The relatively new owners of Nurserymen's Exchange and sister business Rocket Farms say the companies have successfully merged. Parent company Monterey Peninsula Horticulture has spent the last four months or so integrating the greenhouse growers.
"The puzzle has come together quite well," said Nurserymen's President Justin Dautoff. The businesses retain their core products but owners are working to meld company cultures, he explained. Nurserymen's Exchange will keep its name for now, but Dautoff said the local greenhouse grower plans to address branding in the future.
Before the sale in July, Nurserymen's Exchange was the largest Coastside flower grower and among the Coastside's biggest employers. Salinas-based Floramoda Inc., a subsidiary of Monterey Peninsula Horticulture, spent about $4 million to buy property, equipment, contracts and patents from Nurserymen's after the local company's bankruptcy. The joined companies employ roughly 250 employees, with equal numbers coming from Nurserymen's and Rocket Farms.
Since the sale in July, Dautoff said he and Chairman/CEO Charles Kosmont have focused on bringing new, innovative products to market. For now, Nurserymen's and Rocket Farms are selling the same products, including Nurserymen's Bloomrite brand and its potted roses and other flowering plants like campanula and sun star. They'll also continue focusing on potted Christmas trees.
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