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A Family Tradition |
The Story of the Saunders Brothersin the words
of Paul Saunders
The date was 1915. Five brothers from a family of
eleven children decided to form a partnership and share the money that had
been made trapping rabbits, and Saunders Brothers was born. With the
coming of the Great Depression, money became tight. Although most were
forced to take jobs elsewhere, three brothers maintained the family farm
through farm helpers and sharecroppers, pitching in themselves during
harvest time. They shipped apples in three-bushel barrels overseas, and
when a neighbor received an unheard-of price of $1.00 for a bushel of
peaches, they planted around 70 acres of peaches, almost overnight!
After World War II, prices of peaches fell, and expenses
soared. As demand for more green Alberta peaches declined, the brothers
began planting newer red varieties. They also expanded the cattle herd.
The original Saunders Brothers declined to only two brothers, Sam (my
father), and Dick (my uncle) - they were full partners until my father's
death in 1967.
John Whitehead (county agent) and Paul
I propagated my first boxwood in the spring of 1947. A
multi-talented science teacher and my mother showed me how to make
cuttings for propagation. Intrigued, I chose the north side of the red
clay, piney-thicket hillside as my propagation site. An 11-year old friend
helped me with the project. We stuck 77 slips into the red earth, which
was cooled by its northern exposure, and the pines kept off the hot sun.
we watered them every few days from the little spring branch that was at
the bottom of the hill. From this almost impossibly primitive beginning,
25 of the plants rooted. I was truly excited, and at the age of 13, bought
out my partner.
Early 1960s-a
shipment of boxwood to Washington, D.C.
Encouraging my interest, my father fenced off a corner of
the barn lot near an old woodpile for my nursery. The manure that had
accumulated for years in the milk cow lot, plus organic matter from the
woodpile, provided a nearly ideal environment for my venture. This boxwood
money helped pay for my wife's engagement ring and my first Ford car. I
became very busy running a surveying business to make money to feed a
house full of boys. Needing room to expand, I chose to plant the boxwood
on the fertile river bottom land. Then I made the observation that people
were beginning to grow plants in containers. My wife, Tatum, helped out
driving around in a pickup truck full of children to county schools and
the local pie factory, picking up discarded gallon tins.
The Devastation
by Hurricane Camille in Nelson County, 1969
On August 30, 1969, Hurricane Camille dumped more than
twenty inches of rain on our countryside in one horrible night of
destruction and loss of life. Almost all of our ten acres of plants on the
river bottom were destroyed, along with the container nursery on the
riverbank. Only a few plants near an old orchard reservoir in a grove of
pines survived. With this as a nucleus, the container nursery was
re-established. Eventually our customers wanted our boxwoods in plastic
containers and we changed to suit their needs.
As time passed, my seven sons went away to college. Then,
one by one, several of them returned. Tom and his wife, Lyn, both
horticulturists, came home to work in the nursery. Bennett took over field
production as well as the peach orchards, most of which he converted into
more productive apple orchards. Robert returned to help us with our
construction program of new plastic houses, then later became our
salesman. Next, Jim, who began as a county extension agent, returned to
help with our cattle, and has taken over our personnel duties. Along the
way, Frank, a French-Canadian by birth and a master mechanic, became
another member of our family team. These four sons, my wife, Tatum, Frank,
and Lyn are the team today. Along with many valuable workers, customers,
and friends, we have created memories for the past 90 years, and continue
to do so today.
From all of us here at Saunders Brothers, thank you for
buying our plants and making our business a family tradition.
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THE BROTHERS
Field Production
at Saunders Brothers
By Bennett Saunders
" I am fond of Will Rogers quote
“even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you don’t move”.
Saunders Brothers, Inc. has been on the right track. And we have been run over.
We were on the right track in the 80’s and 90’s when we
expanded our ornamental container nursery.
We should have stopped the train in 2008, but didn’t see that the track
ended.
We were on the right track in the 90’s when we saw more demand for
locally grown produce. But the train
ran over us this time because we couldn’t respond fast enough.
I was on the right track when I adopted a 10 year old adorable, outgoing,
and sociable boy from Russia. I was
on the wrong track when I believed I could channel him into a calm, quiet,
studious, model son.
I was on the right track when I married my high school sweetheart.
I was run over the first time I used the only dry towel in the bathroom,
which happened to be hers.
Experiences in life teach us many lessons.
It is our hope that Saunders Brothers will continue to evolve and change
to meet the needs of a dynamic marketplace. "
Container Production
at Saunders Brothers
By Tom Saunders
 Times have changed! It's amazing to see the transformations
we have gone through the past three decades. From field soil and tin cans
to artificial media and plastic pots, our industry and our business have
changed dramatically. Automated irrigation systems and holding houses with
temperature alarms all make for a better finished product for you. A new
main office and expanded production facilities make us more efficient,
centralizing all our office space. without a doubt, our team is more
devoted than ever, continuing to provide the best quality in the market
place.
Our product line is continually changing. Placing a broad
range of plant material in a display garden is our immediate goal, in
order to provide the buyer a chance to see the plant in a landscape
setting. Please drop by to see the products of today and tomorrow.
We won't rest until you are satisfied!
Adding "The New" at Saunders Brothers
By Robert Saunders
L ike other companies in the green industry, Saunders
Brothers is always on the lookout for new varieties that will excite our
customers. We use several criteria to sort through the dozens of new
varieties that come on the market every year.
First of all, is it something really different from what we
already offer, in terms of flower color, growth habit, or some other
attribute? If it is different enough, is it something that will stop you
in you tracks? Is it long blooming, or does it have another feature that
offers multi-seasonal interest?
We also read up on how it has performed in trials, and look
at how it does in our own landscape. A pretty flower is not
enough-it must also be a great performer for the home gardener.
Along the same line, it must be a good performer for us in
the nursery as well. This allows us to minimize pesticide use and
throw-aways. We also look at the liner cost and how long it takes to reach
a marketable size.
All of these factors help us decide which new plants to add
to our product line. By narrowing the choices down to the "best of the
best", we feel that we are helping you-and us-carry our business into the
future.
Saunders
Brothers Personnel:
A Family Tradition
By Jim Saunders
 At Saunders Brothers we take great pride in the fact that
we offer a high quality product and provide superior customer service. At
the core of these two goals is the certainty that we have the best
personnel in the plant business. Our staff is dedicated to growing and
delivering the best plant material available in the nursery industry. In
addition, our staff is committed to helping our customers meet the needs
of the ever-changing nursery industry.
My father has said many, many times, "You'd better watch
out because so much can go wrong so fast!" I am constantly amazed at our
employees' dedication to detail. we have the most committed employees in
the business and they take great pride in growing plants for you!
At Saunders Brothers, we maintain a family atmosphere. One
of our neighbors once told me that is seemed that Saunders Brothers looks
like a happy place to work. I think that is true and we try to nurture
that kind of environment. We have employee picnics each spring and fall,
complete with music. In addition, we have potluck meals with our staff on
a regular basis. At staff meetings, we always recognize new staff members
and staff member birthdays.
We have as part our logo "A Family Tradition Since 1915."
At Saunders Brothers, we do maintain a family tradition. From the next
generation of Saunders running down the halls of the office to the many
families that continue to help provide you high quality plant material, we
are committed to you. We invite you to visit and see our family atmosphere
for yourself.
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