and conifer plugs to homeowners, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, and commercial buyers including tree farms, forestry companies, and government agencies. Its core catalog spans conifers (Arborvitae, Cedar, Fir, Hemlock, Larch, Pine, Spruce), hardwoods (Aspen, Birch, Chestnut, Hickory, Oak, Poplar, Maple), shrubs, and fruit-bearing varieties, supplemented by an accessory line that includes the proprietary Plant Saver deer and rabbit repellent (manufactured under exclusive rights in the USA), SUPERspore and Super Gel root dips, Plantskydd organic repellent, Plantra SunFlex Grow Tube Systems, and JIM GEM KBC Planting Bars.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce nursery with a tightly seasonal shipping window (March 1 through June 15), during which dormant bare root stock is shipped nationwide to USDA hardiness zone-appropriate customers; local pickup is available at the Grafton facility with advance scheduling. Revenue is generated through one-time unit-priced sales, with volume discounts of 5% on orders of $75–$174.99 and 10% on orders above $175 to incentivize larger commercial and institutional purchases. A flat $14.95 root dipping and packaging fee applies to local pickups, and select states (AK, AZ, CA, HI) carry shipping restrictions tied to plant regulatory requirements.

Chief River Nursery maintains a hybrid segmentation strategy, distinguishing residential, wildlife-oriented, and commercial/government buyers via dedicated landing pages, and supports its marketing with a website store, email newsletter, Facebook presence, and a mailed/downloadable Spring catalog. A referral relationship with sister company Arborista extends the family-controlled brand into potted trees and shrubs, while a product resale partnership with Plantra adds grow tube accessories. The company reports headcount of 1–10 employees, has no external funding or parent organization, and holds registered brand rights for its Plant Saver product line.

Name

Chief River Nursery Co

Legal name

Chief River Nursery Co

Website

https://chiefrivernursery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chief River Nursery Co is a family-owned, Wisconsin-based e-commerce nursery founded in 1973 that sells bare root trees, seedlings, shrubs, fruit trees, and conifer plugs to residential, wildlife, and commercial forestry buyers across the United States during the spring planting season.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bare Root Nursery Stock

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Seedling & Sapling Production (Bare-Root) (AFAMADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Contract Growing & Reforestation Stock Supply (AFAMADAK), Forest Nurseries & Tree Seedling Production (IMAMAAAC), Nursery Production (Woody Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs, Roses) (AFAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Bare root trees
• Tree seedlings
• Landscape shrubs
• Fruit tree saplings
• Wildlife habitat plants

Headquarters

HQ city

Grafton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bare Root Trees and Seedlings Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of bare root trees, seedlings, saplings, shrubs, and fruit trees to homeowners, landowners, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and commercial buyers including tree farms, forestry companies, and government agencies. Volume discounts available for larger orders.
2. Non-Plant Products Sales: Sales of proprietary plant care products including Plant Saver repellent, SUPERspore root dip, Super Gel, and related accessories. Chief River Nursery holds exclusive manufacturing rights for Plant Saver.
3. Planting Equipment Sales: Sales of JIM GEM KBC Planting Bars and Plantra SunFlex Grow Tube Systems for tree planting and protection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chief River Nursery sells dormant bare root trees, seedlings, conifer plugs, hardwoods, shrubs, and fruit trees online, shipping throughout the United States during the spring planting season (March 1 - June 15) for residential landscaping, wildlife habitat, and commercial reforestation uses. The company complements its nursery stock with a line of planting accessories including the exclusive Plant Saver deer and rabbit repellent, root dips, grow tubes, animal repellents, and planting bars.

Product overview

Chief River Nursery Co is a family-owned bare root tree nursery in business since 1973, offering a wide selection of bare root trees, seedlings, and shrubs. Their core product lineup includes Conifers (with both bare root and plug varieties), Hardwoods (Aspen, Birch, Chestnut, Hickory, Oak, Poplar, Maple), Shrubs, and Fruit Trees & Shrubs. They also offer a complementary line of planting accessories and supplies including Plant Saver Deer & Rabbit Repellent, Plantskydd Animal Repellent, Super Gel and SUPERspore Root Dips, Plantra SunFlex Grow Tube Systems for tree protection, and JIM GEM KBC Planting Bars. The company operates an e-commerce platform for online ordering with nationwide shipping during planting season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bare Root Trees & Seedlings Bare root trees and seedlings shipped without soil around the roots while dormant, designed for easier shipping, planting, and establishing strong root systems; the company's core product category available via the tree and shrub finder.
• Conifers Evergreen conifer trees including Arborvitae, Cedar, Fir, Hemlock, Larch & Tamarack, Pine, and Spruce varieties sold as bare root nursery stock.
• Conifer Plugs Young conifer seedlings started in small amounts of soil with protected roots, shipped for easier planting in conservation and forestry projects.
• Hardwoods Deciduous hardwood trees including Aspen, Birch, Chestnut, Hickory, Oak, Poplar, Maple, and other hardwood varieties sold as bare root nursery stock.
• Shrubs Deciduous and flowering shrubs including Dogwood, Elderberry, Serviceberry, Viburnum, and other shrub varieties sold as bare root nursery stock.
• Fruit Trees & Shrubs Fruit-bearing trees and shrubs including Apple, Cherry, Grape, Peach, Pear, and other fruit varieties sold as bare root nursery stock.
• Plant Saver Deer & Rabbit Repellent All-natural granular deer and rabbit repellent also effective against elk, opossum, and moose; manufactured exclusively by Chief River Nursery in the USA using only US ingredients; rain proof and lasts 4-6 months in bags, 2-3 months when applied directly to ground.
• Plant Saver Cloth Bags Unbleached cotton millcloth bags (2.5" x 3.5") designed to hold Plant Saver repellent product for hanging on trees and garden fences.
• Plantra SunFlex Grow Tube Systems Integrated grow tube system providing tree shelters and protection for hardwood and fruit trees, designed to grow seedlings taller and stronger with flexible stakes.
• Plantskydd Animal Repellent Deer and rabbit repellent also repelling Elk, Moose, Voles, Chipmunks and Squirrels; OMRI certified organic for use in organic gardening and food crop production.
• Super Gel Root Dip Cross-linked modified acrylic polymer root dip that stores moisture in the root zone and releases it as needed, treating approximately 750 seedlings per 1 oz packet; revitalizes with each rainfall for long-term moisture retention.
• SUPERspore Root Dip Root dip combining Super Gel with endo and ecto mycorrhizae fungi that colonize the root system to increase water and nutrient absorption for higher survival rates; fungi lasts the life of the tree or shrub, making them drought resistant and more adaptable to tough growing situations.
• JIM GEM KBC Planting Bar Heavy-duty steel planting bar (39" overall length, 12" blade) designed for planting bare root seedlings, with cast one-piece blade and footstep for durability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Limited guarantee that plants will successfully break dormancy by June 30 of planting year

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ArboristacoreOthersSister company that sells potted trees and shrubs. Chief River Nursery refers customers looking for small potted trees and shrubs to their sister company, which offers a large assortment of fresh evergreens and home landscape plants that are favorably priced, easy to plant, and come with a guarantee.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Nature Hills Nursery: Large online retailer selling trees, shrubs, and perennials nationwide with broader catalog and digital marketing scale. Comparable as an online-first nursery serving similar residential and commercial customers, but operates at substantially larger scale and broader SKU breadth.
• Fast Growing Trees: Large national online nursery selling potted and bare root trees with heavy paid digital marketing. Comparable target customer (residential and small commercial buyers) but operates at much larger scale with different fulfillment model and broader species range.
• Bower & Branch: Online retailer selling larger caliper trees through a network of growers. Comparable as an e-commerce nursery serving landscapers and homeowners but at a higher price point and different fulfillment model.

Direct peers

• Nourse Farms: Massachusetts-based bare root berry plant nursery selling small fruit plants, asparagus, and rhubarb via direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Comparable as a family-owned bare-root specialist operating seasonal shipping with strong customer reputation.
• Musser Forests: Long-established Pennsylvania-based bare root seedling and tree nursery selling conifers, hardwoods, and shrubs online for reforestation, conservation, and landscaping. Most direct competitor in bare-root seedling e-commerce with overlapping species and use cases.
• Forest Farm: Oregon-based mail-order and online nursery offering a broad catalog of woody plants, conifers, and native species. Comparable as an established online nursery serving both retail and landscaping professionals with extensive species selection.
• Arborista: Sister company selling potted trees, shrubs, and home landscape plants under shared ownership. Directly comparable as a complementary nursery channel serving the same residential customer base with adjacent SKUs (potted vs. bare root).
• St. Lawrence Nurseries: New York-based bare root nursery specializing in cold-hardy fruit and nut trees and shrubs. Comparable in focus on bare-root stock, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and serving both homeowners and small-scale commercial growers in northern climates.
• Cold Stream Farm: Michigan wholesale and retail bare root tree and shrub nursery operating since 1960s. Directly comparable as a regional bare-root nursery selling conifers, hardwoods, and wildlife species to retail and commercial customers.

Emerging players

• Arbor Day Foundation: Non-profit organization distributing seedlings for reforestation and conservation through member programs and partnerships. Comparable overlap in reforestation seedling supply and tree-planting education, though operating as a mission-driven non-profit rather than commercial nursery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chief-River-Nursery-Co-193430704064285
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chief-river-nursery-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Chief River Nursery Co