For the first holiday season since 1911, a member of the Ecke family will not be at the helm of the Encinitas company that popularized the poinsettia and made it the No. 1 selling potted plant in North America.
In August, it was announced that all of the business assets of Paul Ecke Ranch, which included intellectual property and growing operations in Guatemala, were sold to Dutch-based Agribio Group, a worldwide horticulture breeding, production and distribution company. All staff members, including executives Andy Higgins, Steve Rinehart and Tom Hennessey, are employed by the new company, which has been named Ecke Ranch Inc.
Paul Ecke III, the sole owner of the Paul Ecke Ranch, confirmed that the 68-acre property, located at 441 Saxony Road, has been purchased by the Carlsbad-based Leichtag Foundation in honor of Max “Lee” and Toni Leichtag. Housing more than 850,000 square feet of greenhouse space, the land adjacent to the San Diego Botanic Garden has been renamed Ecke Ranch to commemorate the legacy of the family that made the poinsettia synonymous with the holiday season.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: North Coast Current